Today....

[moss]

Can redwood lumber be built with green, if they are ready in time before mold sets in?
Is it just better to let it dry, stacked, weighed down.

Do you weigh the tops down, or do you get good drying without extra weight on the top boards?

Do you ever use boric acid and borax solution, as was recommended to me?

Thanks.

Always learning.

Don't know about redwood but the principles are likely the same, in the old days in New England a person building a house or barn from wood cut on their land would often use green wood, much easier to work with, especially wood like oak which dries so hard. They'd use wood like eastern hemlock , which is shunned by the lumber industry, it will not dry well, always twists. Doesn't matter if you frame a house with it green, once built everything locks up tight as it dries and any distortion was considered acceptable.

As far as mold goes that would be from closely stacked lumber in wet conditions, I imagine it wouldn't be a problem in a structure. Shrinkage would be the issue, Rico has a better handle on that issue I'm sure.
-AJ

 

[rico]

I know you are pondering the idea of buying a mill SouthSound and I would like to put a plug in for the Lucas 10-30. I have owned a few band saw mills in the past and will never go back.

The consistency and quality of the lumber. The ability to painlessly mill big diameter and very long logs if needed. The ability to easily transport and quickly set it up damn near anywhere. The ability to put an edge on it in under 5 minutes and have the blades re-tipped relatively cheaply. The slabber attachment and bevelled siding attachment which are money makers on a stick. The modularity giving you the ability to easily fix things as they break or wear out. The affordability relative to some of the other options out there. The ability to have this thing literally pay for itself in a few days if you have the wood on hand to do so. The great support you receive as part of the Lucas/Baileys family. I could go non and on but you get the idea.

 

[rico]

Don't know about redwood but the principles are likely the same, in the old days in New England a person building a house or barn from wood cut on their land would often use green wood, much easier to work with, especially wood like oak which dries so hard. They'd use wood like eastern hemlock , which is shunned by the lumber industry, it will not dry well, always twists. Doesn't matter if you frame a house with it green, once built everything locks up tight as it dries and any distortion was considered acceptable.

As far as mold goes that would be from closely stacked lumber in wet conditions, I imagine it wouldn't be a problem in a structure. Shrinkage would be the issue, Rico has a better handle on that issue I'm sure.
-AJ

Our Reds and Firs will shrink, move, twists, and crack during the drying process so why would one want to build with green wood. And yes, I have seen framing and sheetrock inside walls mold if the wood used was wet during construction. I think in a perfect world that building with wood that is properly dried is usually best. The wood will be lighter, more stable, and any movement will have already have happened, giving you the ability to orient each board according to the situation (placing your crowns up when running beams, floor joists, or ceiling rafters ect). I have seen my fair share of folks build with wood before it is ready, and the power of wood to move things while it dries can be very powerful.

 

[moss]

That makes sense Rico, I think in colonial days the available tools made working with wood much more challenging, working with green wood made things more doable with what they had.
-AJ

 

[SomethingWitty]

It's possible to air dry wood in the PNW? I thought it was just too darn wet.
It's a pain here just because of how thick and muggy it gets, combined with the sun beating on us pretty hard. Getting it to dry evenly basically requires putting your stacks indoors and making a psuedo kiln.

 

[JeffGu]

...in colonial days...

I think in those days, the necessity of getting a house built quickly often precluded waiting for the wood to air dry. A lot of houses and barns built out here on the prairies were built that way, in a matter of a few weeks. Few are still standing. But, during the expansion west, you couldn't really live in a covered wagon for two years... they had to get something up in a hurry. Lots of sod houses, log cabins, etc. that were usually torn down or used for animal enclosures as the settlers found the time to build to better standards, for long term structures.

It's hard for us, these days, to imagine the constant and immediate threats that resulted in hastily built houses. No bears, wolves, hostile natives (not that I blame any of them for wanting to eat the European settlers) sitting outside the tent while you heat up some beans and bison.

 

[rico]

I think in those days, the necessity of getting a house built quickly often precluded waiting for the wood to air dry. A lot of houses and barns built out here on the prairies were built that way, in a matter of a few weeks. Few are still standing. But, during the expansion west, you couldn't really live in a covered wagon for two years... they had to get something up in a hurry. Lots of sod houses, log cabins, etc. that were usually torn down or used for animal enclosures as the settlers found the time to build to better standards, for long term structures.

