Lumber length

[Lewis Ehrhardt]

I just got some 12 foot maple boards, some are over 13 inches wide which makes for some very heavy wood. This wood was from an old furniture maker buy-out. It's been air-dried for over 10 years. I've not worked with maple, much, but I need to cut it to more manageable and storeable lengths. Any suggestions appreciated.
P.S. Not sure what projects I will used this wood for. Thanks Lewis

[Jim Matthews]

12 foot long, 13 inch wide clear maple that's air dried for 10 years?

Send it to me for proper disposition.
*****

Cut it down just before you need to work with it, and leave it as long as you can manage for storage.
It's a better practice to try sourcing parts for a piece of furniture from the same board;
for stability of the joints, grain and color matching.

If you must cut boards down to length to store them,
mark the ends with a "carpenter's triangle" so you can keep the boards together.

If you haven't stored lumber at home, before - keep it off direct contact with concrete.
This lot is already dry, so it needs to be kept somewhere relatively dry, where mold will not form.

http://woodtreks.com/mill-dimension-rough-lumber-steps-process-length-width-thickness/1020/

In a nutshell - don't cut these lovely lengths down, until you're sure what you will make.

[Richard N Elliott]

Now Lewis, I'm not to far from you. Just a whoop, hop and a holler across I-20. And seein' how's I'm new here and want to make friends, I'll tell ya what I'm gonna do! I'll come over there and haul that stuff back to my place and store it for you! Full length! You can come pick up what you want anytime. 'course it'd be very gracious of you to let me use some of it for projects I have planned! :D

[Paul Murphy]

If you can't handle 12' lengths, the next logical length would probably be 8'. Many furniture pieces are built from pieces less than 48", so an 8' and 4' piece still leave most of your options open.

[scott vroom]

I just got some 12 foot maple boards, some are over 13 inches wide which makes for some very heavy wood. This wood was from an old furniture maker buy-out. It's been air-dried for over 10 years. I've not worked with maple, much, but I need to cut it to more manageable and storeable lengths. Any suggestions appreciated.
P.S. Not sure what projects I will used this wood for. Thanks Lewis

Ideally you should store them in their original 12' length to give you maximum flexibility on future projects. If you don't have space for 12' boards then I guess you'll be cutting them down to whatever room you do have. Not sure what suggestions you're looking for.

[Mark Bolton]

I think six foot material is often very accommodating for furniture type work. Of course you have to think about the work you do. I wouldnt want 4' material so 8's wouldn't for me.

If my work was flexible, and I had no specific intent for the material, I'd cut it to 6' and make a nice tidy stack.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Man.........that's a tough decision.

For me - I wouldn't cut into it until I had a project to use it. I like to cut parts so that the grain is oriented correctly, match grain from piece-to-piece, etc. Breaking those boards down into smaller pieces would limit options.

I have racks and shelves for wood - can handle up to 14' long, a pretty good amount. Except, I have too much, so there is a stickered pile 3'+ tall & 24" wide, mixed species, on the floor along one shop aisle......................

I am hoping you could resole the issue under hte philosophy that "there's gotta be a way".................

Edit: Jim - I will race you for it.

[Dave Cullen]

In one of James Krenov's books he states that after you cut a 12 ft board into 6 ft lengths you will have a 7 ft idea.

That said, my storage racks can handle 8 ft and I'd likely cut them 8 + 4. Pick the ugliest end to make the short piece from.

[Ronald Mancini]

If your ceiling will permit it store them vertically in original condition.

[Jim Becker]

The issue with breaking those beautiful boards down "now" to specific lengths is that you may compromise your ability to select the best grain and color for your future projects. Yes, it's a pain to store and handle longer board, but if you actually can keep them intact, you'll be better served in the long run.

[Frank Drew]

If at all possible, what Jim Matthews and the other "preservationists" have recommended. Horizontal storage high up on your shop walls might be just the ticket -- out of the way but accessible with a step ladder. My whole shop was rimmed with stacks of boards up near the ceiling.

[Robin Powlus]

I cut most of my boards into 4-5 foot lengths so they are easier to handle and mill. I try to cut across a knot or other disfigured area, thought it sounds like you may not have many of these areas.

[Prashun Patel]

This is 4/4, right?

I think you have to know yourself. Personally I like to maximize yield on wide stock and I'm less concerned with perfect grain matching. I'd probably want to turn those into benches or table tops. Cutting them into 72" sections would give me 2 nice sections from each board that may even be able to be slip-matched well. When I come into prized stock like that I like to let the wood determine the project and the dimensions, not the other (normal) way.

I'm always prejudiced to think in terms of 8ft sections, but unless I'm making cabinetry or workbenches, I haven't found that dimension particularly relevant to a lot of other furniture.

[glenn bradley]

No predicting the future. Find a spot for them or make your best guess and live with it. The roof peak area in my shop accepts 12 footers :).

