Whether to Thaw Frozen Wood Before Kiln-Drying
Here's a long and intense theoretical argument about whether frozen wood can be safely dried without thawing it first. June 13, 2014

Drying lumber - selecting the best method
Is a solar kiln the best choice for this startup sawmill? December 17, 2003

Alternative lumber drying techniques
Are freeze drying and RFV practical methods for drying lumber? April 25, 2001

Honeycombing and Fresh Checking in a Newly Turned Newel Post
A woodworker's report of a honeycombing and checking problem leads to a good discussion of wood drying defects and how they manifest themselves. March 3, 2009

Pre-Surfacing Lumber Before Drying
Planed green lumber dries with significantly less checking. March 3, 2006

Humidity, Temperature, Wood Moisture Content, and Wood Movement
Basic technical information and an extended discussion of the way wood expands and contracts in response to changes in temperature and humidity. November 13, 2009

Dry Kiln Information Resources
A list of clubs, organizations, books and publications providing information about drying lumber for use in woodworking. 1998.

Blue-Stained Pine Pros and Cons
Controversy simmers over whether blue stain is is a special value, a visual defect, or a mold liability risk. September 17, 2008

Contrôle de l'humidité, déformation et durcissement
Maintenir les bonnes conditions de séchage est un problème délicat, et un contrôle inadéquat peut entraîner des défauts dans le bois. 2 janvier 2012

Humidity Control, Warping, and Case-Hardening
Maintaining the right drying conditions is a tricky problem, and improper control can lead to defects in the lumber. January 2, 2012

Controlling Powderpost Beetles in Stored Lumber
Heat plus good hygeine are the standard recommendations, but this discussion also considers some alternative notions. November 14, 2009

Strap-Clamping Stacked Lumber for Air-Drying
A discussion of a proposal to keep stacked sycamore strapped tight with loading straps during air-drying. June 28, 2006

Stickers and sticker shadow
A discussion on synthetic and traditional stickers, and an explanation of reverse sticker shadow. May 30, 2001

Slowing Down Wood Drying
Once wood starts to dry, it's hard to slow the process down without encountering staining or rot problems. December 6, 2009

Drying Oak Lumber: Step 1, Assessing the Raw Material
The first step in drying Oak is to know the characteristics of the lumber you're planning to dry. July 29, 2012

Stain in Maple -- Prevention and Cure
An explanation of why maple wood stains, ways to slow the process down, and how to bleach stains out. July 28, 2006

Sticker Thickness
Three quarters of an inch is the practical minimum. April 10, 2005

Wood Doc's Video about Wood Moisture
Here's Dr. Gene Wengert's video presentation about wood moisture content and wood behavior. August 16, 2012

Managing Mold while Drying Cookies with Pentacryl
In a specialized air-drying situation, a woodworker puzzles over how to deal with surface fungus growth. April 20, 2011

Séchage au four de gros bois
Discussion approfondie sur les problèmes techniques liés au séchage de grandes poutres destinées à divers usages. 28 juillet 2006

Kiln Drying Large Timbers
An extended discussion of the technical issues involved in drying big beams for various uses. July 28, 2006

Drying Slabs in Tropical Conditions
Advice on drying uncommon lumber species in the jungles of Ecuador. August 15, 2011

Troubleshooting Mold on Oak in the Drying Kiln
A question about a mold problem leads to a discussion about process control and kiln conditions. June 13, 2014

Summer and Winter Air Drying of Lumber
How fast can lumber dry in winter, as compared to summer? January 28, 2014

Choosing a Moisture Meter
A well-informed discussion comparing the cost and characteristics of various pin and pinless moisture meters. October 11, 2012

Preventing Insect Infestation in Lumber Production
Pesticides have limited usefulness and significant hazards. Good yard hygeine and application of heat are the more practical choices. February 14, 2006

Borates for Protecting Oak Beams
Borate treatments can provide good protection against insects for softwood that is kept dry, but has limited usefulness on hardwood, especially if exposed to rain. January 14, 2008

Moisture content oven tests
Microwave ovens versus drying ovens for MC testing. October 30, 2002

Stacking and Stickering Advice for Air-Drying Maple
A thorough discussion of the basics of stacking sawn lumber for air-drying. February 14, 2010

Processing trees to lumber -- for the hobbyist
A primer on sawing and drying lumber for projects at home. March 13, 2001

Drying burly slabs
Keeping oak slabs from cracking. January 16, 2002

Ash, Pine, Bugs, and Borates
More info on the insects that may infest hardwoods and softwoods, and on the use of borate-based controls. December 6, 2009

Removing Turning Blank Pith
Techniques to prevent cracking from the pith. January 6, 2005

Suppression de la moelle de tournage
Techniques pour éviter la fissuration de la moelle. 6 janvier 2005

Conseils d'empilage et d'étiquetage pour l'érable séché à l'air
Discussion approfondie sur les principes fondamentaux de l'empilage du bois scié pour le séchage à l'air. 14 février 2010

Wood and Water
An excerpt from Gene Wengert's book, "Drying Oak Lumber." May 31, 2001

Sawing and Drying: Does the Season of the Year Matter?
Here's a long thread that separates the science from the rumor around the question: "What's the best time of year to cut trees and dry lumber?" May 15, 2012

Using a Corn Drier as a Kiln
Lumber drying is a controlled process, that an agricultural corn dryer probably cannot accomplish correctly. February 15, 2009

Automatic vents for solar kiln
Can vents be left open at night or must they be controlled? (Sawing and Drying Forum) April 29, 2003

Spalting Tips and Tricks
A question about how to get rid of a bad batch of spalted Maple leads to a nice discussion of different ways to spalt wood, with photos. April 15, 2012

Is it Worth Kiln-Drying Firewood?
Considering the cost of kiln construction and energy inputs versus the value of extra-dry firewood, it's hard to see how the dollars make sense. January 27, 2008

Hairline Cracks in Kiln-Drying Cherry
Checking in Cherry appears as a fine crack, and is the result of too-fast air-drying, not kiln-drying. April 15, 2012

Fresh-Cut Pine for Rafters
In theory, green softwood should perform acceptably for barn rafters. In practice, on the other hand ... well, life is full of surprises. November 28, 2006

