Acclimating wood to the shop

[Richard McComas]

I just brought home 150 board feet of 4/4 (15/16 kit and miss) kiln dried Red Oak. The material will be used for kitchen cabinet face frames and 2 inch wide side pieces for pull-out shelving.

The question is, does this wood need to be stickerd for the acclamation to the shop process or can I stack it on top of each other. Space is an issue but I need to get this wood ready to use ASAP

[Paul Kunkel]

as it allows the air to circulate all 4 sides. Dependin on the woods MC and your shops relative humidity you might use it right away. I usually do without recourse but then here in NM every thing is dry!

[Glenn Clabo]

Ah...too sticker or not to sticker? I'm sure you will get ALL kinds of suggestions...but here goes what I've learned -

If the wood is kiln dried it's most likely dryer than you can get it in your shop. If you sticker it it will adapt to your shop which means absorb moisture. How fast are you going to use it? If you use it right away it is as dry as you can get it. Go for it.


Where is it going end up? If you are going to build in your shop and install it in another house...why do you want to acclimate it to your shop?

I don't bother to sticker anymore if it's dried. I found that it wasted space and time. I just try to use it right away. Go to it...start making sawdust.

And btw ... Is it rough sawn or planed? If you have to plane it make sure you plane it evenly. Don't take too much off one side. No matter how dry and depending on how thick...wood tends to be dryer on the outside. If you plane unevenly you're asking for twists and turns.

FWIW ...

[Rick Potter]

Good to see you jump in, the water's fine.

Rick Potter

[Richard McComas]

Thanks Rick, I think the waters going to be great here. I already like this V-bulletin software and I haven’t even figured out all the features yet. Also looks like some nice folks here.

[Richard McComas]

Glenn thanks for you input. You have a couple of good thoughts that I never really considered like “Where is it going end up? If you are going to build in your shop and install it in another house...why do you want to acclimate it to your shop”?

I will be planning the stock down to ¾ thick. I’m no expert but I do understand the stock preparation process, not taking more off of one side and so on. I usually plane the stock twice leaving it a little over thickness the first time so if it moves I have a chance to flatten and plane to finial thickness if need be.

[Glenn Clabo]

Rich,
When I first started working with rough sawn wood I had an old timer watching over my every move. I thought he was just obsessed with planing/jointing and was just a grumpy old man who was trying to make my life misable...so when he wasn't looking and being the all knowing teenager...well I screwed up about 200 feet on cherry! So from now on I try to be that grumpy old man when someone asks.

Good luck...I can smell the oak being worked.