Fresh cut lumber

[Maurice Ungaro]

OK, I know the method for properly aging lumber and have some 38" pine that will soon be "wood-mizered" into boards. I had thought that I'd get this stuff cut pretty thick (12/4) and let it age a few years. My intent is to use it for rustic furniture, benches, etc.

Recently, a friend of mine who is rather knowledgeable about construction and wood told me that I should use some of that stuff to panel my new workshop. I asked if I shouldn't age the wood for a bit first, and he replied: "naw, not if you're paneling the interior of a structure, where it will stay dry". He mentioned that the boards may cup a little, but that would be the extent of it. To say the least - I'm a bit sceptical.

Anyone care to comment on this rationale? If I were to use the lumber to panel my shop, what thickness should I get it milled?

Thanks in advance,

Maurice

[Carl Eyman]

My guess is if you face nail it on 16" centers it probably won't cup. If you mill with a tongue and grouve and try to hide the nails in the joint then I guess you might have some trouble.

[James Carmichael]

Maurice,

Not to contradict your friend, there are many more knowledgeable than me, but my understanding is that commercial lumber for interior applications is actually dried to a lower moisture content (7%) than woods destined for exterior use.

You might check out woodweb.com, do a search in the knowledge base on sawing and drying lumber, there's an excellent article on it, including plans to make an inexpensive solar kiln.

[Richard Wolf]

I've been wrong before but, that wood will be dripping when its first cut. I can't see why you would what to trap all that mositure inside your walls. Also with the inside(facing the shop) drying much faster I'm sure you will have cupping problems.

Richard

[Ian Abraham]

You could do as your friend suggests, it will work "OK" although gaps will open up between boards as they shrink and the moisture in the boards will be released in the shop as they dry.

Better option would be to cut it 1" thick x whatever and let it air dry on stickers for maybe 3 months. Thin pine like that air dries fairly quickly. Then you can put it up using a shiplap, tounge and groove or board and batten style depending on how much work you want to do. Air dried wood will dry/ shrink a little more once put up inside but those methods take wood movement like that into account.

I've done an interior feature wall for a friends new house, we sawed a lot of cypruss 4x1, air dried for 3 months (over summer) then machined it into t&g boards and the builder nailed them up instead of boring wallboard. Looks great

Ian

[Jim Becker]

Maurice, I don't know that I'd ever consider putting freshly cut lumber anywhere except a drying stack. Someone already mentioned it will be "dripping" and that is quite literally true. To use it right away would mean lots of shrinkage and other wood movement issues as well as pretty much making your shop a buffet for critters that love to munch on wet wood. For pine, I'd at least dry 4/4 for 6-9 months minimum before using for your walls and even then I'd be careful if the MC were above 14% or so. My opinion, of course...

[Tom Sontag]

My first and biggest problem with the idea is that it is pine. Kiln drying above 160 degrees I believe is required to set the pitch in pine. Without that, the boards will leak pitch f o r e v e r .

I have heard of houses framed and enclosed with fresh cut timber. I would not do it. As for paneling, it is conceivable to me to run green wood through a molder to form narrow tongue and grooved boards that could finish drying in place. Again, not sure I would bother since kiln drying is cheap and air drying relatively thin stock usually quite easy. So for interior projects, I would use dry wood. And for almost ANY project, I would have pine kiln dried.

[Dale Thompson]

My first and biggest problem with the idea is that it is pine. Kiln drying above 160 degrees I believe is required to set the pitch in pine. Without that, the boards will leak pitch f o r e v e r . .

Maurice,
In addition to all of the other above cautions, I would have to agree with Tom. When he says f o r e v e r. he really means FOREVER.
Your kids, grandkids and great-grandkids will get stuck to the walls until they are at least fifteen years old! Of course, in the case of MY family, that may have been a GOOD thing!

Dale T.

[Maurice Ungaro]

Thanks for all the good input guys. My original idea seems like the best - let it AGE! Hope that kiln drying is not mandatory in order to get the juice to stop running.

Dale: It's an alternative to Velcro!

Maurice

[Mike Wilkins]

Maurice, as an insurance claims adjuster, I have seen my share of mold and
mildew related problems over the years. I don't think it is a good idea to nail
wet lumber to the walls, with the moisture trapped inside the wall cavity.
This is an invitation to later problems. I would sticker the lumber for a few
months outside to get rid of most of the wet, then sticker inside for a few
more weeks. Better safe than sorry.
Good luck and watch those fingers.

[James Carmichael]

Thanks for all the good input guys. My original idea seems like the best - let it AGE! Hope that kiln drying is not mandatory in order to get the juice to stop running.

Dale: It's an alternative to Velcro!

Maurice

Maurice,

It's really doesn't look a big deal to build a solar kiln. I'm preparing to build my own using WoodWeb's plan that will be approximately 4x8 in area with an 8'-high roof of translucent fiberglass sloping down to 5', or approximately 33-degrees pitch. Roof pitch for the plan is 90 - your degrees latitude north of the equator, which around 33 here in North Texas. The slope in the roof faces south.

I priced the materials and components, and we're talking about maybe $150, depending on how cheap I can find exhaust fans (it requires 2). I may go 10' in length so it can comfortably handle 8' boards, which is the max I will want to fool with. Per WW, this will dry 450 bf of 4/4 hardwood to below 10% mc in about 6 weeks (variable, obviously) and 600 bf of 8/4 in 15 weeks. Softwoods supposedly take about 1/2 as long.

This will take up 32 sq ft of your backyard and look like a stylish greenhouse to the neighbors for those who, like me, have to comply with the Homeowner's Association police. Mounted on skids or even with an axle and wheels, can be moved easily when not in use.

[Maurice Ungaro]

James, sounds like a real good plan!

Maurice

[Tom Sontag]

Hope that kiln drying is not mandatory in order to get the juice to stop running.

I am sorry that two clear statements were not enough.

TO SET THE SAP (PITCH) IN PINE YOU MUST DRY ABOVE 160 DEGREES F. That was the whole point of my post. Skip this step at your own risk.

Search Woodweb.com for more if you feel the need. Read. Learn.

[Ian Abraham]

To clarify even more.. I hope.

When the boards come off the mill they will literally be dripping sap. Actually I hate cutting pine because you end up sticky from it . Once air dried it will be fine for something like a workshop wall or rustic furniture. BUT.. if it ever gets heated up, by the sun shining on it etc the dried sap still in the boards may melt and run again. This will really foul up any nice finish you have put on the peice. By kilning the already dried wood at 160 F for a day it drives of the lower melting point components of the sap, and you would then have to heat the wood over 160 to get sap running again.
So for making good furniture or trim, get the kiln dried wood. For a workshop wall I would just air dry.
PS I have a couple of basic bench seats in my house made from air dried pine and polyurethaned, they are fine after 12 months, but they haven't been hot either.

Cheers

Ian

[John Bailey]

Maurice,

About 20 yrs. ago I remodeled a 150 yr. old house. I researched and found out that back then, at least in that part of MI, they intentionally used green 1" boards for siding. Overlapped and using the "bottom of the cup," in terms of grain pattern, facing the house, the boards would cup and seal the siding. This, of course, put the wood outside where it "air dried" on the side of the house. I only did one wall before I sold the house. I intentionally finished that side first. I waited a month, stained the wood, waited another month and indeed it did cup toward the house and seal the siding. It was sticky to work with. After doing the research, I felt pretty comfortable using it outside, but I would have real questions about using it inside. I would let it dry, or build a kiln.

John