Should Hardwood be Air-Dried Before Kiln-Drying?
A discussion on the best drying schedule for maple, white ash, black ash, beech, cherry, and birch. December 1, 2005

Economics of End-Coating to Prevent Checking
If you look at the numbers, sealing log or board ends is worth the cost. June 13, 2014

Diagnosing a Beetle Infestation
The Wood Doctor discusses the risk indicated by insect exit holes appearing in wood recently brought indoors. April 30, 2009

Minimum Sticker Thickness
How thin can stickers be in order to maximize kiln capacity without creating drying problems? May 11, 2005

Limits of Air Drying
Even in the driest parts of the U.S., air-dried lumber typically won't get below about 10% moisture content. March 10, 2008

Drying Cherry in the Basement
Even for a brief storage period, a basement is a dubious place for stacked, stickered wood. January 14, 2009

What's the Toughest Wood to Dry?
Wood Doctor Gene Wengert lists a few wood species that just love to stay wet. January 27, 2008

Automatic Water-Fill Dry-Wet Bulb RH Metering
Advice on the fine points of keeping a relative humidity monitoring setup supplied with water for the wet bulb. June 13, 2014

Keeping lumber flat during drying
Advice from Professor Gene Wengert on drying lumber in order to produce flat, true boards. December 12, 2000

Ambrosia Beetles Versus Powderpost Beetles
A little info on similar, but different, bugs that infest different types of wood. January 27, 2008

Test for Honeycomb
A method for testing dried lumber to detect honeycomb, with advice on how to prevent the checking that leads to honeycomb. June 13, 2014

Practical Ways to Reduce Drying Costs
Five tactics to consider for cutting the cost of drying a load of wood. June 13, 2014

Air-Drying Silver Maple
Basic advice on stacking, stickering, and covering Maple for air drying in winter. October 17, 2012

Finish Over Air-Dried Pine
Soft resin and volatile natural solvents in softwoods will interfere with finishes unless the wood is kiln-dried at a high enough temperature to "set the pitch."August 17, 2009

Vacuum kiln drying
How do vacuum kilns work and how effective are they? (From WOODWEB's Sawing and Drying Forum) January 21, 2003

Drying Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a fussy wood to air-dry or kiln-dry. Here are some clues about its character. October 14, 2006

Blue Stain in Pine
How big a concern is blue surface stain on softwood? June 12, 2006

Drying Ash Flooring
Kiln-drying is essential to kill bugs and achieve the proper low moisture content for stability in service. May 11, 2005

Acid Condensation Issues with Drying Kilns
This discussion of drying Oak for iron-and-wood furniture purposes takes an interesting detour into a discussion of acidic conditions in wood and kilns. October 15, 2010

Causes and cures for sticker stain
The Wood Doctor weighs in with comprehensive information about the causes and prevention of sticker stain. 1998.

Air-drying oak
Can a suitable MC for cabinet construction be reached? February 6, 2002

Sawing Walnut: Sapwood and Heartwood
Here's a discussion about the proportions of heartwood and sapwood in a Walnut log, drying methods, and the value of both for furniture, bowls, et cetera. May 15, 2012

Straightening Cupped Slabs of Pine
Detailed information and advice on removing cup from wide boards. April 30, 2009

Case Hardening Explained
A semi-technical discussion about how the wood drying process can create stresses between interior and surface wood layers — and about how to reduce or prevent that situation. January 19, 2012

Double-Checking Moisture Content
You can check your moisture meter by drying wood samples and weighing them, but the method has its own uncertainties and imprecisions. August 29, 2006

Drying Lodgepole Pine in Colorado
Detailed advice on air-drying and kiln-drying lodgepole pine (some logged green and some killed by beetles). April 21, 2008

Dead Standing Douglas Fir: Is It Dry Already?
A discussion about the useability of wood from dead standing tree logs without further drying, and a little bit of kiln-related history. April 27, 2007

Selecting a Good Moisture Meter
More money buys a better instrument, but your choice depends on your needs. December 14, 2009

Checking in Oak
A discussion of kiln conditions and other factors that can cause Oak to check while drying. October 29, 2008

Drying Small Amounts of Wood in the Attic
Thoughts about the airflow and venting required to dry small amounts of wood in an attic. April 20, 2011

Moisture Testing Variability
A discussion of factors that could account for a discrepancy between a supplier's wood moisture content readings and the customer's. October 12, 2008

Reconditioning of Collapsed/Washboard Timber
Collapse of sawn lumber during drying is a rare event. Steaming may help prevent the problem, and to some extent cure it. January 12, 2015

End Checking and Sticker Placement
Placing stickers very close to the ends of the lumber stack can help limit end checking. This thread also offers additional tips on preventing checking. November 16, 2010

Checking Moisture and Achieving MC Targets
Higher moisture near the core has a lumber dryer doubting his moisture meter, but drying conditions are the more likely concern. September 6, 2010

Air-Drying Wood in a Grain Bin
A discussion of air-drying sheds light on issues relating to target moisture content. July 28, 2008

Yellow Streaks in Claro Walnut After Kiln-Drying
Bacterial infection inhibits drying in walnut, leading to visible discoloration that is revealed when the wood is planed. December 11, 2007

Air Flow and Mold Problems
Troubleshooting an occurrence of mold in wood stacked for air-drying. March 26, 2013

"Seasoned" Wood: What Does That Mean?
A brief discussion of wood drying vernacular, lightly salted with science and pan-blackened. April 24, 2014

Loss in air-dried lumber
The Wood Doctor provides typicial loss factors for several speices of lumber, when air-dried. 1998.

Eastern Red Cedar for Outdoor Use
Thoughts on drying Eastern Red Cedar, and on the wood's value for decks or outdoor furniture. December 6, 2009

Drying wood for musical instruments
A primer on various lumber drying techniques as they relate to musical instrument construction. 1998.

