How to Dry Lumber

A seasoned sawyer shares tips of the trade for drying lumber by air or in a kiln in this installment of the series on drying lumber with Mario Rodriguez.

[@gregoryfahy]

I've been air drying for ten years and learned some new tricks watching this video, thank you!

[@Tome4kkkk]

I've watched a dozen videos on drying lumber and this is THE best one hands down! With this kind of subject those interview-like videos are best. Thank you!

[@traviskelly5480]

Please make more videos with this guy he makes a lot of sense and things more clear about drying wood

[@jromhek7609]

Thank you very much for all the information that I didn't know and for your honesty .

[@christopheryoung7456]

One of the best videos that I have seen in a good while

[@halisidrysdale]

What an amazing chap: really straight advice and great character! Thank you for this video.

[@slapdog100]

Tons of great information in a ten minute video . Well done thank you !

[@davemanthei5169]

Youre a damn blessing. I just bought a bandsaw mill and i cant find anyone to dry my wood so i decided to do it myself. Im just starting out. youre info is so helpful!!

[@claudias.8461]

This video was a joy to watch. Thank you both for sharing your knowledge. Very interesting.

[@davidrigsbee1857]

You learn something new everyday! This is great! Thanks!

[@stevenbryant6436]

Very good 70 years old and reaffirmed what I learned from my predecessors

[@Thom4123]

Awesome. A lot of great information

[@kbrich2002]

Made myself a bowl kiln from an old broken chest freezer. Great video advice.

[@yachtwork]

Fast complete info. Just what I was looking for. Thanks for posting.

[@miroslavgagic3418]

bunch of great informations! thank you very much for this one!

[@damnright7724]

I really like this vid. Lot of info in short time.

[@7lifes7]

Very good video thank you for all the good information.

[@swiftaction9477]

Great info, thanks for sharing!

[@ronastepbackintyme3809]

Dave is a great guy and always willing to help, his wood is some of the best if not the best in the area

[@Oirub]

Can you tell me Daves last name? How can I contact him to purchase lumber from him? I live/build furniture in NYC, I've been looking all over for a solid air dried source and I'm coming up short.. Thanks in advance!

[@iniustum]

Thank you for simple explanation 👍

[@enniolima]

Awesome. We need this information in Brazil. Much rain and umidity.

[@gworxtaiwan402]

When steam bending, I learned that air dried wood is better to use than kiln dried. At least for Cherry. Very helpful video.

[@marcjenvenne9968]

Very informative thanks.

[@phillieb30]

Fantastic information within this video, thank you both for your time and knowledge!

[@CP-mj8wd]

Very good video thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@diggler306]

Great info!

[@danpeck1626]

thanks! great advice

[@peternovak9506]

best best video about drying wood...

[@RayMAKES]

very good info to know!!

[@davidh5101]

I've bought a lot of lumber from Dave. Good guy, fair price.

[@ginaland411]

Thanks! Great video...very informative! Gives me plenty of ideas...

[@michaelharold2831]

Thank you for the information in finding out all I can

[@anhdao2288]

great video. thanks add so much

[@oakwoodfixitguy8183]

Great info! Thanks :)

[@rusticrivercreations7886]

Thanks for the info!

[@vwreid]

Thank you for sharing your story. Answering the Call of God on ones life takes time and is challenging - yet intensely rewarding. After a 23 year military career I, too, answered the Call and changed gears into ordained ministry. Now, 26 years later, and retired, I continue to recognize the joy of service to the Lord in all that I do, and give thanks for a family who stood by me as we journeyed together. Dear friend in Christ - May an abundance of blessings be continually bestowed upon you and your family. Remain steadfast in faith knowing that God is always with you, and may His will be done in and through you. Again, thank you for sharing you Call, and for the person in whom you have become. I have enjoyed viewing all your video posts. Reverend Vernon.

[@jonathanpittman9210]

Guy is wood genius!

