Kiln dried wood vs hanging wood
- Thread starter mantis99
- Start date
mantis99 said:
Some woods should be kiln dried and then acclimatized for a number of months or even years. Other heavy dense woods need to be air dried with sealed ends as kiln drying will check them badly. Some woods even need to be sealed in wax completely and need many, many years to dry.
Dick
mantis99 said:
I also agree with the other individuals opinion, however, I take things a little further and hang everything and wax the ends. Even Kiln Dried wood bought outside of someones general location may gather moisture during shipping.
Hanging allows the wood to stabilize, to it's new location. It is also easier to manage, and store.
kiln dried vs hanging
Wood always adjusts to the humidity level where it is. As has been stated in the thread, some wood can be initially dried by kiln others have to air dry. How fast that happens depends on what the ambient humidity level is and how well sealed the wood is. Usually wood will lose moisture out of the grain ends faster than the surface and that's why you wax the ends. Some wood has such a high content that you have to wax the whole thing. But when a piece of wood reaches it's ambient level of moisture, aging it doesn't do anymore. Now cutting it into smaller pieces and letting the stress's relieve is something different. But moisture content wise it makes no difference. I have several pieces of birdseye maple that are from a tree cut down in 1938. In my shop it's moisture content is the same as some maple I bought a month ago. There is alot of hype about hanging wood for years and years. It it's kilned dried correctly, doesn't matter. If it's airdried, it helps. Ask a luthier about how long he ages wood, he's more interested in moisture content that age.
But as always, just IMHO.
Wood always adjusts to the humidity level where it is. As has been stated in the thread, some wood can be initially dried by kiln others have to air dry. How fast that happens depends on what the ambient humidity level is and how well sealed the wood is. Usually wood will lose moisture out of the grain ends faster than the surface and that's why you wax the ends. Some wood has such a high content that you have to wax the whole thing. But when a piece of wood reaches it's ambient level of moisture, aging it doesn't do anymore. Now cutting it into smaller pieces and letting the stress's relieve is something different. But moisture content wise it makes no difference. I have several pieces of birdseye maple that are from a tree cut down in 1938. In my shop it's moisture content is the same as some maple I bought a month ago. There is alot of hype about hanging wood for years and years. It it's kilned dried correctly, doesn't matter. If it's airdried, it helps. Ask a luthier about how long he ages wood, he's more interested in moisture content that age.
But as always, just IMHO.
Kiln dried VS hanging.
If kiln dried wood is not waxed, it will take on the humidity of the surroundings. Hanging wood will get to the same place eventually. Either way, the wood is going to get to the ambient humidity of the surroundings unless it is waxed completely.
Once the wood is cut or turned and the wax is cut off, you have the same condition. The wood moisture content is eventually going to end up at the area humidity wheather it is hanging or not.
I prefer to hang my wood once it is cut. Hanging allows air to reach all surfaces equally and give a better chance of uniform moisture levels. If the wood is stacked or stickered, where the wood is touching will stay wetter than the rest of the pieces. This promotes warping as part of the wood dries at 1 rate and the other part dries at a different rate.
Hang it, dang it.
If kiln dried wood is not waxed, it will take on the humidity of the surroundings. Hanging wood will get to the same place eventually. Either way, the wood is going to get to the ambient humidity of the surroundings unless it is waxed completely.
Once the wood is cut or turned and the wax is cut off, you have the same condition. The wood moisture content is eventually going to end up at the area humidity wheather it is hanging or not.
I prefer to hang my wood once it is cut. Hanging allows air to reach all surfaces equally and give a better chance of uniform moisture levels. If the wood is stacked or stickered, where the wood is touching will stay wetter than the rest of the pieces. This promotes warping as part of the wood dries at 1 rate and the other part dries at a different rate.
Hang it, dang it.
Wax
If I may pose another related question, without disrespect to Mantis, what kind of wax do you guys use to wax the ends of the wood, and what method do you use? Do you melt it and dip the ends of the wood in, etc? Mantis, if you feel this is too far out of line of your post, I will be happy to move it.
If I may pose another related question, without disrespect to Mantis, what kind of wax do you guys use to wax the ends of the wood, and what method do you use? Do you melt it and dip the ends of the wood in, etc? Mantis, if you feel this is too far out of line of your post, I will be happy to move it.
A crockpot and paraffin wax like you buy in a grocery store in the kitchen jar/jelly section. Five dollars worth of wax will go a long way. The crockpot I use is very old, a bit shallow, but wide so I can dip a fairly large board. It works great for me.
Kelly
Kelly
I can't remember the name of the stuff, but the wood working catalogs offer a liquid wax that is made for sealing the ends of wood without having to heat it. Look in Wood Craft or Wood Workers supply and you should find it.shakes said:
Chris
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