need advice from woodworkers

Chuckman

Chuckman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2005
Location
Huntersville
ok, does anybody cut, dry, their own stock? Were building and we want a lot of accent pieces made from wood. mantle, tables, front door etc. I have a farm in NC that has large stands of oak and walnut, cherry etc. all mature and ready to drop. So if I really wanted to use wood from my land (even better because its my grandparents land = means a TON to me) is it feasible? I know that you can buy lumber rough cut to do whatever you want to with; but can you have trees felled then have them rough cut with a sawmill then dry at home etc. but whats the correct process? or is this just crazy talk? have access to a trees, sawmill, and planer, just dont know about drying?

drying would be the biggest issue I think.

I'd very much like to make a muzzleloader stock from the walnut there as well
 
Chuckman said:
ok, does anybody cut, dry, their own stock? Were building and we want a lot of accent pieces made from wood. mantle, tables, front door etc. I have a farm in NC that has large stands of oak and walnut, cherry etc. all mature and ready to drop. So if I really wanted to use wood from my land (even better because its my grandparents land = means a TON to me) is it feasible? I know that you can buy lumber rough cut to do whatever you want to with; but can you have trees felled then have them rough cut with a sawmill then dry at home etc. but whats the correct process? or is this just crazy talk? have access to a trees, sawmill, and planer, just dont know about drying?

drying would be the biggest issue I think.

I'd very much like to make a muzzleloader stock from the walnut there as well
Click to expand...

One thing that sucks is an hour per inch of thickness to dry rough cut wood. Or you can pay to have it kiln dried. It’s a science project for sure. On top of all of that some trees can be damaged by insects. Best to have someone that has experience before you fell a tree.

You could try searching on Craigslist for already rough cut lumber. I have had success at finding some people have cut and can’t use.


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Fabrik8 said:
Thin wood and thick wood, not the same thing. :p
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Completely irrelevant.

The point was that kilns are a 20th century luxury. Many a piece of fine funiture or instrument has been made from air dried wood, thick or thin.
 
awheelterd said:
Completely irrelevant.

The point was that kilns are a 20th century luxury. Many a piece of fine funiture or instrument has been made from air dried wood, thick or thin.
Click to expand...

I agree. Kilns are just for speed and consistency. Thin woods don't really need speed because they're already thin.
 
Contact Kyle Edwards in iron station. He's got 4-5 different mills for doing big slabs down to regular woodmizer jobs. He's also got a kiln. He's not a logger so you'd need to cut what you need and take him the logs to mill. Or if you want a bunch cut, he may know someone local to do it for you too. The kiln isn't something sawyers will usually let customers use. They've gotta load them up and leave them for weeks-months. Best bet is to go talk to him tell him you want a mantel piece from a tree on your grandparents old farm etc...
Directions – The Sawmill Ltd




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Air drying is preferable in some species like walnut. A open sided shed works great. Use cinder blocks to elevate your stack, and use 3/4 stickers between boards every 16-20 inches. Pile more cinderblocks or weight on top to reduce warping. You can paint or wax ends to reduce endgrain checking. And wait.
Here is a article on it too How to Succeed at Air-Drying Lumber


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I agree, many fine pieces of crafted furniture have been made without the use of a kiln.
But would i put the time into building something with lumber with unknown moisture content, no.
And yes, some species of wood do work better being air dryed , but again even with a moisture meter I would not take the chance of using something that would appear dry, only to have it warp or crack when used with other lumber that has a different moisture content .

Just my 2 cents
 
Kiln drying large pieces say bigger then 6x6 isn’t cost effective and doesn’t get them to an even moisture level threw out. If you want say 2 mantels. Cut 6 logs all 2 feet longer than you want leave the bark on and you can get “drying wax” for the cut ends, elevate them and keep them dry but don’t put a tarp right on them. Let them sit for at least a year. Then have it sawn all of them and the let them sit again for a couple months. Logs big enough for mantels aren’t going to dry even or fast they will check and crack, that’s why I say cut some extras and pick the best one. Tables and door slabs I’d just cut green thicker and wider than what you want kiln dry and then mill down to the thickness you want.


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awheelterd said:
Completely irrelevant.

The point was that kilns are a 20th century luxury. Many a piece of fine funiture or instrument has been made from air dried wood, thick or thin.
Click to expand...


More early 19th late 18th.

My 2xgreat grandparents house is still standing down in York.
Built in 1803. Not a stick of kiln dried wood in that thing.

I used to move playing hot wheels there. You sat your cars down and they rolled all over the damn place...didnt even need a track.
 
I turned this:
upload_2018-3-12_9-28-1.png


Into this:
upload_2018-3-12_9-28-31.png


Using a Gaston County Kiln:
upload_2018-3-12_9-29-16.png
 
josh m said:
Air drying is preferable in some species like walnut. A open sided shed works great. Use cinder blocks to elevate your stack, and use 3/4 stickers between boards every 16-20 inches. Pile more cinderblocks or weight on top to reduce warping. You can paint or wax ends to reduce endgrain checking. And wait.
Here is a article on it too How to Succeed at Air-Drying Lumber


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Click to expand...
I have helped saw and dry a good bit of field pine, popular, oak, and hickory this way. Rough saw, stack, dry, plane...We just used old barn tin to cover..an old shed would have been better, but we were milling and building as we went. Damn I miss those Saturdays. Grandpa, Pop, Uncles, tractors, and saws.
 
That's bad ass @jeepinmatt Nice job!
And @Chuckman if you are wanting something that's gonna have a lot of sentimental value than it's worth waiting for. If you want a big mantel slab, get it sawn up larger than you want and put it aside for a few years. Put it some where air can get around it. Add some weight to the top, And wait.


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^ yes, the old house attic will yield lots of cool stuff for the new house, but for the mantle etc I can wait. I truly understand the 'cut 4, get 1' type deal.

"Damn I miss those Saturdays. Grandpa, Pop, Uncles, tractors, and saws." - me too, that's why I want to do this type project. behind the house is a walnut that 3 generations have looked at. a big limb of that ones going to the woods with me and bringing home food.
 
As for drying it's really a personal preference when ya get into cuttin/milling your own imo...?I'm no master wood worker but I've seen great results on hunting cabins in bathe county with air dried and kiln and some of those cabins are 40 years old! If kiln drying is easily accessible why not if yaxgoing for faster progress. On the other hand air drying is a dying art and 20 yrs down the road you can say you did it all like the pioneers use to!!?? lol I helped on a few sheds and barns in knockarock, va all we're cut milled on property and all air dried some green and honestly the satisfaction of doing it that way is what I live for! Pride is one thing no one can give ya, and no one can take away! Best bet is befriend a Amish man he will know every tip and trick there is!
 
The link that I posted up said do not kiln dry until the wood was seasoned some with air drying?? Could alway just build a kiln dryer. Doesn't sound very difficult nor expensive from what I've read since the posting
 
C.Berry said:
Damn man I like that! I wanna make a crib for my new one coming sure hope it turns out that nice... lol
Click to expand...
It was a lot of work, but well worth it. Once the wife stained it and we got it in the room, I realized I hadn't just built a crib, I had built a family heirloom. :cool:
 
If you know what trees ya using go around the bottom of tree with chainsaw to remove the bark and leave em standing they will season like that no issue then ready to fall whenever...
 
That's what I do for firewood up here! I'll ring 4 or 5 trees in winter leave em till next fall and ready to cut and split
 
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