[TowerTalk] wood for towers

[Roger (K8RI) on TT]

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)


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