Logs to lumber-What's going on here?

[Chris DiCiaccio]

Hi to all,
December 20th, 2003 I sawed up some short sweetgum logs into boards that were 1"x5"x28". I put them on my back screened-in porch, stacked and stickered, (no weight on top and the porch gets no sun) to air dry. I did not paint the ends however. From what I have read it takes a year per inch thickness to dry and that air drying will only bring the wood down to around 19%. This was showing 25% right after being cut. It's now January 15th, the wood is showing twist and split ends and reading 9%. How can it be down to 9% in just one month? What am I missing. I'm in NC. Should it be taken inside the shop this quick for the remainder of drying? Thanks, trying to learn. Looks like this might turn out to be labor in vain.

[Rob Russell]

The splitting is because you didn't seal the ends.
The twisting is because you have no weight.

Winter is a dry time of year, so wood will dry out even though it's not getting sun. Screen porch stays dry but gets air flow.

I would
coat the ends ASAP with AnchorSeal
get some weight on the stack. Cinder blocks are good cheap weights.

Good luck - Rob

[Greg Tatum]

Hi Chris...were your logs from a small tree or were they branches? If branches, then that may also cause the twist even if you were to wt. it down( but, as a rule, you should always add a bit of wt. to a stack of drying flitches). Also, if they did dry that fast, it would likely cause the same problems..if you dont have AnchorSeal you can use some left over latex paint on the ends...not as good but it helps to keep the ends from drying too fast which causes splitting.

Hope you can salvage it....I've cut a lot of wood with my Alaskan mill, and as laborious as it is, I love it...but I hate to see my hard work come up all twisted, cuped, split or ???....sometimes ya just can't tell.

Good luck,
Greg
P.S. This is my first post to this site...hello to all