air dried wood

[woodmills1]

i have been in a discussion on the wood web concerning using air dried wood for indoor projects. there are some who say it won't work. here is my rebuttal, my entertainment center and left front speaker. built by me with lumber from my trees i cut, sawed, and dried.

James "woody" Mills

 

[woodmills1]

here is another example. poplar (quaking aspen) tv armoire built by me from purchased logs. this lumber spent a year outside on sticks, then 2 years inside before the project. notice no failures.

James "woody" Mills

 

[Thomas]

Grand craftman ship!!
Wish I had a nack for wood working..picture of your shop would be nice./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Egon]

Poplar Wood:
That's real nice work. I am also drying some poplar for projects. So far I've only used a chain saw to rip planks which I run through a thickness planer. Next year I have hopes of getting more logs and then get a bandsaw mill in.
Egon

 

[TerryinMD]

James,

I believe the reason behind your success with the lumber is your drying techique. One year outside and two years inside is plenty to stabilize the moisture content.

Good design and craftsmanship with your cabinetry. My hats off to you!! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Terry

 

[Anonymous Poster]

James,

Very nice work! Unfortunately for me, I've had both successes and failures using air dried material. There are a host of variables that come into play when drying wood but if what you're doing works, stick with it. I'm curious, do you use a woodstove to heat your house? Also, could you pass along the wood website you mentioned in your initial post. Thanks


Russ

 

[Boondox]

Nice to see this considering all the maple and cherry I've got air drying! I'm using the same technique: two (for 5/4 cherry) to three (for 8/4 maple) stickered in the big garage, followed by at least one winter inside where the dryness of wood heat finishes the job.

Pete

www.GatewayToVermont.com

 

[woodmills1]

the shop was at the old house we sold in july so no woodwork till new space built. the site would be www.woodweb.com great site with much to offer. also maybe check out the timber buyers network.

James "woody" Mills

 

[Egon]

James:
Question on you woodwork. Do you use 1/4 sawn lumber ?
Egon

 

[Youare]

Being that I have owned a portable sawmill for the past 25 years I have used air dried wood to build many cabinet type projects along with other inside projects. I built a Shaker high cupboard on a chest out of some nice air dreid pine 15 years ago and it has not changed a bit. I built a cabinet out of cherry out of air dried stock without a problem.

Drying location is critical. I have a wood stove in the basement and in the summer I run a dehumidifier. I let my wood air dry outside stickered with dry hardwood grooved stickers. These special stickers I get from a large wood processing plant they throw they away after they have been through the kiln a number of times. The wood sits outside until the end of fall then I move it into the basemant or top of the barn.

After a year in the basement it is ready for almost anything. I do most of my woodworking projects durning the winter when the air is driest, summer is tractor time.

Randy