Original Posted By: Michael Brusilow
Subject: Pietenpol-List: Re: Sitka Spruce>Russell:>>Some thoughts on drying wood.>>I think you are doing most everything right but your timeline may be too>short.>>Conventional wisdom among woodworkers is that it takes 1 year for each>inch of thickness to reduce moisture from a nominal 35% down to around>15% which is the about the best you can do un an unheated space.>>In order to get the wood down to 12% you will probably need to keep the>lumber in a heated space for around 6 months. On the other hand, maybe>15% is OK for something that will be stored outside or in an unheated>space.>What we are after is stability, we don't want the moisture content to>change>too much after we build the plane to minimize dimensional changes and>internal stress.>>You want to have good circulation around the stickered pile, look at the>way you have it stacked to make sure you are getting good circulation>around the wet wood.>>Stack some scrap lumber on top of the pile, the extra weight will help>prevent twisting and warping.>>Randy Stockberger>>----- Original Message ----->From: Lassetter, Russell B (Russell) >To: Pietenpol Discussion >Sent: Thursday, August 05, 1999 7:17 AM>Subject: Sitka Spruce>>>> Gentlemen,>>>> I recently purchased some rough-cut Sitka spruce from a lumber mill in>> Canada. It supposedly meets the mil spec (it has beautiful straight>grain)>> but is not yet fully dried. My information says that I should try to>get it>> to 12% moisture content. A couple of the boards are 20' x 8" x 2".>Others>> are 16' long. I also have some Douglas fur and Alaskan Yellow Cedar.>>>> I have carefully stacked them with perfectly aligned 1" "stickers">(spaced>> every 24") between the boards. I have two stacks side-by-side. I put>some>> vertical boards along the sides (scrap pine) to keep the good boards>from>> warping while they dry. I sealed the ends with paraffin.>>>> I bought a Humidifier and a moisture content meter (pinless). I have>a>> humidity gauge which tells me that the relative humidity in my shop is>now>> at about 75% (I live in Atlanta, GA). The current moisture content of>the>> wood averages 15 to 17%.>>>> I plan to slowly drop the relative humidity (over the next 3 to 4>months) in>> my shop to a point that brings the wood down to the 12%.>>>> Am I going about this correctly? Does anyone have any>> suggestions/experience along these lines?>>>> If I am successful, I am open to ideas for an all wood airplane once>my Sky>> Scout is finished.>>>> I can supply information regarding sources for all of the above if>anyone is>> interested.>>>> Thanks,>>>> Distribution Design Specialist>> * Lucent Technologies, Inc.>> *Tel: 404.814.6950>> *Fax: 404.814.6968>> * rbl1(at)lucent.com>>>>>________________________________________________________________________________