[@varengrey7221]

I couldn't get better advice seeings that I'm in Pennsylvania right now

[@noahone2045]

How do you control the temperature of the heat source? What do you use as a heat source? Thank you love the knowledge

[@beebob1279]

Very nice job. Started milling my own cherry from trees that recently died on the property in upstate pa. I’m laying the boards under the porch for cover. I read the stacking the boards with a smil is important. My big concern is I’m slowly killing the logs due to work and living elsewhere. I’m putting the top and bottom cuts that will be firewood on top as a weight to help keep the boards flat. Will this help?

[@bearkatwood6354]

The checks go in as far as the sticker, who woulda thunk, thanks for this. Great info!

[@Madmun357]

Yeah, I didn't know that. Real good info.

[@bwhite220]

What does "checks" refer to? I know the sticker is the spacer between the boards. I'm not sure what a "check" is though.

[@Alex-jc3xx]

Brandon White they're cracks. The ends dry faster than the middle which causes stress. Sealing the ends, as mentioned in the video, helps prevent checking as well.

[@chapsmaketory3960]

Figured this out..the hard way..good video..thx

[@JakeJemas]

I dont quite understand this. If you are stickering all the way through wont that mean you have cracks all the way through?

[@gregoryhalye8907]

For your small home version of a kiln .... Use an insulated box of some sort .... perhaps an old non-working freezer or fridge unit - preferably non-flammable. For heat source .... 60 watt light bulbs in cheap fixtures. Allow air to vent out towards the top, and air to come in through the bottom, but have the incoming air down low be forced through an air-moisture removing material, like a large pile of kitty litter, to dehumidify it.

[@ccchicken8889]

Welp I got an old home dehumidifier laying around...time to build a little kiln :) Thanks for the great vid!

[@edsmith4414]

That's exactly what the author of FW book "Wood and How to Dry it" used.....dehumidifier and a light bulb for bit of heat in a box built of foam board. I scaled that up to a 8x14 well insulated room in my shop and use an old window AC inside for my dehumidifier. Holds 1000bf. Will take from air dry (20% MC) to 6-8% MC in 2-3 weeks of run time.

[@ccchicken8889]

@@edsmith4414 Cool. Thanks for the info!

[@bryonterry9170]

I just purchased a few 2 x 4 x 8 to build a bench. The wood I'd Red Oak. My question is, can I cut the wood to size cause it's not seasoned yet, then dry it out?

[@sjbl1962]

What size tubular steel is being used for the frame that air drying wood is sitting on?

[@SpennysAlienBride]

So what happens if you were to dry the wood to fast? would that create to much stress then creating fractures in it?

[@deanmiller294]

What is a general temperature for a kiln? I made one from a discarded refrigerator for bowl turning. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

[@wildwes215]

Hi finewoodworking, I have a question. What if you mill dead standing trees, will I be able to use those trees, and will they dry faster?

[@Mike-in3cq]

So in this video they get the lumber down to 6% in the kiln. Once the lumber is removed, about how long does it take to acclimate to it surroundings (in this case 12%)? Is there a round about formula for that?

[@BluesGuitarStudent]

Is it true that the tree trunk is the only piece of wood that is worth using? I'm told the branches are under so much constant stress, they won't stay straight even at 6% moisture. I need to know because I'd like to make instrument necks out of my Rock Maple. Thanks.

[@joselacera8716]

thank you sir your drying theory is the best can you please tell me what kind of sealer you use at the ends thank you again D.A.Veteran

[@edsmith4414]

Anchorseal.....works great, but pricey. Any oil base paint works about as good. I buy mis-tinted paint from a paint store for cheap......like 5 bucks/gal.

