How to dry rough cut oak

[gjat]

I have about 12 peices of rough cut red and white oak, 4x4x8' that was used for dunnage. It is very freshly cut, has no knots and is free. I'd like to dry it out and use it later.

What's the best way to dry it out?
How long will it take?
Should it be stacked?
Should I rip it down now to help it dry better or faster?
Should I paint the ends?

[jackellis]

I have a bunch of walnut that I've stickered and stacked outside under an overhang so it stays dry and gets filtered sun. You probably want to paint the ends with an appropriate sealant to prevent checking. The rule of thumb is one year per inch thickness but 4x4 might be different. You might rip it, but I'd suggest a bandsaw unless you have a really good setup for support and keeping the wood close to the fence because it'll probably move quite a bit as it's cut.

Oh yes, make the stickers at least 3/4 inch thick.

[LarryG]

One addition to Jack's checklist: stack the wood as flat as you possibly can. It will only dry as straight as you stack it; conversely, if you stack it crooked, it will dry crooked.

[gjat]

I have a band saw, so should I re-saw it to 2"?

How long will it take to dry? I can keep it in a warehouse, or under an open air shed, or even in an air-conditioned room for some time. Which would be best?

[LarryG]

Yes, you can rip it to 8/4 thickness (2") to speed up the drying. The obvious downside is that you're reducing the thickness of the material you'll eventually have to work with; then again, stock thicker than 8/4 is usually only needed for things like legs for really large tables.

As Jack mentioned, one year per inch of thickness is the rule of thumb for drying, but many people say this isn't enough as the material gets thicker. There are too many variables (wood species, temperature, humidity, etc) to make this an exact science.

An open-air shed is an ideal drying environment, provided the wood is well protected from blowing rain. You need good air circulation, which is why Jack said to make the stickers at least 3/4" thick.

[Greg.B]

You say its free and needs drying ? Box it up and send it my way I'll know what to do...lol....couldn't resist !

[mpauly]

Oh yes, make the stickers at least 3/4 inch thick.

OK, here's a stupid newbie question, what exactly do you mean by stickering? I thought it meant something like labeling, but the minimum 3/4" thick comment tells me otherwise. Does this have something to do with sealing the ends?

Anyone care to clue in the clueless?

Michael

[LarryG]

"Stickers" are simply spacers inserted between the layers of boards in a stack, so that adjacent layers are separated from each other in order to promote the air circulation that is necessary for drying.

They are usually small boards, like 1x2s or so ... often they come from shop scraps. Some people saw up MDF to make stickers. The two main requirements are that they are of uniform thickness, and made of a material that won't stain the drying wood.

Stickers should be a minimum of 3/4" thick and spaced 18"-24" apart, depending on the thickness of the boards being dried.

EDIT: Hmm, it's surprisingly difficult to find a decent picture of this on teh Intarwebs, but here's one web page that will help:

http://www.ont-woodlot-assoc.org/sw_airdry.html

Oh, and remember ... ain't no such thing as a stupid question on BT3Central.

[Ken Massingale]

Definitely seal the ends, and do it soon. Checking starts quickly and ruins good stock fast. I've found 1 year per inch to be true for 2" thick and under, thicker and it takes longer for the center to dry. After stickering put all the weight you have handy on top of the stack evenly spaced. concrete blocks work good
Good luck

[gjat]

So, re-saw to 2x.
Paint the ends.
Stack & sticker outside under cover and leave it for 2 years.

Don't even put them in the AC?

[Ken Massingale]

So, re-saw to 2x.
Paint the ends.
Stack & sticker outside under cover and leave it for 2 years.

Don't even put them in the AC?

Outside works, but do NOT cover it with a tarp or plastic. There will be condensation and ruin the wood from the top. Use tin or metal roofing, etc. with a good bit of overhang. Paint the ends with good thick latex or buy the stuff made for sealing wood ends. Spraying paint won't work.
ken