I cut a few 8' long 18/4 (4 1/2") thick chunks of good clear QS Red Oak out of some nice butt logs. I suggested they be entirely coated in ancorseal and be kept in the shade so they will air dry nice and slow. Was I right in suggesting this?
18/4 QSRO question
- Thread starter CrealBilly
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If entirely coated they won't be dry in this lifetime. I am not sure of the best way to handle a piece this size, but it seems that a kiln would be the best chance, normally(from a turners stance) if you want a piece that size to dry it is coated endgraing only and keep cool in an area with limited air movement.
I found a forestry service pub from 1978 that seems to talk somewhat about drying what the coin "heavy oak", oak over 6/4 thick. Seems if you don't have a low temperature kiln, which most of us don't. They recommend wrapping burlap around the heavy oak to air dry. Makes sense if you think about it because you have to slow down the moisture content loss per day or else it'll check and exhibit all kinds of drying defect. I've also been told landscape fabric works well, but that was from a private source.
Anyways, the meat of of pub starts on page 3 "Yard Handling Normal Green Material" ..." Cool, shaded sheds with protection from wind will generally provide the best yard protection. Another perhaps unusual type of protection is to cover all sides of green, roofed piles with burlap. This protects piles from wind and sun and can produce high quality air-dried material"
Here's a link to the pub ---> http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fputr/fputr8.pdf
Thanks
Anyways, the meat of of pub starts on page 3 "Yard Handling Normal Green Material" ..." Cool, shaded sheds with protection from wind will generally provide the best yard protection. Another perhaps unusual type of protection is to cover all sides of green, roofed piles with burlap. This protects piles from wind and sun and can produce high quality air-dried material"
Here's a link to the pub ---> http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fputr/fputr8.pdf
Thanks
+1
Jeff, it sounds like the article that you found offers good advice. You are looking at a multi-year drying process for beams that large (been there, done that - have a container full of the big ones!).
Coat the ends only, and find a cool, moist place to store the beams for a few years (such as a crawlspace that has a moisture barrier in place).
Thanks guys, I called and gave better advise... The ends are already ancorsealed but I told him to wrap the thick oak in burlap and store in a cool dry location that's protected from the weather. He's looking at a two year air dry time, then the MC should be down to under 20% and a more aggressive schedule can be used. Like moving up into the attic, still wrapped in burlap for another 6 or so months. To be usable plan on 2 1/2 years for drying. No wonder thick oak costs a arm and a leg, that is if you can find it... All the places I checked on line were around $20.00 per board foot for 12/4 and for 16/4 they said call for price, you know what that means 
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