Wood: The wood we have available is no longer the quality it was even
30 years ago. Most is uncured, or poorly cured with a high moisture
content and requires proper curing after you get it home and before you
use it if you want it to stay straight.
Curing wood: Requires time and a location of a relatively low humidity,
or at least out of the elements. Having had a need for straight and
stable wood of 2X4, 2X6, 2X8, 2X10 and 2X12s up to 16 feet long, I
cleaned an area in my shop and laid out a series of 2X4s 4' long,
parallel, and about 3 or 4 feet apart. On this, I laid out the lumber
to be cured. with more lumber than would fit on a single layer, I laid
out another layer of 2X4s and put the extra wood on these for a start.
For the first week I turned the wood being cured, over twice a day.
Multiple layers can soon add a lot of work. At the end of the first
week I went to rotating the lumber once a day, BUT if there was any sign
of warping I went back to twice a day for another week. I continued
this for a month. I then laid our a couple pieces laying flat on a
series of 2X4s and let them set while rotating the stock every few days.
Check Google on "how to cure lumber" for alternative methods.
If at the end of the week there was no sign of warping of the wood not
being turned, I considered it cured and stacked it laying broad side
down. Storing it on edge encourages the wider boards to curve forming a
long "U"
With the time and effort required to cure the wood, it's easy to
understand why the big box stores and most lumber yards do not have
properly cured wood. There is a yard about 10 miles from me that will
supply properly cured wood to required dimensions, including hardwood
for furniture, but you do pay more for that properly cured wood.
With all the time required, I decided to try a brute force method of
curing and clamped a new 2X4 between braces in a steel frame about 6'
apart. I could see it trying to twist, but assumed it would stay more
or less straight. I was working in the shop about a week later when
there was a very loud bang and pieces of 2X4 went flying and I do mean
flying with some landing 6 to 8 feet from the original location.. The
longest piece was about 3 or 4 feet long. Proving to me that the lumber
had to be properly cured to stay straight. I had some new 16' long
2X4s,' develop a 60 to 90 degree twist in 2 weeks
--
73
Roger (K8RI)
---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
http://www.avast.com
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk
|