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cheap tops for outside drying

Started by alanh, September 20, 2017, 10:21:55 AM

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alanh

Seeing as how the day job throws out hundreds of these a year I figured I would share this. These snowmobile, atv, and side by side crate sides and tops make good covers for the stickered stacks. If there is a dealer near you I`m sure they`d be happy to get rid of some. Some of the side by side ones are 7 x 12 ft.

  

 

69bronco


GeneWengert-WoodDoc

Any top is highly subject to wind damage or getting blown off, so fasten them well.  A foot or so overhand is a good idea.

GENRALLY, they improve the quality of the top three to five layers by keeping rain off.  Financially, the are quite beneficial.
Gene - Author of articles in Sawmill & Woodlot and books: Drying Hardwood Lumber; VA Tech Solar Kiln; Sawing Edging & Trimming Hardwood Lumber. And more

alanh

Yup, the free part means I use enough for a 2-3 ft overhang, depending on what I`m covering I either screw them right to the pile or bungee them to a lower sticker

starmac

I am not sure if they still use these,but several years I knew a guy that worked for a sign company. They used some pretty good and heavy material for billboards, that was a one time thing. He gave me several of these that were as big as the billboard they were covering, you can then cut them to any size you wanted. I used to see these laying under billboards at times, was why I ask about them. They would be perfect for covers and last just shy of forever if a guy could get his hands on a few of them.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

Gearbox

starmac google used billboard tarps .$ 50 14 x48
A bunch of chainsaws a BT6870 processer , TC 5 International track skidder and not near enough time

mike_belben

How does a billboard tarp compare to say a cheap chinese fabric garage canvas?  Think itd hold up better or worse?
Praise The Lord

starmac

Mike, I would think better, they were heavy duty and you could cut them any size you wanted, without fear of the edges unraveling. I truly belive the ones I had would have lasted for years making covers for air drying, longer than I will anyway.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

Gearbox

I get 3-5 years covering firewood .
A bunch of chainsaws a BT6870 processer , TC 5 International track skidder and not near enough time

Randy88

I made pallets for both stacking lumber on and to cover the piles with, then screwed used tin to the tune of about 5 dollars per pallet and use a skid steer to put the pallet/tin roof on, should last decades as far as the used tin is concerned, for the pallets I built, it was all sawed lumber and stuff not good enough for anything but firewood, so I figure my time is about the only cost to those, most are 4 foot by 10 foot pallets, and the tin hangs over all sides depending on the lumber length I am covering.     The upside to to using 2x's and tin for covering, they are heavy enough to not need fastening down with anything, just set them on with the skid steer and don't look back.

starmac

Randy, that is a permanent solution I have thought about, and just setting them on here would work, we don't get wind. I unloaded in Wasilla Monday and they would probably have blown away if they had a concrete barrier sitting on top of each one.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

Gearbox

I double stack my piles then cover with used steel roofing add 3 or 4 4x4s and put a big log on top for weight . Always get nice lumber to plane the next year .
A bunch of chainsaws a BT6870 processer , TC 5 International track skidder and not near enough time

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