Drying wet Fir 2x6's

[Doug Hobkirk]

I am considering buying some 10'7" long construction grade Fir lumber that's has been and still is stored outside for a year. It's under snow right now! But I can dig through the pile which is about 8 boards wide and 12 boards high. The price is $4/board.

1. Good deal?
2. Look for mostly quartersawn?
3. Sticker in unheated garage attic?
4. How long to be usable to build a new-fangled workbench?

Thanks

[Greg Funk]

You'd have to have a look at it but my experience has been that 2x6 construction fir looks pretty rough with lots of wane. Decent logs get cut up into 2x10s or 12s and the stuff that isn't wide enough gets made into 2x6s.

I went to buy some fir 2x6s for a lumber rack this summer and the 2x6 pile looked terrible so I ended up some very nice 2x10s and ripping them in half.

Greg

[Doug Hobkirk]

Thanks Greg -

I hadn't thought about that, but it triggered a memory of something similar I read by John White. He also has some 2x8's and 2x10's but the pile had frozen together so I couldn't look at the lower layers until we have a big thaw.

But, assuming the wood looks good (the wood is stacked tightly on blocks, so there is some hope) -

1. How long is it likely to take to dry it?
2. Is the unheated attic over my garage workshop sufficient or should I put it on the patio and leave uncovered when it's not raining or snowing?
3. What type of stickers should I use?

[Greg Funk]

Thanks Greg -

I hadn't thought about that, but it triggered a memory of something similar I read by John White. He also has some 2x8's and 2x10's but the pile had frozen together so I couldn't look at the lower layers until we have a big thaw.

But, assuming the wood looks good (the wood is stacked tightly on blocks, so there is some hope) -

1. How long is it likely to take to dry it?
2. Is the unheated attic over my garage workshop sufficient or should I put it on the patio and leave uncovered when it's not raining or snowing?
3. What type of stickers should I use?

For green wood I've heard 1" per year. Probably less for the wood you're looking at as would not be completely green.
Sticker it with small strips approx 1" thick. Use enough so the wood doesn't sag. A heated area would be fastest but any covered area would be OK for a while although you will need to bring it inside eventually.

One other consideration is how clean the wood is. If it has been used for construction it may have concrete on it (if it was used for forms) or have a nail or two in it. Depending on what you are going to machine it you may need to spend some time cleanng it.

Greg

[Chuck Wintle]

I am considering buying some 10'7" long construction grade Fir lumber that's has been and still is stored outside for a year. It's under snow right now! But I can dig through the pile which is about 8 boards wide and 12 boards high. The price is $4/board.

1. Good deal?
2. Look for mostly quartersawn?
3. Sticker in unheated garage attic?
4. How long to be usable to build a new-fangled workbench?

Thanks

Doug,
I would think wet/green wood would warp and twist into uselessness as it dries? But I may be wrong.

[Greg Funk]

Doug,
I would think wet/green wood would warp and twist into uselessness as it dries? But I may be wrong.

Not normally, otherwise all of our wood would be twisted. It is a good idea to add some weight to the stack to keep everything flat.

Greg