[@Mrdubomb]

dumb question but why not or cant you dry the entire log before chopping it up, seems like that would be the way to avoid warping wood

[@edsmith4414]

I stack mine in a open faced shed on sticks until it reaches 'air dry' moisture content.....around 18-20%. Depending on the time of year (like late spring/summer), covering the sides like the video would simply encourage mold, so I would NOT do that. Then it goes into my shop dry kiln where i have an old dog (22,000BTU with R-12...not R-22) of a window AC >inside< the room. I turn it on, the waste heat coming off the back brings the kiln (well insulated) up to around 130 degrees, driving the remaining moisture off the air dry wood, drips off the base of the AC into a bucket I empty each day. First few days, I get 5 gallons off a 1,000bf load of air dry lumber, then it tapers off slowly for a week or so. After two weeks (constantly running the AC), I'll test the lumber with a meter and it will be in the 6-8% range, with very little in the bucket each day. It's done. I leave it in the kiln and run a small de-humidifier to keep it dry while I use up that batch. Works perfectly, costs about 5 cents/bd in electricity to dry 1000bf.

[@noahone2045]

What do you use to heat your big oven?

[@humptydumpty720]

The guy in orange sounds the The Butcher in Gangs of New York. Got the mustache too.

[@davehughesfarm7983]

Dang, that guy was the wood drying king....

[@andrewspain9276]

Wouldn't winter be the months of the most drying as the humidity is very low? Regardless of the temperature

[@ezu6172]

I have cut a pear tree down and cut it into circle 3 inch slabs, for cheese boards. Should I leave these outside covered and if so how long?

[@billyingram3492]

Does anyone know where I can get the mesh he uses on his stacks. Id greatly appreciate any info finding it. Wanna use it on white pine im gonna cut this fall. Really trying to keep out bugs and blue stain. Thanks for any help.....Bill

[@thetruckster1]

I've been to Mr. Spacht's mill. He runs an amazing business. If you're in the market for some fine wood at a very reasonable price this the place.

[@twicetheliceful]

Chris Trucksess where is he located at?

[@TheSchmidt62]

I have some oaks that have fallen on our ranch. They are Quercus Lobata, so only some of the wood may be good for timber. Whats the best way to cut the wood, and to cure the green oak so it doesn't crack? Thank you!

[@jeffreyrstapler]

I want to build a house out of saw mill lumber. I have about forty pine trees in north Alabama next to a small mountain. The trees are about 18-22 inches in diameter and are very straight and tall with only a few limbs at top. I am not sure what kind of pine trees they are. I have to clear the trees off of the property so I wanted to try to use them instead of destroying them. I wanted to know what I would have to do on sawing and storing (drying) the lumber. Would the trees need to be cut in larger boards and trim again to straighten them? Could that be done on a table saw? Do you let the logs dry to certain moisture content before cutting them? Would you cut them in large squares to remove all the bark and dry? Then cut boards later? I want to know the whole process. Can you help me? I want to make sure insects don't get in and destroy them also. Do they need to be stored inside flat until dry? I will need 2x6, 2x8, and 2x10. I am thinking about doing walls with 2x6 instead of 2x4.

[@edsmith4414]

In Alabama, they are most likely Southern Yellow Pine....a great, strong framing lumber, BUT tends to warp badly when sawed. I've found the trick to this lumber is saw it into 2x lumber, then stack on the 2" edge instead of laying flat. Look at each piece as you stack, turn the center bowed part UP (called crowning). Stack many layers high, cover with roofing tin pieces, the put a WHOLE bunch of weight (I use pallets of cinder block lifted with my tractor front forks) on top the metal. As the lumber dries, the bow tends to flatten out, and stay straight. After 8mo-1year, I start 'working up' the lumber. On rainy days when I can't work outside, I take a pile to my shop, cut studs to length for walls, and run one side on my jointer. Then I run it thru my table saw to take of the bow of the other side and make them a uniform width....3 1/2" or 5 1/2" ( I use 2x6's for exterior walls) so standard millwork like doors/windows works with them. I leave the thickness (usually I end up with around 1 7/8" thick after drying) as is....it doesn't matter and you actually end up with stronger lumber than store bought. On the lumber I'm gonna use for wall top/bottom plates, I DO have to plane to a standard thickness, or your walls will be up/down too much for a house (but not a barn or shop building)....so they have to be run both ways..thickness and width. Floor joists, I don't bother with either. I watch as they go in, and any that have too much bow in them, cut into blocking. If too tall, I'll notch a little underneath to keep the top plane of the floor flat. It's way more work to use sawmill lumber, but it's way less expensive too, and you actually get a stronger house due to the over size of it. I've built many houses using it.