Chemical Sprays for Controlling Mold on Green Lumber
By and large, chemical treatments are ineffective for preventing mold or bluestain. Quick drying is your best bet. March 31, 2008

Long-Term Storage of Air-Dried Lumber
Air-dried lumber left in drying stacks for long periods without kiln-drying is at high risk for insect damage and spoilage. June 18, 2010

Adding Heat to a Solar Kiln in Winter
Supplemental heat is tricky, because there's a risk of over-drying and casehardening. May 13, 2009

Kiln Drying Color Change
Experts and sawyers discuss the various reasons wood from the same batch might end up with slightly different colors. September 6, 2010

Definition of Primary Process
Locating the dividing line between primary and secondary processing of wood products. September 5, 2011

Safe Treating to Prevent Powderpost Beetles
Borates are a practical alternative. Heavier-duty chemicals have drawbacks. December 8, 2012

Cutting Stickers
Basic info on making stickers for your drying pile. November 28, 2014

Troubleshooting Bow in Kiln-Dried Cherry
A discussion of the causes and possible cures for bowing of lumber. November 14, 2009

Weighing Down Stacked Lumber
Weighing down the lumber stack with concrete can help the wood dry flatter. June 16, 2014

Difficulty with Drying Small Loads
Running a predryer with a quarter charge of green wood is tricky to manage and full of risks. April 24, 2014

Re-Sawing or Re-Wetting Partially Dried Wood
Either would be a mistake. January 14, 2009

Air-Drying Thick Maple
Four-inch-thick maple slabs are likely to degrade a lot during air-drying. Here are a few tips for better results. July 13, 2006

"True honeycomb" defined
What is "true honeycomb" and what causes it? November 7, 2001

Treating to Inhibit Blue Stain
December 6, 2009

Drying Eastern Red Cedar
Eastern Red Cedar dries readily with simple air drying, and behaves well when exposed to variations in ambient humidity. April 20, 2011

Cypress board and batten siding
It's better to kiln dry that cypress before siding your house with it than to let air-drying suffice. 1998.

Kiln drying Mexican oak
Mexican oak can be dried using the same schedules as those used by processors in the United States. 1998.

Kiln dried: Better than air dried?
Why kiln-dried lumber is the best option for wood that will eventually 'live' indoors. 1998.

Setting the pitch
The why and how of setting the pitch in heart pine. October 15, 2001

Twisting lumber
What causes lumber to twist in a dehumidification kiln? March 20, 2001

Drying green tongue-and-groove pine
Success in drying green, already-machined lumber has much to do with the species. 1998.

Moisture content of walnut -- and measuring it
A woodworker seeks information about acceptable moisture contents for walnut used in furniture, and wonders what makes moisture meters tick. 1998.

Moisture Content Percentage Explained
Experts explain why wood moisture content can be higher than 100 percent. February 15, 2009

Air-dried oak for casework?
Air-dried lumber needs to live in the environment it will inhabit prior to fabrication. 1998.

When to Seal Log Ends
If you delay too long before sealing, you may have to cut back the ends to fresh wood first. January 25, 2010

Lumber drying options and efficiencies
The Wood Doctor's favorite references for making decisions among lumber-drying options. 1998.

More on blue stain removal
Is there a 100-percent-effective method for removing blue stain from pine? 1998.

Air drying of hardwoods
Basic information, and where to find more of it, on air-drying green lumber. 1998.

Drying pine for a trestle table
A brief look at the basics of drying freshly milled, 3-inch-thick pine. 1998.

Tips for drying butternut burls
Butternut burls are dried much like regular lumber. Also, a source for further information on drying burls. 1998.

Splitting Wood - Green Versus Dry
Wood is stronger, and thus harder to split, after drying. April 11, 2008

Design of air drying sheds
General info on the design of sheds used for air-drying lumber. 1998.

Home DH for drying lumber
Home dehumidifiers versus bought kilns for drying wood. September 2, 2002

Pitch Build-Up When Planing Air-Dried Pine
There's no way to stop Pine pitch from gumming up machinery, short of kiln-drying the lumber. (This thread has some interesting asides about using your own sawn wood for construction.) April 27, 2011

Heat Up Rate in Lumber Drying
Most wood-drying situations don't require careful control of the rate at which the load heats up. June 13, 2014

Black Locust as a Utility Pole
Thoughts on whether to dry a Black Locust pole before burying the end, and related issues. March 28, 2010

Bug Holes in Air-Dried Maple
Advice on a lumber insect infestation. March 4, 2009

Powderpost beetles in hardwood beams
Is there any way to get rid of powderpost beetles riddling oak beams with holes? November 7, 2001

Beetle Troubles
Tips on dealing with lyctid (powderpost) beetles and the less troublesome anobiid beetle. April 27, 2007

Hardness and Kiln-Drying Temperature
Higher drying temperatures affect the hardness and machinability of wood. December 12, 2008

Preventing brown stain on pine
Warm weather is the culprit; keeping still-to-be-processed logs cools is the solution. 1998.

Comment limiter les fissures lors du séchage des disques de bois
Discussion des principes et des techniques de séchage des tranches de bois coupées en travers avec une fissuration limitée. 16 juillet 2009

Lumber Acid Content
A closer look at when lumber or bark might release tannic acid or acetic acid. April 17, 2009

Processing Trees to Lumber -- for the Hobbyist and Small Business
Two experts share their secrets of success for small-scale milling operations. January 19, 2002

How to Limit Cracking when Drying Wood Discs
A discussion of principles and techniques for drying cross-cut log slices with limited cracking. July 16, 2009

Kiln drying for higher profit
Expanding a molding business to include kiln drying poplar. November 18, 2002

Borate-Treating Freshly Sawn Wood
Ideas, thoughts, and tips for using borax and borate solutions to make green lumber bug-resistant. June 12, 2006

Salt pastes and PEG
Polyethylene glycol is high-priced, but the alternatives for stabilizing green wood are few. 1998.

Stabilizing Wood with Polyethylene Glycol
Advice and explanations about using PEG to prevent shrinkage and cracking in heavy wood disks being dried for a specialty application. July 15, 2014

Drying Capitol Christmas Tree Slabs
Despite several interesting suggestions, Woodweb fails to provide a secret formula for drying cross-sections of a pine tree trunk with no radial checking. Still a fun thread, though. August 16, 2012

Infestation de chrysomèles des poteaux de poudre
Ne mettez pas ces poutres dans votre maison. 29 janvier 2009

Measuring/Monitoring Moisture Levels
The hows and whys of monitoring moisture content in lumber. 1998.

