wood question

[tewilk]

To start... I'm a beginner into the wonderful world of wood working. My buddy was telling me his wife wanted some shelves built so with a help of her friend she was going to take on this task. 5 years later the wood is still sitting under tarps on top of blocks outside. I told him I would assist him in getting some shelves built (book case really is what they meant by shelves) as long as the wood was not dried out and cracked. So looked at the boards today and it appears it might be oak and it appeared just as I thought it might be very dry and most of the boards were cracked (looking at the ends, also there were a few of them turning black in color). The boards look like they are 1"x8"x10', so here is my question: Am I'm right by stating that the boards are worthless since they are very dry and cracked? Do I need to examine the mid point of the board and cut the ends off where it is cracked? I know without seeing that this is difficult to answer but wanted to ask anyhow.

Thanks!

[just started]

Before I decided to stick it in the firewood pile I would knock a foot or so off each end and surface 4 sides and see how it looks, you might be surprised.

[drumpriest]

Cracking typically occurs on the ends, you might want to invest in a moisture meter, to see exactly how dry that lumber really is. It's probably ok, you want 6-10% for woodworking purposes.

[crokett]

How far into each board from the ends is this cracking or checking? You may be able to cut the ends off each board and still have useable stock.

Can you post a picture?

[tewilk]

Thanks for the replies... I'll look into it, might get lucky!

[tewilk]

The ones I saw on top appear to be cracked about 1 and a half feet or so on the side I was look from... far as I know the other side is fine. I have a guy I work with the might be kind enough to loan his moisture meter so we can test it out. I can't buy one right now due to over spending. I'll see if I can get a picture on Friday when I go back over to his house.

How far into each board from the ends is this cracking or checking? You may be able to cut the ends off each board and still have useable stock.

Can you post a picture?

[jackellis]

The surface color is pretty meaningless.

We have a deck made of western cedar that has to be re-stained every year or two. I'm pressure washing it to get rid of the surface oxidation that turns the wood from a nice reddish golden color to something unpleasantly dark.

If you cut off one of the cracked ends and put it through a planer, sand it down a bit or use a hand plane to shave off the surface, you'll probably good looking wood.

[LinuxRandal]

What is stated above.

But yet another thing to consider!

If you don't have enough to use for this project, by itself, you could use plywood (more stable), and trim it with this as well as adding shelving braces for reinforcement.

[pecker]

I live in a house built in the late 1800's. The attic had planks scattered over the joists here and there. I assume the builder used them to walk around on up there. When I put down plywood sheets to add some storage space, I took out the planks. Some were bowed and twisted from the heat and humidity swings over the years, but some were reasonably straight.

I put them through my planer to see what was below the surface, and was surprised to find they were red oak...didn't look much different from something I'd buy new at a lumberyard, although they were much more dense and heavy.

So you may get some usable wood out of that pile after all.

[bfrikken]

What is stated above.

But yet another thing to consider!

If you don't have enough to use for this project, by itself, you could use plywood (more stable), and trim it with this as well as adding shelving braces for reinforcement.

This is exactly what I was thinking. I have a cutoff bin in my garage that I keep culling through for various reasons. The smallest pieces and most gumpy looking pieces just stay in it. I've had my wife and various neighbors ask repeatedly why i don't dispose of a lot of the "waste". I can honestly say the moment I get rid of anything I find a use/need for what I got rid of. If I were you, I'd examine each board and look to see how I can get the most material out of it for wahtever the need. If it is cracked, that means you know have two boards in my opinion Seriously though, you can always cut off the cracked ends and use the rest of the board. Take cracked ends and cut into strips and laminate them yourself to make a strong surface board. Heck, even use them for real fancy looking jigs.