I've got a good bit of red oak, cedar, walnut and some maple that was taken down on our property. I had it sawed into 4/4, 5/4, 6/4 and a couple of 3" oak slabs. (and a couple big slabs of cedar)
I stickered it and let it air dry in what was to become my recording studio for about a year. A friend needed a place to store a 43' trailer. I restickered the lumber in the trailer for about another 12 months. It found its way to an already crowded basement for the last 18 months.
The oak and cedar seemed to have dried much quicker than the walnut. So when I moved the lumber to the basement, I stickered the walnut and flat faced the rest of the lumber on top.
Needless to say, after almost of 3 years of wide temp variations, not all of the lumber is perfectly straight nor free of warping or checking. Which I think is going to be fine since I will be milling from 4/4 to 3/4 and 5/4 to 4/4.
I was wondering if I would benefit from having the lumber kiln dried at this point?
The majority of the lumber will be used as "paneling" in the studio and will be finished smooth and polyeurothane on all 4 sides.
As a side question... is there a way to test moisture content w/o a meter? My guess is that I should go ahead and get one... (oh darn... a trip to Woodworker's Supply)
Thanks,
Max
I stickered it and let it air dry in what was to become my recording studio for about a year. A friend needed a place to store a 43' trailer. I restickered the lumber in the trailer for about another 12 months. It found its way to an already crowded basement for the last 18 months.
The oak and cedar seemed to have dried much quicker than the walnut. So when I moved the lumber to the basement, I stickered the walnut and flat faced the rest of the lumber on top.
Needless to say, after almost of 3 years of wide temp variations, not all of the lumber is perfectly straight nor free of warping or checking. Which I think is going to be fine since I will be milling from 4/4 to 3/4 and 5/4 to 4/4.
I was wondering if I would benefit from having the lumber kiln dried at this point?
The majority of the lumber will be used as "paneling" in the studio and will be finished smooth and polyeurothane on all 4 sides.
As a side question... is there a way to test moisture content w/o a meter? My guess is that I should go ahead and get one... (oh darn... a trip to Woodworker's Supply)
Thanks,
Max