Lumber

[Bernie Weishapl]

Well I hope everyone had a good weekend. I am a little tired.

I am happy to say the Ash lumber that I cut back in June has been stickered and weighted in my garage. It appears to be just fine. I cut the Ash logs at my dad's farm. The Ash tree's had been dead for about 3 to 5 years. I had painted the ends with some left over latex paint. There was some checking on one of them but not bad. So last weekend I went back and got 4 more logs 10" to 12" across. I left them wrapped in black plastic for a week in case of insects. I couldn't believe that it would get about 150 or 160 degree's inside at the heat of the day. So I started on Friday and ended this morning cutting about 16 to 18 board feet of Ash. They are about 1 1/8" X 6 5/8" X 4'. I was really tickled that the little Delta BS150 really worked well. Timberwolf blade sure made a difference. I have them in the garage stickered and weighted down. We will see how these work out. It was alot of work but was a whole lot of fun to.

By the way I may not have to work so hard the next time. This morning I had a customer pick up a clock and he told me there was a saw mill about 38 miles from here. He charges $40 per hr which I can handle. Save me some wear and tear.

This lumber will now hopefully become the wooden wagon that I want to build for the grandson. I hope to have enough left to build a clock for my dad who is in a nursing home.

Sorry to bore everyone but it was a hard, fun weekend for me.

Bernie

[Jim Becker]

Bernie, harvesting your own is a nice way to aquire material to make projects. You may want to consider doing your stacks outdoors, however. In order for the lumber to dry efficiently and evenly, you need air flow through the pile. An enclosed space isn't the best for that unless you plan on running a fan and allowing fresh air in and humidity-laden air out. Stickering and stacking outdoors with just a cover on top to avoid standing water will provide the airflow you need via normal wind and air movement.

[Mike Weaver]

Bernie, harvesting your own is a nice way to aquire material to make projects. You may want to consider doing your stacks outdoors, however. In order for the lumber to dry efficiently and evenly, you need air flow through the pile. An enclosed space isn't the best for that unless you plan on running a fan and allowing fresh air in and humidity-laden air out. Stickering and stacking outdoors with just a cover on top to avoid standing water will provide the airflow you need via normal wind and air movement.

While I agree with Jim, I "cheated" when I harvested some cherry a few years back and put it in my garage.

Beforehand, I built a freestanding wood rack using 4x4s for the verticals and 3/4" black iron pipe covered with pvc (split w/ a kerf & "massaged" on...) for the horizontal members. The whole thing was reinforced with 2x4s at the top & bottom running the entire length of the rack. I also tied the top into a 2x4 lag screwed to the floor joists above.

I had 5 levels and stickerd & stacked each one so that the top board merely had small wedges drivedn between it and the pipe for the next higher level.

With it in the garage, the air circulation wasn't as good as outdoors, but it sufficed and the wedges kept things in order.

Besides, I didn't have to cover it. :D

Cheers,
-Mike

[Bernie Weishapl]

Jim, this lumber is pretty dry already. I checked it with a meter from the lumber yard and it said 12% on some to 14% on others. I also run a fan on it and I figured with the door opening and closing it would be ok. I thought that I would let it sit for a month or so before doing anything with it. I plan on getting some green ash and some hackberry here in the near future. I will run that thru the mill I found out about. That will be stickered and covered outside. I just thought at 12% or so that it would be ok in the shop/garage area. Thanks for the comments. I am always willing to learn.

Bernie

[Jim Becker]

Yes, you're ok, Bernie. I thought you were stacking "green" lumber indoors... 12% is about where it will stay, so sticker it to keep air around it and indoors will be fine.

[Corey Hallagan]

Very cool Bernie, can't wait to see that wagon!

Corey

[Bernie Weishapl]

Thanks guys for all the comments. Corey you will see it. I guess this is really what they call a "LABOR" of love.


Bernie

[Sammy Shuford]

Bernie,

You have a website up? would love to see your clocks!