Question on cedar

D

Dave Walker

Active member
I have some white cedar that I purchased last winter. It was special cut for me at 3 inches thick, left the bark on. I brought it home and cut the bark off on the bandsaw, maximizing my potential board width as best I could. I broke everything down to about 5 foot long pieces and stacked it in my mechanical room not far from my boiler. It is all stick-r-d with 1 inch gaps between the pieces, none of it is touching the cement floor and there is air gap all the way around the pile.
It has been sitting for a year now. My bsmt is pretty dry and the boiler provides our domestic hot water, so that room is always reasonably warm and dry even in the summer months.
I don't have a moisture gauge, so I'm wondering what people thoughts are for the drying time. How can I tell if it is really ready to carve? Any thoughts as to how long this stuff should sit?


Dave
 
As you probably already know the "standard" for air drying is a year per inch of thickness. Possibly you could take a few random pieces into someone local who has a moisture meter?
 
If it is as dry as you think it is in there, it shouldn't take a full 3 years, but I seriously doubt you are dry equal to kiln drying already. However, it may be tolerable for usage, try cutting out one decoy, you should be able to tell from how it works. If it is flat out WET, you will notice as soon as the band saw blade get into it and you will likely choose to stop at that point. If you are hollowing the decoy, that will add some forgiveness too.

If you want to get scientific and your wife doesn't mind you tying up the oven for 24 hours, you could try this method:

http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/5190/Moisture_Content_ocr.pdf;jsessionid=65B24B08C747AA05F5E1EDB20BE76892?sequence=1

Chuck
 
Another way to dry the lumber is to bag it with plastic and hook it a dehumidifier. They sell such things but you can make your own. You still need a moisture meter to really know.

The other option as said before is just try one and see how it works. Now if it cracks don't throw it away send it to me. I am not fussy Hee hee
 
hollow decoys or not? Once they are carved will you store them outside in a shed or inside heated?

that might be close to usable if that dry in that area,

what kind of circulation does that area have? fan?
 
It is probably ready So long as it has been warm dry and air circulated around it. If you don't have a moisture checker cut a chunk the size you want off. Seal the ends or put it in a plastic bag just in case it isnt dry. If the cut surface on the remaining board doesn't check by the next day your good
 
Hi Dave. I have 6x8 cedar timbers and I started cutting them to size about a year after I brought them home. Once you cut out a body on the band saw, work as much wood off of it as you can in a short amount of time. The less mass you have, the less it will be inclined to check or crack before you are done. Also, if you can't finish a body off in a short time, store the body out side under cover between carving sessions. That will help lower the rate of moisture transfer.

Good luck on your carving and please post pics!

John Bourbon
 
cedar boogers are the worst, even worse than potting soil boogers from making 4000 pots in a greenhouse all day
 
Chris, You haven't had "boogers" until you've mined coal out of your sinuses for a couple of days after taking coal fineness samples.

Blast from the past: Three wild, young, single guys, hanging out in Cohasset, MN. For those of you who don't know me well enough to strip 32 years off, that's me on the right. Still work closely with the guy in the center.

View attachment testguyssized.jpg

Scott
 
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