Self Air-Drying Versus Kiln-Drying
Carefully air-drying wood yourself may be preferable to trusting the load to a less-than-perfect kiln-drying operation. January 18, 2011

Warp in Drying
Causes and cures for warpage when drying lumber. May 4, 2001

Air-Dried Oak for Furniture
In theory, kiln-drying is better; but people have successfully made furniture from air-dried hardwood. April 20, 2011

Making Furniture from Air-Dried Oak?
A beginner asks about drying wood for use in rustic furniture. April 20, 2011

Eradicating an Insect Infestation
A load of insect-infested reclaimed wood may have contaminated a whole operation. What to do? April 20, 2011

Temperature, Humidity, and Drying
Some generic head-scratching over relative humidity and the heat required to dry wood under various conditions. April 10, 2007

Drying with Moderate Heat
Here's info on how various types of wood will respond to conditions in a home-built drying room that doesn't get much warmer than 120°F. There's a useful lecture here on how case-hardening occurs. May 16, 2008

Vacuum Kilns - Pros and Cons
Testimony from operators who have used vacuum kilns. May 11, 2005

Air-Drying and Kiln-Drying 8/4 Oak
Experts and kiln owners discuss the proper drying schedule and the best equipment for drying thick Red Oak boards. August 13, 2014

Slabbing and Drying Big Logs
Preventing cracks in Monterey cypress. April 18, 2004

Drying wood in a tent
Recommendations on how to use the sun's rays and a plastic tent to dry lumber. November 7, 2001

Storing Wood in a Subtropical Climate
Thoughts on how to keep air-dried lumber sawn on site from decaying while stored for a season or two — in Nicaragua June 22, 2012

Why is Walnut Purple Sometimes?
The purple color of some Walnut boards is natural. Here's more background with comments and observations from woodworkers. February 16, 2014

Moisture Meter Accuracy
Moisture meters aren't perfectly accurate, and wood moisture content can also vary within a piece. October 25, 2006

Sawing and Drying Tips for Pecan
Orchard-grown pecan wood warps badly when drying. Here is advice on how to cut and dry pecan in order to minimize warping and improve quality. July 28, 2006

Whether to Use Reclaimed Pickle-Vat Lumber for Stickers
An interesting discussion on the properties of old-growth lumber that has been used in a vat for brining pickles. June 13, 2014

Air Drying, Moisture Content, and Useability
How long will air-drying take to get wood to a stable moisture equilibrium? And would kiln-drying be better? September 6, 2010

Shrinkage of Pressure-Treated Lumber
It's delivered sopping wet, with moisture forced in under pressure. So how much does it shrink? Experts clarify the situation. July 12, 2005

Lumber Conditioning Advice
Info on mixed loads, re-wetting dried lumber, and related topics. September 25, 2014

Treating Air-Dried Wood with Pesticides
Surface-applied pesticides may be dangerous or even illegal, and will probably do no good. Instead, heat-treat wood to kill bugs. February 14, 2006

Managing Airflow in the Pre-Dryer
Advice on using temporary baffles to keep air flowing through the remaining stacks as some wood is removed. June 13, 2014

Lowering Wood Moisture Content
A woodworker has some lumber at 12% moisture content that he wants to dry down to 9%. Here are some quick and cheap ways to accomplish that. October 19, 2013

Time to Air-Dry Thick Lumber
Many variables affect drying time. Here's a discussion about the typical drying-time window. November 16, 2011

Stacking and Stickering Random Length Boards
Advice on stacking and (keeping track of) boards sawn from logs of different lengths at various times. November 16, 2011

Drying Oak Lumber: Step 3B, Sample Boards
How to select sample boards for accurate measurement of moisture content and drying rate. August 16, 2012

Drying Apple Wood
Advice on how to saw and dry a big old Apple tree trunk. May 10, 2007

Drying Fast-Growth Hybrid Poplar
Advice on how to address cupping of hybrid poplar during air-drying and kiln-drying. January 29, 2009

Air Drying Thin Sawn Wood
Saw thin first, then air dry for fastest results. October 29, 2012

Drying Mesquite with Denatured Alcohol
Denatured alcohol (DNA) drying techniques work best on porous wood, not so well on a low-porosity species like Mesquite. October 1, 2010

Attic drying and over-drying
Can wood be over-dried in your attic? October 15, 2001

Drying Time for 6/4 Red Oak
Here's a quick technical look at the factors affecting kiln drying 6/4 Red Oak, including kiln type and initial moisture content. Air drying may be more cost-effective. July 16, 2012

Determining MC by weight
Tools and techniques for measuring moisture content by weighing lumber cuttings. January 4, 2001

Drying Willow in a Solar Kiln
Challenging scenario: a tricky wood to dry and a difficult kiln to control. February 14, 2010

Vacuum Dried Red Oak
Achieving quality and color. May 19, 2004

20 Steps to Drying Hard White Maple
The Wood Doctor's 100 percent guaranteed, sure-fire, no-snake-oil method for successfully drying hard white maple. 1998.

Challenges of Drying Eucalyptus
Many ways have been tried to prevent Eucalyptus wood's tendency to warp and check, but none have proven to be highly successful. February 29, 2012

Green Color of Freshly Sawn Walnut
Freshly cut Walnut's green tinge disappears with time and exposure to air. February 17, 2014

Growth Stress End Checking
Log characteristics can cause checks to open up, even when ends are coated and drying conditions are correct. February 19, 2006

Oven-Drying Wood for Moisture Content Testing
Information on the correct methods for oven-drying wood samples to determine moisture content. September 27, 2008

Sawing and Drying Pecan Wood
Advice on handling a Pecan yard tree — including the story of hitting a couple of nails. December 12, 2008

Sawing and Drying Red Gum
Advice on how to process Red Gum and comments about its marketability. January 2, 2012

Moisture Meter Quality and Price
What makes a good moisture meter? March 3, 2006

Stickering and Spacing
No need to space boards when air-drying small batches. February 26, 2005

Drying Walnut Boards
Tips on handling, and how to dimension for best value. February 26, 2005

Moisture Regain in Dried Lumber
Should lumber be end-painted after it's been dried? May 11, 2005

Safe Time for Tight Stacking
How long can you safely "dead stack" wood without air spaces before stickering the pile? February 27, 2013

