When to plane rough cut lumber?

[dougtrr2]

I air dried some oak and walnut in my attached garage. I was advised not to do that. The reason was, in the early stages of drying there is a tremendous amount of moisture lost. Drying inside means all that moisture will be inside the space. I left my garage doors open with fans running as much as possible.

Even after drying your wood there is quite a bit of advice that recommends letting lumber acclimate to the environment where it will be used.

I am also in the camp that says, don't plane it until you are ready to use it.

Doug in SW IA

 

[smilindave]

For what its worth, don't plane it till you are ready to use it. Wood tends to change color over time. If you plane it and then later start making cuts for your projects the wood color will not match. Been there done that.

 

[N80]

Update from the OP:

Just got my moisture meter in the mail. The white oak in the basement is at around 18-19% which surprises the heck out of me. I checked multiple boards, sides and flats.

Factory lumber that has been down there for a year or so was slightly less.

The floor joists overhead were at around 12%.

I don't have an explanation for why the white oak boards are that dry. I checked my dates and the white oak logs were sawed into boards about 6 weeks ago. They went straight into my basement. The tree the logs came from blew down (while still alive) about two years prior to that. The main trunk was raised off the ground so there was no rot. I've been told that logs don't dry out that much so I don't know if that had anything to do with it.

It will be interesting to see how that progresses over the next 3-4 months.

I look forward to testing the pine boards and posts on my outdoor drying piles.

 

[Richard]

Here's a stupid little story....at my expense so feel free to laugh at me.

20 years ago, we were building our (log) home. Part of the upstairs was going to be stick built but made to LOOK like logs on the exterior (1x12 every "4" inches a gap and chink between)

There was some kind of beetle infestation sweeping East TN so we downed some trees. Had someone with a portable sawmill cut them into VERY rough cut 1x12's

Enter my stupidity.... I'm thinking I can plane them so buy a Dewalt table top planer. Mind you, these boards are 1x12x16 AND a VERY irregular 1" thick.

The poor little table top planer looked puny next to the board. None the less, a buddy came over and we wrestled and hoisted a board onto and through the planer. It got all the way through (and catching it on the far side was also a royal pain in the hiney. Still...as it went through we heard "zip.........zzzzzzip.......... zip zip......" as it was touching, therefore cutting down the high spots.

We fought this board like dogs and realized I was going to have to take a SINGLE board through the planer maybe 5-6 times, just to get a single side done, THEN, had to flip the bugger over.

Looked at my friend and said, tell ya what.... dinner is on me irrespective of your answer..... but I'm over this already. Let's just load them onto the trailer and my brother in law can take it to some lumber yard near him.

Did so. Brother in law grabbed trailer, delivered them down.....and the next weekend brought them all back, ready to go. (they are still on the house I might add)

I would have still been planing the third or fifth board in the week it took him to get them ALL done.

Some workers did some things for me, for the house, and I literally GAVE them the planer (something like $400??) I didn't want it in my hair and having been used on a board, I didn't feel right trying to return it. So I made their day.

Yes, today, I wish I still had it.

 

[AnotherBueller]

Try a fan to help move air, use a dehumidifier in the room. Can OP store in basement, build a temporary opened ended box around it, put fan on one end, and blow air through the stack.

I have some in my storage room in my attic. Temps reach 110F on hot days in Northern Michigan.

Probably the best fastest way to dry it is to take to a kiln and have them dry it. But that will cost money. Good luck. Jon

That's a beautiful stock! You do good work.

 

[civilian]

That's a beautiful stock! You do good work.

I think you mean someone else gun stock shown back a few posts. Jon