Wood storage in the shop.

[chopnhack]

So even though the consensus in the poll is no, the answer is yes, lol. If possible sticker! Thanks all. As for the storage, I happened upon this before I wasted my time on the suspended storage rack...
https://homehardwareoutlet.com/p-159...-82-ti-48.aspx

The literature states up to 450lb per pair of standards! Price seems good to, but you must buy by the 10 pack. What are your thoughts on this type of standard, bracket?

[woodturner]

Specifically, when you store your lumber, do you sticker or not?

The wood technologists (e.g Bruce Hoadley, etc.) and lumber dealers say that wet wood should be stickered, so it can dry. Dry wood, however, should be "dead stacked" - no stickering. It maintains a more constant moisture level that way. If it is stickered, it will re-absorb moisture from the air and will not maintain a stable moisture content.

FWIW, I have been following this practice for the last 30 years or so and my personal experience confirms the theory.

[woodturner]

The literature states up to 450lb per pair of standards! Price seems good to, but you must buy by the 10 pack. What are your thoughts on this type of standard, bracket?

What would you attach it to? Wall mounted lumber racks can put a huge stress on the wall, enough to bow or break the wall.

I personall prefer free standing lumber racks for this reason. It would take a HUGE amount of lumber to exceed the 3000 psf compression rating of a concrete floor.

[cabinetman]

The wood technologists (e.g Bruce Hoadley, etc.) and lumber dealers say that wet wood should be stickered, so it can dry. Dry wood, however, should be "dead stacked" - no stickering. It maintains a more constant moisture level that way. If it is stickered, it will re-absorb moisture from the air and will not maintain a stable moisture content.

FWIW, I have been following this practice for the last 30 years or so and my personal experience confirms the theory.

I disagree. Wood can absorb water vapor from the ends, edges, and any exposed surfaces, even if "stacked".
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[Norm in Fujino]

I was wondering how everyone handles their lumber storage needs. Specifically, when you store your lumber, do you sticker or not? I am not talking about drying, but store bought lumber that you intend to use in the next year or two or three ... how do you store it?

Oops, I answered "yes" (I sticker), but that was before I read the above. I sticker for longer-term drying purposes, but it depends on usage and how soon I intend on using it. I don't have room to sticker everything, so I only sticker the stuff I consider valuable and necessary.

[twistsol]

I use heavy duty shelf brackets attached directly to an 8" thick concrete wall with 3" x 1/4" hammer in concrete fasteners. The shelf supports themselves are 24" and spaced 16" apart.

When I get lumber I always sticker it. I have a couple of C shaped pieces of hard maple from before I used this procedure, but I can't find a use for them and I'm too cheap to throw them out.

[woodturner]

Wood can absorb water vapor from the ends, edges, and any exposed surfaces, even if "stacked".
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I agree - and the absorption of moisture is essentially proportional to the exposed surface area. Normally the ends are sealed, so only the edges and faces can absorb any appreciable amount of moisture. When the lumber pile is dead-stacked, the faces and edges are in contact and not exposed to free air, so they really don't absorb moisture. When it is stickered, however, the faces and edges are exposed and can absorb moisture.

Or at least that is the argument the wood technologists and lumber dealers make. FWIW, I do test the moisture content of lumber before using it, and have conducted my own informal experiments. I have found that for indoor storage of lumber, when I stack it the moisture content changes less than 1% over the course of a year, while the moisture content of stickered lumber varies up to 7% over the course of a year. 7% variation is more than enough to cause joints to open, table tops to warp, etc.

That's why I stack rather than sticker, so I have stable lumber to use.

[woodturner]

I use heavy duty shelf brackets attached directly to an 8" thick concrete wall with 3" x 1/4" hammer in concrete fasteners. The shelf supports themselves are 24" and spaced 16" apart.

Sounds solid :-) I was thinking of wood frame walls when I said they might not be able to handle the load.

