Black Walnut Question

[fred everett]

I was given 18 QS American Black Walnut boards 10ft x 16" and 5/4 that was stickered and air dried in a shed. I get average 9% moisture....just where I want to be in my zone. Boards are straight but have checking and small-ish areas of rot from when the tree was standing just not removed when milled.

Got it home yesterday and realized I don't have room to properly sticker the boards.....right now the boards are hanging over both ends of my longest bench more than I'm comfortable with. If I cut off the checks and rot I'd be ok to sticker properly. However, I NEVER do any kind of machining on rough b4 3-4 weeks of sitting in my shop. Is it safe to remove the checks right now to make the size manageable w/o causing some an issue? Last thing I want to do is introduce some kind of uneven acclimatization issue by opening the edges/ends.
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[johnny means]

You can cut off the ends and seal them if you're concerned about checking caused by drying. I would just cut of the waste and be done with it. If the material is still problematic at this stage, it's going to be a problem no matter what you do.

[Alan Gage]

If they really are down to 9% then drying is pretty much over with. Shouldn't be any concerns with further checking if you cut off the ends.
There also should be no need to sticker them. It might actually be better not to sticker them going into the more humid summer months as there will be less exposed surface area for them to absorb moisture through.
Also don't see the need to let them acclimate to your shop if the moisture content closely matches the rest of the wood in your shop.

Alan

[Jim Dwight]

I agree with the others. I never "acclimate" dry wood. Not hardwood in the shop and not hardwood flooring. I have never had an issue. You may want to measure the moisture again as you plane it, however. If it rises once you remove the surface it would need more time to dry. Then it would need stickered. But if it is dry all the way through, it is ready to use - or store if you don't immediately have a project for it.

Congratulations on the walnut. It is beautiful wood.

[Patrick Kane]

it is 16" wide and it is quartersawn!?!? That is astonishing. That had to be a monster walnut log originally.

Agree with everyone else. At 9% you should be fine to stack on a rack without stickers. My kiln dried material that has been in my conditioned basement shop for years is right around 9-9.5%.

[John TenEyck]

It's always wise to condition wood to your shop before using it, and I would continue to do that. And I agree with Patrick, 16" wide QS wood is pretty amazing.

John

[fred everett]

You can cut off the ends and seal them if you're concerned about checking caused by drying. I would just cut of the waste and be done with it. If the material is still problematic at this stage, it's going to be a problem no matter what you do.

Yeah makes sense. Hopefully it stays as it is.


If they really are down to 9% then drying is pretty much over with. Shouldn't be any concerns with further checking if you cut off the ends.
There also should be no need to sticker them. It might actually be better not to sticker them going into the more humid summer months as there will be less exposed surface area for them to absorb moisture through.
Also don't see the need to let them acclimate to your shop if the moisture content closely matches the rest of the wood in your shop.

Alan

We're at 9%. My shop is in my basement so the temp/humid is constant. If run my exhaust fan with the window open it may change a little but not much.


I agree with the others. I never "acclimate" dry wood. Not hardwood in the shop and not hardwood flooring. I have never had an issue. You may want to measure the moisture again as you plane it, however. If it rises once you remove the surface it would need more time to dry. Then it would need stickered. But if it is dry all the way through, it is ready to use - or store if you don't immediately have a project for it.

Congratulations on the walnut. It is beautiful wood.

Thanks Jim. I think I started doing the "acclimate" thing 15 years ago after the 2nd lumber yard owner told me to. Funny because both guys run great yards but they are NOT woodworkers lol


it is 16" wide and it is quartersawn!?!? That is astonishing. That had to be a monster walnut log originally.

Agree with everyone else. At 9% you should be fine to stack on a rack without stickers. My kiln dried material that has been in my conditioned basement shop for years is right around 9-9.5%.

The log was a beast. My buddy strapped it on his trailer and milled it with his Wood-Mizer......I believe its an LT15. The deal is I build him a table out of a piece he saved for himself.....it's 12/4 - 18x48 and even out of the mill the grain is absolutely stunning.

9% seems to be the sweet spot for me too.

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[Richard Coers]

Your humidity stays constant in your basement? That must be some kind of anomaly. In Central IL the humidity sky rockets in the spring and summer. But I'm also skeptical that it got down to 9% in a shed. What kind of moisture meter do you use? If it's at 9% you better hope it never checks because 6-8% is kiln dried. We'll all be in trouble if wood end checks at 9%.

[fred everett]

Your humidity stays constant in your basement? That must be some kind of anomaly. In Central IL the humidity sky rockets in the spring and summer. But I'm also skeptical that it got down to 9% in a shed. What kind of moisture meter do you use? If it's at 9% you better hope it never checks because 6-8% is kiln dried. We'll all be in trouble if wood end checks at 9%.
Yeah it's right around 35% and being underground it's always about the same temp. I used an inexpensive General pin meter....el cheapo but alway agrees with the expensive yard meters. It sat 6 years in a shed. "Better hope it never checks...." lol yes that's what I hope to the high heavens cause it's a georgeous bunch of boards.

[fred everett]

It's always wise to condition wood to your shop before using it, and I would continue to do that. And I agree with Patrick, 16" wide QS wood is pretty amazing.

John

My buddy loaded, transported and milled that log in a day. All in a days work.....he's 82nd Airborne and considers jumping out of planes/helicopters fun so there's that lol.

I started an initial rough out yesterday and I'll prob wind up w/ 12" and a few 14" widths after removing live edges etc.

He also gave me bunch of 16x24 flat sawn boards with varying degrees of cup. I may rip those to 12" and attempt face jointing on the planer which always fails lol. I may wind with a stack of 6x22's from those but who's complaining right? lol