Stacking and Drying Southern Yellow Pine
A sawyer gets advice on stacking and stickering Southern Yellow Pine, and on protecting it against insects. January 25, 2010

Air Drying Shed Design
A couple of basic tips, plus an example of a simple drying shed for rough sawn lumber. April 21, 2011

Ring Shake in Hemlock
Hemlock makes good boards or framing lumber, but wood from trees exposed to grazing animals may be have structural flaws. July 12, 2005

Drying Holly
Holly wood is prized for its white color, but it stains easily during drying. October 1, 2010

Mahogany Honeycombing Defect
Honeycombing that appears after planing is typically a drying defect — similar to end checking, but different. April 17, 2009

Drying Lumber in the Attic
It's hot and dry up there — maybe too dry. But for small amounts, attic drying is feasible, though tricky. December 1, 2005

Controlling Splits in Pecan
An explanation of various causes of splitting in lumber as it dries. November 14, 2009

Interpreting the Psychrometer
Accurate readings are important when using the psychrometer to calculate moisture content. April 15, 2012

Drying 4" by 12" White Oak
Slow air-drying before kiln-drying will partially limit the cracking of large pieces of White Oak.

Air Drying and Blue Stain in Southern Pine
Advice on stacking and drying SYP rough lumber prior to kiln-drying it and making mouldings out of it. May 13, 2013

Drying Cherry with Complex Grain
Tips on how to dry some pieces of highly figured Cherry wood. April 27, 2007

Drying red oak
Is air drying, prior to kiln drying, a good idea? March 20, 2001

Lumber from a lake bottom??
Is it possible to dry logs which have spent 50 years underwater? January 31, 2001

Techniques for drying wooden bowls
Advice on how to dry large, turned vessels. 1998.

Managing Drying Stress and Cracking
Shrinkage cracking and stress cracking are tough to control. November 14, 2009

Drying Rates of Different Wood Varieties
Drying rates are complicated because they depend on wood density as well as other factors. October 19, 2013

Conditioning lumber -- The final step in drying
Why conditioning is the last but crucial step in the drying process. December 12, 2000

Drying hickory lumber
Avoiding sticker stain and bugs in hickory lumber. December 12, 2000

Moisture Content of Freshly Sawn Wood
It's a lot. November 28, 2006

"Worm tunnels" or fungal growth?
Strange growths on freshly sawn lumber turn out to be "fungal hyphae," not a tunnel made by worms or insects.June 4, 2012

Milling and Drying Cottonwood
Tips on how to handle cottonwood for good results. July 28, 2006

Lumber Degrade Above or Below FSP
Is wood subject to degrade and defects above or below FSP?

Drying Mixed Thicknesses of Lumber
Tips on how to air-dry and kiln-dry lumber of different sawn thicknesses. October 1, 2009

Sticker Stain in Hickory
Sticker stain is a warm-weather phenomenon. Here's advice about a suitable schedule for drying Hickory. May 27, 2014

Characteristics of European Larch
Naturally durable with decay-resistant heartwood, Larch would make good decking or siding. April 21, 2011

Drying Elm Wood
Advice on drying Elm wood. May 21, 2009

Drying Horticultural Maple
Specialty Maples used in landscaping dry like other Maple, but the wood tends to be twisty. June 16, 2014

Size, Spacing, and Shape of Stickers
Advice on stickers for drying lumber. June 18, 2012

Measuring Moisture: Cross-Grain or Along the Grain?
Different moisture meters are calibrated for different testing orientations. July 29, 2014

Sawing Logs After Checking Occurs
Badly checked logs should be dried and sawn first, then end-trimmed as boards. December 1, 2005

Salvaging lumber from submerged wood
The best chance for salvaging lumber from submerged wood lies in cutting it quickly, and drying it slowly. 1998.

-- Architectural Woodworking Forum -- Moisture Effects on Wood (Video)
Wood Doctor Gene Wengert explains in detail about the ways moisture affects wood, in a seven-part YouTube video series. December 31, 2012

Drying Beech
Beech is a tricky wood to dry: too fast and it checks, too slow and it stains. August 21, 2006

Drying Oak Lumber -- Ordering Information
Where to send your check or money order to receive a copy of this useful text. May 10, 2001

Drying Wood for Pen Blanks
Cutting the blanks before drying yields quick results. March 3, 2006

Blue Stain in Red Oak
A discussion of staining, drying odor, and related problems in a large oak tree blown down by wind. December 12, 2008

Bowing in Pine Staves After Planing
Here's a good explanation of why lumber may move after being planed — and why that is not easy to correct. January 20, 2010

Properly Drying Oak for Use in a Porch Swing
Thoughts on air drying, kiln drying, and conditioning for oak intended to be used in outdoor versus indoor conditions. January 11, 2007

How to Prevent Drying Stress
A quick explanation from the Wood Doctor of what causes drying stress, and how to prevent or reduce it. August 15, 2011

Holly Staining: Fungus or Pigment?
Holly stains if it's not dried quickly and properly. But what's the real cause? A scientist weighs in on samples collected by a sawyer. July 12, 2005

Baseball Bat Billets
Tips on sawing and drying rough stock for bat makers (a tough market to break into). June 18, 2010

Preventing Drying Damage to Oak
Advice on controlling the drying conditions for Oak. December 6, 2009

Preventing Blue Stain on Maple
Prompt drying is the best way to forestall blue stain formation on maple. August 29, 2006

Powder Post Beetle Infestation
Don't put those timbers in your house. January 29, 2009

Billettes de batte de baseball
Conseils pour le sciage et le séchage des matériaux bruts destinés aux fabricants de battes (un marché difficile à pénétrer). 18 juin 2010

Cutting and drying beveled siding
Producing beveled siding from green lumber, with special attention to the drying process. June 24, 2001

Solar Kiln Designs Compared
Thoughts on roof angle, dimensions, and other considerations for solar drying kiln construction. January 8, 2010

Drying Large Rounds - Preventing Splitting
Is it possible to dry these without problems? October 20, 2003

Drying Walnut Crotch Slabs
A light coat of sealant? Or a slow, careful spell in the kiln? February 26, 2005

Fanless Solar Kiln?
Natural convection is not a practical way to power air flow through a drying kiln. August 1, 2011

Drying Spalted Alder
To halt the growth of spalting fungus, dry quickly and/or heat above 133°F. December 23, 2014