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The base is kicked out and tilts toward the wall at a couple of degrees. there is an air-gap under the platform to avoid moisture collection. I stock by thickness rather than species as I find this works better for me operationally.

[Lewis Ehrhardt]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Beings these are 1 and 1/2 inches thick, they are rather heavy. It's not so much that I can't lift them, but I'm not as young as I used to be and my back suffers from a fusion some years ago. But the major issue is storage. I recently had to cut down four oak trees that ranged in age from over 90 to 50 years old. I had a sawyer cut them up for me, which means I have about 9k bf of oak stickered/stored in my back yard. I need to build some bigger barns:) I've not done a lot with maple, so, I"m not sure what projects are ahead. I just thought there might be some sort of average lengths that are sort of universal. That's all.

[Chris Padilla]

Darn, SC is a bit far from me to help you with that "storage" issue you have! ;) Do what you gotta do. Cut them in half...makes them easier to handle for sure. But mark them in case you want to match them up later one. Maple is great...sands up beautifully and is a very strong wood. Very dense pores. All I've been working with the last few years is maple and I still have two large boards like you have but mine are 2.5" thick and yeah, they do weigh a TON! I haven't needed any maple much longer than 5' and if I did, it was crown and other longish trim and I ordered that from someone since I don't typically make my own (although I have).

[Kent A Bathurst]

Darn, SC is a bit far from me to help you with that "storage" issue you have! ;) Do what you gotta do. Cut them in half...makes them easier to handle for sure. But mark them in case you want to match them up later one. Maple is great...sands up beautifully and is a very strong wood. Very dense pores. All I've been working with the last few years is maple and I still have two large boards like you have but mine are 2.5" thick and yeah, they do weigh a TON! I haven't needed any maple much longer than 5' and if I did, it was crown and other longish trim and I ordered that from someone since I don't typically make my own (although I have).

First - I can get there from ATL in no time - just need to borrow the wife's pick-up truck. Lemme know, and I am on the road in an hour......:p

Next - if you cut them, don't just willy-nilly chop to some predetermined length. Go for as long as you can stand, and look at each board carefully - the piece you want to save may be in the middle. IF you can handle 8', then try as best you can for consistent color and grain with 8' sections, wherever they occur.

There are plenty of pieces and parts in any build that can be cut out of shorter pieces - table leg stretchers, drawer fronts and kicks, etc.

[Peter Quinn]

Average length.....12'. Most of the lumber i buy is 10' or 12', sometimes I buy 8/4 in 8' lengths in certain species. I'd go crazy having to cut them down before having a set of plans in front of my, I'm sure my inspiration would call for something just longer than I had cut, or I couldn't get enough multiples out of the shorts I'd made. So here's another vote for leave them long, find the room. Under the bed?

[john davey]

How much of this did you get. If you have 9K of oak there should be a little room left in htat barn to keep it full lrngth. If not pull some oak and make room for it. You got allot of oak :)

[Jim Matthews]

In one of James Krenov's books he states that after you cut a 12 ft board into 6 ft lengths you will have a 7 ft idea.

Okay, that's funny right there.

[Jim Matthews]

It's not so much that I can't lift them, but I'm not as young as I used to be and my back suffers from a fusion some years ago. But the major issue is storage.

Gotcha.
This sounds like a task for day labor.

If you cut these boards down, now - you'll degrade their value in the event of resale.
I don't know how wet the Seasons are in Orangeburg, but storing them outside is sure
to raise their moisture content, the day before you start your project with them.

If you must cut them down, preserve the finest figure over the longest span you can carry.
I would say 8 and four foot lengths.

That said, anyone that's had a spinal fusion has heard the admonition to lift carefully, more than once before.

I move larger boards using a canoe cart.
The longest board I can store in my basement is 10' - longer than that and I can't get it down the stairs
or through the rear bulkhead.

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[Lewis Ehrhardt]

John, it's only about 550 to 600 bf. Yeah, that's a lot of oak. Like I said, these trees were huge (over 36 inches at the base). I had most of the oak quarter sawn, some plain and rift, but mostly quarter. He spent three days cutting. My grandson and I spent three two stickering and stacking. But I tell you, these boards were simply beautiful to look at.

[Scott T Smith]

John, it's only about 550 to 600 bf. Yeah, that's a lot of oak. Like I said, these trees were huge (over 36 inches at the base). I had most of the oak quarter sawn, some plain and rift, but mostly quarter. He spent three days cutting. My grandson and I spent three two stickering and stacking. But I tell you, these boards were simply beautiful to look at.

Lewis, you're my kind of guy with all of that QS!

Re your maple, I'm also in the camp with Jim and Kent about not cutting the boards down unless you have to. Long boards give you the maximum ability to grain and color match, or to select the best grain for the location in your project.

In order to make them more manageable for storage, two things to consider are to 1) skip plane them now in order to reduce their weight a bit, and 2) end trim them as needed to get rid of an checked ends, but otherwise keep them as long as possible. I store many of my 12' boards vertically in racks.