[@WILSON.1]

The mustachioed fellow must be the guy Daniel Day Lewis studied when preparing for his part in Gangs of New York. Voice is almost identical.

[@toniharkins5967]

I was wondering about over-drying just before you talked about it. How can someone in an arid climate combat this? Is it possible when air drying?

[@verteup]

Toni Harkins if you air dry you wont have any trouble with over drying as long as you dont leave the wood olin direct sunlight. put tin over it and shade cloth just like the video.

[@igg5589]

How to choose and where search for this "mesh cloth" mentioned in 8:08 ?

[@AlexAlex-nr5rd]

Hello. great video to lorn from. we have a red oak on backyard When is the best season to remove green tree for lumber? We live in NJ 08830. Now is April but outside the temperature is about 60 F. And what is the requirements to get a good dry wood for lumber (air dry) Thank you.

[@edsmith4414]

BEST time to cut is in the fall after leaves fall....sap is down, less water in the wood. Stack on sticks outside with cover (I use old metal roofing), and by next summer, it will be 18-20% air dry. You'll have to kiln dry it to force it down to 6-8% if you need it that low.

[@bennsellingit3100]

Thank you for this informative video could you possibly respond to this comment with the contact information of where you got that heavy duty shade cloth at?

[@pgo301]

Living in Arizona, the wood is dried too fast in the arid heat and causes the wood to be too brittle. Plus too fast of drying causes it to warp with a twisted and curling. This video is quite helpful but I am hoping to learn how to dry wood properly in the Southwest. If anybody has advice. Please Reply and help me out. Thank You!!

[@edsmith4414]

In YOUR climate, those side curtains would help...stop moisture from leaving the wood too fast. In MY climate, summer time, those side curtains would result in moldy lumber....not drying fast enough.

[@BARFYADAMS]

I have some kiln dried pine that got rained on. Will it be high moisture now?

[@bassrun101]

not Linda. Not necessarily. Depends on how wet it got and how long the water stayed on it and how much was absorbed by the end grain.

[@edsmith4414]

Wood reaches what is called equalibrium point if kept dry (like not constantly wet)...which is 18-20%. Kiln dried lumber works back to that point as soon as it comes out of the kiln unless sealed completely. As long as you keep it out of direct rain, it will stop gaining MC when it reaches that equal point....air dry.....which varies depending on your local conditions. Air dry in Arizona may be 12%.....air dry in coastal Virginia may be 22%......but at some point it equalizes with local conditions. You've no doubt seen it in wood flooring....summer, the wood expands due to absorbing moisture out of the air.....winter, higher heat in the home, lower moisture in the air, gaps open in the flooring. Flooring is sealed on TOP, but not the sides, ends and bottom.....so it moves.

[@Oirub]

Anyone know who the guy in the red shirt is? Does he sell all this lumber? I live/build furniture in NYC and I've been looking for an air dried source for a long time. Please help!

[@iamthemastermind]

Can anyone tell me where I can sell my black walnut trees. I would love to be able to cut them up and dry them myself, I don't have the time nor the money right now. I have 7 walnut trees and I want to sell 4 of them. I know that a large buyer will not buy them because their is not enough of them. But if anyone knows someone looking for a few of them, please let me know. I live near St Louis, MO.

[@jessecarlton103]

iamthemastermind are you still looking to have this done?

[@justinpennington7682]

I'm not waiting a year to use a piece of wood