Stickers for Air Drying ???

[Andy Haney]

Some time back I posted that I had inherited a cherry tree from a friend's farm. :D Last night I was able to link up with the sawyer and brought home more lumber than the pickup will haul in a single load (probably 250-300 BF). :D :D :D Based on the research I have done, I have an ideal place to air dry the lumber. I begin stacking tonight after work.

The question is "stickers". I can sacrifice some of the less desirable boards (they're all desirable) and cut them up as stickers, or I can use pine from local lumber yard. Is either one of these a better option, and is there another, better way I haven't considered?

Thanks for you consideration.

[Todd Burch]

Andy, properly seasoned, dry stickers are the best ones to use. Species doesn't really matter, but dry matters a lot.

[Joseph N. Myers]

Andy,

Dry is good (a must) but you really want to stay away from any wood that has acid (i.e., cedar, oak, redwood, etc) or sap (pine) as that will stain the wood. Poplar and basswood are the 2 that I use most frequently and I'm sure others on the Creek will make additional recommendations.

As I sure you read, the stickers have to be the same thickness (i.e., 3/4 x 3/4, 3/4 x 1 1/2) and placed one over the other. The mill I was dealing with didn't do any of the above and so a lot of wood from them is stained and warped --- something the joiner/planer will take out but something that I shouldn't had to deal with.

Make sure to cover the top, paint the ends and put lots of weight on the top of the pile --- protects against the wind and helps keep the wood straight. And although not necessary, it is best to restack it every year or so, circulation, if you missed a spot or two, etc.

Regards, Joe

[Tim Sproul]

I don't dry my own lumber....due to space and other limitations...but I use 2-sided melamine cutoffs ripped to ~ 3/4 to 1 inch widths as stickers.

They are stable....uniform thickness...the melamine makes easy orientation...the melamine is essentially waterproof - no sticker stains....and free since I cut up scraps.