Air-Drying Very Thin Boards
A discussion of how to sticker and dry 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch green wood. December 31, 2005

Attic Lumber Drying
Tips on drying small quantities of wood in a warm attic. January 28, 2014

Drying Rounds
Advice on dealing with the inevitable cracking in a round slice of a log as it dries. May 21, 2009

Wood Drying Conditions and Musical Instrument Sound Quality
Instrument makers, musicians, and sawing and drying pros discuss whether kiln-dried or air-dried wood affect the way a musical instrument sounds. February 14, 2010

Cracks in log home logs -- and other warnings
Cracks in logs used in log home construction are normal, but not necessarily desirable. August 10, 2000

Drying rough-sawn timbers
A large outdoor project raises questions about drying large, rough-sawn timbers for long-term use. June 20, 2000

Checking Concerns with Massive Wood Posts
A custom home project calls for 15-inch-wide solid timber posts. Here's a discussion of the inevitable checking that will occur, and how to minimize it. November 13, 2005

Ambient Humidity and Wood Moisture Content
A problem of wood warping in a dry basement storage area leads to a discussion of temperature, relative humidity, and wood moisture. July 10, 2007

Cupping, Bowing KD VG WR Cedar?
More fun with wood moisture: Figuring out why some supposedly kiln-dried cedar boards cupped and bowed after being resawn and planed. January 26, 2008

Wet and Dry Streaks in Air-Dried Slab Walnut
Sawmillers troubleshoot moisture and color variations in big slabs of partially-dried Walnut. December 6, 2009

Moisture and Wood Movement In Kiln-Dried Versus Air-Dried Lumber
In principle, wood's response to moisture changes is the same, no matter how the wood was dried. In practice, there may be a slight difference. July 23, 2014

Drying Oak Lumber: Step 4A, Air Drying
Flat, solid support, maintaining an optimal air flow, and protecting the pile from re-wetting by rain are the keys to quality results when air-drying sawn lumber. August 27, 2012

Sawing and Drying Sweet Gum
Sweet Gum is a troublesome wood to work with because of its tendency to twist and move, but the effort can be worth it for some uses. February 14, 2010

Re-Drying Kiln Dried Lumber
An architectural woodwork mill gets advice on acclimating stock before machining it. December 9, 2010

Drying Oak Lumber: Step 7, Storage
The Wood Doctor discusses how to protect dried lumber from damage during storage. August 27, 2012

Seasonal Moisture Content of Living Trees
Moisture content of living tree wood is constant throughout the year. May 31, 2010

Air Drying Cherry Slabs
Basic advice for a beginner on drying slabs. January 17, 2011

Air-Drying Time and the Need for Conditioning
If you air-dry lumber for long enough, it won't experience drying stress in the kiln; but you do risk lumber degrade. July 30, 2007

Checking and Splitting of a Large Poplar Plank
As predicted, this big piece of wood moved and split. But the owner ended up happy anyway. January 17, 2011

Controlling Mildew in Air-Drying Lumber
Surface mildew in a stack of boards being air-dried should respond to some dehumidification in the space. April 15, 2012

Air-Drying and Kiln-Drying Thick Maple
Drying 12/4 hard Maple, a kiln operator walks a fine line between checking and staining. Here's more. July 29, 2011

Furniture from Air-Dried Red Oak
If "air drying" is understood to include drying to equilibrium in a conditioned indoor space, then the result can be useable wood. May 27, 2008

Air-Drying and Kiln-Drying Methods for Wide Plank Flooring
A discussion of the most cost-effective and quality-conscious way to dry wide planks for use as flooring. September 6, 2010

Intentional Spalting
Can you treat logs with fungus and humidity to create spalting on purpose? Some say "yes," but it's more art than science. June 23, 2005

Drying Thick Slabs
Thoughts on managing cracking in thick slabs during drying. December 6, 2009

Elevated Moisture Readings after Planing
Wood that is not uniformly dry will read higher after planing; and the results vary between pin meters and pinless models. June 4, 2012

Seasons and Logging
The time of year when a tree is cut may affect drying time, and also can have other effects. April 18, 2009

Comparing moisture meters
An assessment of the performance of pin and pinless moisture meters made by major manufacturers. July 11, 2000

Drying Oregon Madrone
Pacific Madrone is prone to drying movement, but that can make it interesting to woodworkers. May 13, 2009

Ideas for weighting stickered lumber
Options for applying weight to stickered, drying lumber are offered. August 10, 2000

Reconciling Contradictory Moisture Readings
A pin-type moisture meter and a pinless moisture meter disagree during a quality-control check. What's going on? June 16, 2014

Lumber drying for musical instruments
Does the speed of the drying process affect a wood's musical quality?June 21, 2000

Cottonwood for Building
Cottonwood has drawbacks, but it can be used. Here's more information. August 18, 2009

Installation Tips for Board and Batten Siding
Nail location is important. November 28, 2006

"Shop-Dried" Versus "Air-Dried" Lumber
A discussion of the quality and value of hardwoods that have been stacked and dried in a dry indoor area, but not in a kiln. March 26, 2013

Minimizing Drying Cracks in Large Timbers
Advice on how to limit cracking and checking in large-dimension timbers. November 14, 2009

Drying sinker wood
How does one begin drying wood that's been submerged in water for many years? June 27, 2000

Drying Oak Lumber: Step 6C, Equalizing and Conditioning
Equalizing and conditioning result in consistent lumber with minimal drying stresses. But this step adds time and expense. August 27, 2012

Selecting a Moisture Meter
A discussion of desirable attributes for a moisture meter used for kiln-drying quality control. June 30, 2007

Decay Concerns when Storing and Milling Sinker Cypress
Questions and answers about how long you can wait to mill and dry antique Cypress logs after pulling them up from underwater. April 24, 2014

Shop-Drying Eucalyptus
Thoughts on how to dry and condition Eucalyptus for use in a table top. December 31, 2012

'Girdling' standing lumber, and why not
Cutting the cambium layer of a tree in order to dry wood while standing. January 4, 2001

Storing Maple in Partially Dried Condition
A woodworker gets advice on the feasibility of maintaining wood at 25% moisture content for use in drying operations. January 8, 2010