[cabinetman]

I agree - and the absorption of moisture is essentially proportional to the exposed surface area. Normally the ends are sealed, so only the edges and faces can absorb any appreciable amount of moisture. When the lumber pile is dead-stacked, the faces and edges are in contact and not exposed to free air, so they really don't absorb moisture.

That's not true. The edges and whatever faces are exposed are subjective.

Or at least that is the argument the wood technologists and lumber dealers make.

And who exacty made that argument?

FWIW, I do test the moisture content of lumber before using it, and have conducted my own informal experiments. I have found that for indoor storage of lumber, when I stack it the moisture content changes less than 1% over the course of a year, while the moisture content of stickered lumber varies up to 7% over the course of a year. 7% variation is more than enough to cause joints to open, table tops to warp, etc.

That's admirable. The MC can change in a very short period depending on your location. What MC you start with can change in the middle of the project.

That's why I stack rather than sticker, so I have stable lumber to use.

While opinions may vary on the virtues of acclimating lumber, I disagree with you. I think you might have just gotten lucky.
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[woodturner]

And who exacty made that argument?

I first read it in Bruce Hoadley's book "Understanding Wood".
http://store.taunton.com/onlinestore...ey-070490.html

It has also been published in the newsletter of the Forest Products Lab
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/about/index.shtml

and has also been discussed at length various times in the International Wood Collectors Society (IWCS) magazine.

http://www.woodcollectors.org/

[cabinetman]

I first read it in Bruce Hoadley's book "Understanding Wood".
http://store.taunton.com/onlinestore...ey-070490.html

It has also been published in the newsletter of the Forest Products Lab
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/about/index.shtml

and has also been discussed at length various times in the International Wood Collectors Society (IWCS) magazine.

http://www.woodcollectors.org/

None of those links had any specific information. And it really doesn't matter as we all have our own opinions.
.

[woodturner]

And it really doesn't matter as we all have our own opinions.
.

Everyone is welcome to their own opinion, I was just answering your question about the sources of the research.

That's one of the benefits of science - moves from the realm of opinion to fact.

Of course everyone is welcome to sticker or stack as they see fit. Personally, I find it helpful to review the science before deciding which I want to do. But just because the research shows that stacking stabilizes moisture content doesn't mean that those who choose to sticker are "wrong".

This is a hobby - it should be fun. If it's not fun or has to be controversial, it's not much of a hobby in my opinion.

[cabinetman]

That's one of the benefits of science - moves from the realm of opinion to fact.

What you stated isn't based on any facts. The fact is that wood will absorb moisture from any areas of exposure. There are many variables affecting moisture content that you may not be aware of. Making a blanket statement about what may be construed as fact or "science" is misleading.

Of course everyone is welcome to sticker or stack as they see fit. Personally, I find it helpful to review the science before deciding which I want to do. But just because the research shows that stacking stabilizes moisture content doesn't mean that those who choose to sticker are "wrong".

Research doesn't show that. What research or science are you referring to? Is it research that duplicates exactly the conditions of your storage area, and wood stock you store?

What is available for review is not science, but an exercise with conditions, and materials. The material may differ as well as where wood may be stored. Following general results in a test area different than ones' own may yield different results.

Fail safe storage has traditionally been to acclimate wood stock.

This is a hobby - it should be fun. If it's not fun or has to be controversial, it's not much of a hobby in my opinion.

You are absolutely right. For some this is a hobby, and learning as much about the craft can only be a benefit.
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[chopnhack]

Well, that makes for some lively debate! I think in light of the discussion, it would be interesting for me to sticker some and dead stack other pieces as a test in my shop, under my standard conditions to see what would happen.

In the past though, I will say that I have brought a piece in to my air conditioned house for 3 weeks to acclimate and then brought it back into the shop to saw up into project pieces. At the end of the day, I brought everything back into the house. I did this because the piece was intended for indoor use in my own home. Maybe a little extreme.

The standards I was looking at will attach to my cmu wall with 3/16" tapcons. I figure they should hold quite a bit.

[woodturner]

Research doesn't show that.

If you think that, please post your research. I'm sure we would all be interested in hearing your explanation for how the researchers and experts got it wrong.