Storing Lumber

[Arthur Travers]

Can I get the consensus of the best way to store lumber..
Upgright, Flat, otherwise..
Thanks..

[Brendan Plavis]

On a flat surface(plywood) laying flat, to ensure no warping occurs. I think that should work for you. I usually store mine in a rack attached to the ceiling, but I go through it quick enough its not given time to warp. Although, I have no space otherwise to store it off of the concrete floor..

[Richard M. Wolfe]

Store it flat. The easiest way for most people will be to lay it flat on a shelf and supported the entire length. Some store it upright which will work as long as you have provision for keeping the surface flat, as in using a clamp.

[Dave Lehnert]

Storing flat is best, Storing upright is most piratical.
I store upright and cant say I have noticed much in the way of warping BUT...Most of my stock is rough cut kiln dried stuff.

[Allen Tomaszek]

I prefer flat but also have wood stored vertical as well when space is an issue.

149024

[Tony Bilello]

It is much easier to go through your lumber when stored upright than when horizontal. I keep the lumber tilted backward and flat against the backboard or other lumber.

[Alan Schaffter]

For dry wood, is fine to store it vertically. If the MC is less than 20% there is no danger of warping according to the USDA Forrest Products Laboratory. The floor supports the weight, no need for hefty, complex shelves, no need for a ladder to access wood on upper shelves. It is easier to inspect (both sides) and select individual boards if stacked vertically- edge to the wall- soldier style. The only negative; you need headroom and safety chains are recommended.

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/1403/medium/PB050007.JPG

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/500/medium/P9240002.JPG

[Lee Koepke]

I built a rack that stores my sheet goods vertically and two shelves above for dimensional lumber laid flat. I need to make more efficient storage for smaller cut offs and be a little more organized related to size / species....

[george wilson]

I HAVE had warping problems with storing wood upright for extended periods. If you store it,it may be there for years.

[Frank Drew]

Without saying that I know for a fact that warping can occur with dried lumber stored vertically, I'd be more comfortable storing dimension lumber that way (e.g. 8/4 and thicker) than 4/4 stock (unless supported against sagging.)

[Matthew Hills]

Pretty common to see wood stored near-vertical at the woodworking stores. Bays are built with back support at 10-15 degrees off vertical, so the wood is protected against sagging a bit.


Matt

[Alan Schaffter]

I HAVE had warping problems with storing wood upright for extended periods. If you store it,it may be there for years.


Without saying that I know for a fact that warping can occur with dried lumber stored vertically, I'd be more comfortable storing dimension lumber that way (e.g. 8/4 and thicker) than 4/4 stock (unless supported against sagging.)

I suspect you probably had one or more factors going on- you stacked wood that was not fully dried, stacked at too shallow of an angle for too long ("years") so it sagged, you had some wide swings in atmospheric humidity, or it was reaction wood with internal stresses that resulted in warping when released- and would have done so no matter what. I'll stand by what Dr. Gene Wengert (wood drying and kiln guru- just Google him!), and his colleagues at the USDA Forrest Products Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin, say in the USDA pubs about wood that is less than 20% MC- it is generally done moving because of moisture effects. Here is what Gene said in response to a vertical vs horizontal rack and wood warping question over at Woodweb (http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Wood_Storage_Vertical_or_horizontal.html) where he was (is?) a moderator.

One other thing I didn't mention about stacking vertically- make sure you have a dry floor or else the end grain may absorb moisture from the floor.

And for the Zen: The late master George Nakashima (The Soul of a Tree; A Woodworker’s Reflections) was an advocate of storing timber upright, in the same way it grew (lower part of the tree/board to the floor, top of tree/board up). He felt that to show proper respect for the tree, it was necessary to store it the same way that it grew in life. He believed that wood has a soul and he spoke often of giving a second life to a tree through his furniture designs.

I know this thread is about storing and not drying wood, but for anyone interested, here is more than you ever wanted to know about drying wood:


Air Drying of Lumber, by the USDA Forrest Products Laboratory, University of Wisconsin. (http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr117.pdf)

Drying Hardwood Lumber (http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr118.pdf) (same source)

[Rob Damon]

When I first picked up the wood I sticker/stacked horizontally until down to 6-8% (First photo).http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=130194&d=1255619582 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=130194&d=1255619582)

Once dry/stable, I bound and vertical stacked. (old pictures)

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=130195&d=1255619582 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=130195&d=1255619582)
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=130196&d=1255619604 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=130196&d=1255619604)
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=130197&d=1255619604 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=130197&d=1255619604)
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=130198&d=1255619614 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=130198&d=1255619614)

The binding has so far keep everything perfectly straight with no ill effect on the wood. The space is Heated/air conditioned though and is typically 60-65deg, 25-35 RH year round.

Rob

[Matthew Hills]

Doesn't the binding reduce some of the sorting advantages of the vertical storage? (the straps across each bay are a good idea, especially if you are in earthquake country like I am)


For the flat storers out there, if you have it stacked on a shelf, how much overhang is reasonable before you have to start worrying about sagging from an unsupported overhang? (was planning to use an old door as a relatively flat platform with lumber up to about 10')

Matt

[Rob Damon]

Doesn't the binding reduce some of the sorting advantages of the vertical storage? (the straps across each bay are a good idea, especially if you are in earthquake country like I am)



Matt

Cutting the binding takes a few seconds and rebinding takes a few minutes. They are sorted by width/thickness. No a problem.

Rob