Using Air-Dried Lumber for Furniture
There are risks, but some say it can be done. April 19, 2006

Charging for Stickers
Stickers, like anything else, have a value and a price. October 25, 2006

Sawing An Old Elm Tree
Tension wood from growth stress may call for a modified technique. April 10, 2005

Lindane
Information on Lindane, a pesticide used to control powderpost beetles. June 21, 2000

Maple Color and Drying Conditions
Maple can turn gray as it dries. If you want white wood, you have to carefully control the kiln conditions. July 30, 2007

Stickers for green lumber
Where do sawyers get their stickers? November 7, 2001

Drying Wood in the Attic
The attic is a handy place to dry small quantities of lumber. Here are some tips and cautions. September 10, 2007

Drying Oak Lumber: Step 2, Stacking
Another chapter in the Wood Doctor's introduction to wood drying. August 16, 2012

Air temp, relative humidity and MC
How much moisture can air hold, and what is the effect on drying lumber? July 4, 2000

Controlling Pine Wilt Nematode
Advice on halting the spread of Pine wilt nematode (carried by long horn beetles). January 29, 2009

Drying Siberian Elm Slabs
Prone to warpage and bug damage, Siberian Elm is tricky wood to dry. March 31, 2008

Standing dry cedar: Lumber-worthy?
Are standing, dead cedar trees a good source for decking boards? July 11, 2000

Concrete bases: An air-drying necessity?
Bases and stacking techniques for air-drying lumber. November 29, 2000

Understanding and Preventing Bowing in Air-Dried Wood
A look at some of the factors that can introduce bow into stacked lumber during drying. October 1, 2009

Optimal width when milling lumber
Milling lumber to the ideal width, and stacking for drying without warpage. December 6, 2000

Is Cedar an Insect Repellent?
Including Cedar in a stack of sawn wood will not keep bugs away, the Wood Doctor explains. July 11, 2013

What Did People Do Before There Was Kiln-Drying?
A historical discussion about lumber drying in the olden days. June 30, 2007

Minimizing Sticker Stain
An explanation of what causes sticker stain, and how it might be prevented. July 30, 2007

Uses for Black Gum Lumber
Sawyers discuss how to handle Black Gum wood, and what you can make with it. June 30, 2009

Controlling Beetles in Fresh Logs
Beetles under the bark of a fresh log don't mean you can't saw the log and use the wood. November 12, 2008

Surface Checking in Walnut
To control surface checking in Walnut, you have to tweak the air-drying process. July 7, 2011

Why You Should Saw Pine Fresh
period. April 27, 2007

Stored Lumber, Ambient Moisture, and Lumber Moisture Content Changes
Kiln-dried lumber stored in a non-conditioned space will equilibrate with the natural relative humidity conditions of the ambient air. April 21, 2011

Air-Drying Hard Maple
Handle maple carefully and keep an eye on it, if you don't want sticker stain or lumber degrade. October 12, 2007

Drying Hickory and Ash without Sticker Stain
Timing and handling both play a role. February 26, 2005

Mold on Southern Pine
The wood doctor explains why Southern Pine supposedly dried to 18% moisture content would still support mold after being stacked inside a dried-in house under construction. January 25, 2013

You say pecan, I say hickory
Pecan lumber is usually sold as hickory. June 20, 2000

Side Bend or "Crook" and Sawing Methods
On wide boards, sawing too close to the pith can cause boards to bend sideways in drying. December 6, 2012

Drying Thick Oak Slabs
Advice on drying six-inch-thick crosscut slabs from a large oak stump. October 29, 2008

Drying Oak Lumber: Step 3A, Measuring Moisture Content
The only reliable method of measuring high MCs is to use the oven-drying method. August 16, 2012

Drying Submerged Logs Recovered from a Lake
A discussion of the technical and legal issues relating to recovered "sinker" logs. September 6, 2010

Maple processing basics
The fundamentals of milling and drying maple. August 10, 2000

Shipping Green Lumber
Pros discuss the risks involved in shipping green lumber, including uneven drying and moisture damage. December 1, 2005

Understanding Ring Shake and Bacterial Action
The Wood Doctor explains the bacterial causes of ring shake. September 5, 2011

Log Drying and Degrade
Don't wait to long to saw ... but don't be too quick to write off an old log either. faOctober 4, 2011

Warping, Moisture, and Wood Shape Memory
Will a piece of wood that was restrained to prevent warping during drying warp later, while in use? Only if the moisture in its environment varies. October 30, 2005

Cures for sticker stain
Drying lumber can suffer from sticker stain for a variety of reasons. June 20, 2000

Moisture Meters: Correcting for Temperature
Understanding the effect of cold temperatures and freezing on moisture meter readings. October 1, 2009

Dipping Lumber Before Stickering
A brief description of dipping lumber in fungicide and insecticide for short-term dead stacking before stickering to air dry. March 28, 2012

Drying Logs for Cabin Construction
Advice on drying logs for cabin building, including how long to expect air drying to take and how hot to heat logs to set the pitch. October 19, 2014

Unpleasant Odor in Silver Maple
A perfect description of rotten, stinky, bacterially infected wood. January 11, 2007

Drying Green Hemlock in a Basement
Nope. Bad idea. February 22, 2011

Treating Blue Stain on Log Cabin Logs
Advice on cleaning air-dried cabin logs to remove blue stain. October 19, 2014

Does Speed of Drying Affect Flooring Stability?
Will wood that is dried more slowly be more stable in service? Not necessarily. April 18, 2010

Does Rougher Wood Dry Faster?
Surface conditions do not control the overall rate of drying. July 28, 2008

Eastern Red Cedar — How Dry?
Eastern Red Cedar is easy to air-dry. But if too dry, it's hard to work with. May 27, 2014

Shrinkage of Wood Cylinders
Advice on drying wood cylinders with the cores drilled out. December 8, 2012

Drying Massive Slabs
Air-drying and kiln-drying 12/4 or 16/4 hardwood slabs is slow and difficult, and the results can be mediocre. February 29, 2012

Yellow Pine Pitch
Heating yellow pine will set the pitch. December 15, 2005

Sticker specs and spacing
Basic info on the size and proper spacing of stickers when drying lumber. June 21, 2000

