Air drying walnut (how am I doing?)

[Richard Magbanua]

Hello Creekers,
I was lucky to get about 250 BF of fresh sawn walnut from the State Fair. I got what I had ordered and what was left for a measly $200! I've never dealt with drying green lumber before so I've tried to read up here and there. Since it will be year or more until I can think about using it for furniture I want to make sure I don't screw up and end up with a lot of firewood.
I decided to stack and sticker them for air drying under the side shed next to my pole barn which at this point is my only option. I leveled concrete blocks on the pea gravel then I stickered the walnut with dry pine 1x's about every foot and a half.
I would like to know if my setup looks alright (I know it could look tidier but, hey, it was my first time!). Will it be sufficient until next fall? And after then, can I depend on storing a few boards inside for final drying (8%?). Are there any kilns around Indianapolis I can take some to for faster drying?
Thanks for your responses!

[Frank Drew]

From what I can tell from the pictures, Richard, you've done a fine job; my only suggestions would be to consider replacing some of the vertical siding boards with slightly narrower ones, to allow some air movement through the shed.

Patience is a virtue when air drying lumber; in my experience, rather more time than less before you begin to use it pays off with nicer working material.

[Richard Magbanua]

Thanks for the suggestion Frank. The sides are metal barn siding, not boards. I was, however, thinking about installing some vents or louvers on the bottom half of the side shed walls. Would that work alright?

[Frank Drew]

Louvers or vents would probably do just fine, as long as you got some airflow, and your location, out of the sun and rain, is perfect.

[Jim Becker]

Frank makes an important point...air flow through the pile is critical to the drying process and it's going to be pretty hard for the wind to blow through your shed. The "best" location for air drying is out in the open, but if you can modify your shed to allow for the needed ventilation, you'll be fine.

[Tom Sontag]

Aw gee folks, this is darn near an ideal setup! There is plenty of air flow, certainly for walnut which is one of the easiest woods to dry. Just watch for little dust piles underneath a piece of sapwood; Powder Post Beetles like to attack walnut sapwood.

Well done.

[Mark Stutz]

If this is how Tom does it, then you can't go wrong. I've purchased considerable BF of walnut, cherry, etc from Tom...good stuff.

Mark

[Richard Magbanua]

Tom,
You bring up a good point! I do have a lot of carpenter bees, ants, and other boring pests always looking for stuff to get into. What's the best way to guard against them? Spray? Sevendust? That's something I've not come across in my reading.

[Tom Sontag]

We sprinkle Borax as a preventative and simply saw off and discard infected wood (unless we find just before putting into the solar kiln, which has enough heat to kill critters).

http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_bas...Sawn_Wood.html

[David Turner]

I didn't see any mention of sealing the ends of the boards. I was of the opinion that was very important; am I wrong?

David Turner

[Frank Drew]

Good point, David; even though it's presumably been a while since the tree was felled and converted into lumber, and as soon after felling you do it the better, it can't hurt to end coat the boards and might even help.

[Bruce Volden]

One thing I have just read in another post that I didn't see here--stickering with like wood. I think you are using pine?? I've never done any drying so I have no idea why this may be important

Bruce

[Richard Magbanua]

Yes,I am painting the ends with latex paint. I just didn't expect the labor involved to stack it all. It's really heavy when its wet (duh!)

Yes I am using pine cut from 1x's from the hardware store. The only things I've read regarding stickers was that they need to be dry. Not cut from the same wet wood like I was thinking of doing because It will mold or stain. I also read not to use oak because of a reaction leading to staining. Do I have this right? If anyone knows, let me know.

[AL Ursich]

Aw gee folks, this is darn near an ideal setup! There is plenty of air flow, certainly for walnut which is one of the easiest woods to dry. Just watch for little dust piles underneath a piece of sapwood; Powder Post Beetles like to attack walnut sapwood.

Well done.

I have the little piles of sawdust in my Walnut / Cherry air drying pile.... Now what do I do?...... Air drying 5 years.

AL

[Frank Drew]

The stickers don't have to be from the same wood, just not a wood that will stain your lumber. I've even used strips of plywood and they worked fine -- absolutely even dimensions and no staining. As you note, Richard, oak isn't recommended; I once stickered some sycamore with oak and the sticker stains went too deep to plane out and still have reasonably thick wood left.

Al, I don't think you have a problem; as Tom says, the beetles mostly attack sapwood, so just cut it off when you're ready to bring the lumber indoors.