It's hard for us, these days, to imagine the constant and immediate threats that resulted in hastily built houses. No bears, wolves, hostile natives (not that I blame any of them for wanting to eat the European settlers) sitting outside the tent while you heat up some beans and bison.

Bingo!!!

 

[rico]

It's possible to air dry wood in the PNW? I thought it was just too darn wet.
It's a pain here just because of how thick and muggy it gets, combined with the sun beating on us pretty hard. Getting it to dry evenly basically requires putting your stacks indoors and making a psuedo kiln.

Air drying is possible most places, and is actually the preferred method for drying as it is a slow process and your wood will reach the ideal moisture content for your area.

I didn't realize you were in Arkansas Mr. Witty. The Ozark's of are one of my favorite places in the world and the Jasper county the /Buffalo River area in particular. Amazing country. Me and the wife almost settle down there until the first time she got into a mess of chiggers down by the crick. ´Ended that dream real quick!!!

 

[oldoakman]

A friend of mine was a world renowned wood Carver and he would dry his flitches out in an airtight shed with a dehumidifier running 24/7 in it. He would weigh each piece when he put them in and at 2 week intervals. As the pieces dried the difference in weight from biweekly to biweekly became less and less until almost no change occurred. At that point he usually had 13% or less moisture content in the flitches.

 

[rico]

Banged out some lumber this morning before heading out to do a Madrone growing through a deck and hanging over the kitchen. Who the hell thinks its a good idea to build decks with trees growing through them?

Been working on and off in a little area near my hood that has experience some savage fires in the last few hundred years and these fires have done some amazing things to the wood. This log looked like Brazilian rosewood for fuck sakes. Just incredible stuff thats headed straight to my private stash.

 

[TCtreeswinger]

I was taught to build log homes with green logs and i believe the majority, even large ones still are.

 

[rico]

I have put together 3-4 big log homes kits from various outfits, and the logs were drier than a popcorn fart.

 

[TCtreeswinger]

Kits like lincoln logs? Or kits like hand peeled full scribed logs dissasembled?

 

[SomethingWitty]

Air drying is possible most places, and is actually the preferred method for drying as it is a slow process and your wood will reach the ideal moisture content for your area.

I didn't realize you were in Arkansas Mr. Witty. The Ozark's of are one of my favorite places in the world and the Jasper county the /Buffalo River area in particular. Amazing country. Me and the wife almost settle down there until the first time she got into a mess of chiggers down by the crick. ´Ended that dream real quick!!!

Y'all don't have chiggers? I accepted that I was just going to itch half the year when I was in my teens and started traipsing through the woods.
I have a buddy who basically just does vista work out of Jasper. There isn't anything there but a view. It's beautiful.

 

[rico]

Kits like lincoln logs? Or kits like hand peeled full scribed logs dissasembled?

Scribed logs. Found some old pics of one from many moons ago (I still had some hair).

 

[TCtreeswinger]

O wow. I stand corrected then.

 

[JeffGu]

You can build with green logs... but you better think it through. There are a ton of problems you're heaping onto the project.

Green Logs for Log Cabin

 

[southsoundtree]

I'm considering the 10-30, though I just had a look at a homemade 42" bandsaw on a trailer, 22hp gas, needing some fine tuning...owner/ builder passed away, and family wants to sell it. Already mounted on a tandem axle trailer, with a 20' bed.

A stone's throw from home.

 

[rico]

I'm considering the 10-30, though I just had a look at a homemade 42" bandsaw on a trailer, 22hp gas, needing some fine tuning...owner/ builder passed away, and family wants to sell it. Already mounted on a tandem axle trailer, with a 20' bed.

A stone's throw from home.

Regardless of which mill you choose I wish you luck. You strike me as a fairly detail oreinted type of person so I would imagine your are gonna be very good with a mill. Can't wait to see what lovely's you start kicking out!

 

[SomethingWitty]

Driving to ARC by way of Yellowstone.
We stopped a little short and ended up just driving a few miles off the beaten path. It was like three when we set up camp. I woke up to a nice view.