Making stickers
Finding an appropriate material for lumber stickers used in air-drying. August 10, 2000

Ratios: Relative humidity to moisture content
Common conversions and instruments used in measuring wood moisture content. October 31, 2000

Moisture Meter for Logs
Advice on moisture meters capable of reading deep into logs. December 14, 2009

Lumber Covering Materials
Advice on how to cover piles of sawn wood for air-drying. December 6, 2009

Measuring MC by weight
How to measure moisture content in wood without a moisture meter. August 10, 2000

Hackberry Staining
Hackberry gets a green chemical stain if not sawn and put in a kiln without delay. February 12, 2007

"Depression" explained
How to determine relative humidity with two types of temperature readings. June 20, 2000

Drying Persimmon
Persimmon is an active wood that is tricky to air-dry. November 27, 2007

Thinner Sticks in the Lumber Drying Pile
Reducing the thickness of spacer sticks in the lumber stack could reduce the drying effectiveness of the system and create quality issues. October 19, 2014

Moisture transfer in humid climes
Do tropical and sub-tropical species re-absorb moisture when left in their humid, native lands? September 6, 2000

Case hardening in white oak
Is case hardening common in white oak, and should it be accepted? July 18, 2000

Fan settings for forced-air shed drying -- Eastern cottonwood
Proper settings for hydrostats controlling the operation of fans in forced-air drying of Eastern cottonwood. June 20, 2000

Drying 6" X 8" Pine Beams
Estimates of the required drying time for large pine timbers. May 27, 2014

Stickers for stacking
Does species matter when choosing stickers to use in your stacks of drying wood? July 24, 2001

Controlling Cant Checking
Cants check as they dry because of uneven shrinkage. It can be controlled, but not completely prevented. July 28, 2006

Horsepower Requirement for a Big Circular Sawmill
Quick tips on the power needs of a large circle mill. August 30, 2007

OSB for Stickers?
Some advise against using wood composite materials for stickers. January 8, 2010

Using a moisture meter
How and where to use a moisture meter. November 14, 2001

Air-Drying Lumber for Sheds
Drying time is not critical for lumber intended for an exposed use like a utility shed. December 9, 2010

Moisture-Meter Accuracy for Veneer
Moisture meters will read a single leaf of wood veneer differently than a thick stack of it. January 11, 2007

Drying in a Bag
A woodworker tries drying a fresh Holly log inside a paper lawn-waste bag. April 15, 2012

Drying wood for drums
Avoiding checks, splits and cracks when drying lumber rounds for drum bodies. September 6, 2000

Suitable Moisture Content for Dead Stacking
Advice on when air-dried lumber can be safely dead stacked. May 13, 2013

Moisture Meters and Frozen Wood
The science of using a moisture meter on freezing-cold wood. May 27, 2014

Stains on wood
remove. June 27, 2000

Removing blue stain
Ideas for removing and preventing blue stains in newly processed pine. August 1, 2000

Winter Drying of Lumber in a Barn
A quick description of the factors affecting drying time of wood stacked in a barn for the winter. July 16, 2012

Cleaning Mold Off Logs
Advice on removing surface mold from logs. January 25, 2010

Effects of humidity swing
How does a swing in humidity affect drying time and MC gradient? February 28, 2001

Drying Quartersawn Versus Flatsawn
Different grain and ray orientations lead to differing drying rates. October 12, 2007

EMC/RH ratios
Here's a listing of equilibrium moisture content to relative humidity ratios. July 11, 2000

Weighting lumber stacks
How much weight is necessary for stacked lumber, ready to be air-dried? June 5, 2001

Air drying sycamore
What steps to take, from stickering to weighting. October 31, 2000

Drying hackberry
Drying hackberry is easy, provided you move quickly. June 5, 2001

Buying Lumber at Auction
Tips on assessing the quality of air-dried hardwood up for sale at a small auction. October 3, 2009

Promoting blue stain
How to promote this visual effect in a stack of red pine. March 21, 2002

Preventing Mold Formation on Freshly Sawn Pine
Surface dryness is the best answer to preventing mold from getting a foothold on sawn softwood. Here are tips on how to achieve it. April 18, 2010

Bugs in air-dried ash
Can a stack of ash be saved from an infestation of powderpost beetles? June 20, 2000

Basement drying basics
The Wood Doctor prescribes proper drying procedures for a small batch in a basement. June 21, 2000

Building with Green Water Oak
Building with timbers that have not been dried creates some degree of risk. September 27, 2008

Peruvian Walnut Drying Defects
Peruvian Walnut shows wide variability, which can create drying and machining difficulties. June 13, 2014

Harvesting White Pine in Summer
It must be sawn within days, and dried quickly, to maintain good quality. October 2, 2005

Pith Centering in Cabin "D" Logs
A sawyer wonders how best to avoid distortion as he produces wall logs for a cabin project. February 26, 2005

Boiling Wood
Boiling wood before drying has various effects on the outcome. May 23, 2011

Predicting Shrinkage in European Beech
How to anticipate the amount of moisture-related wood movement in European Beech. April 18, 2010

Honeycomb Caused by Stickers?
Do stickers cause honeycomb? Well, it could happen. December 6, 2011

Planing Figured Maple
Advice on avoiding tear-out damage when planing curly maple. December 12, 2008

Poplar Lumber How Thick
10/16/2012

Mold on Green Lumber
Quick drying should contain most mold problems encountered on freshly-sawn green lumber arriving at the kiln. June 13, 2014

Using OSB for Stickers
Sawmill pros generally frown on using oriented strand board (OSB) for sticker material. January 17, 2011

Utilisation de l'OSB pour les autocollants
Les professionnels des scieries désapprouvent généralement l'utilisation de panneaux à copeaux orientés (OSB) comme matériau autocollant. 17 janvier 2011

Drying a Walnut Slab
This thread about how to slowly air-dry a Walnut slab has some beautiful photos of a Walnut slab table. August 16, 2012

Drying a Large Butcher Block
There are ways to dry a large one-piece block without checks developing. October 20, 2005

Moisture content for exterior doors
Determining the appropriate MC for lumber that will be exposed to vastly different humidity levels. November 14, 2001

Sticker Thickness and Sources
For good air circulation, stickers need to be at least 3/4 inches thick. Here are ideas on where to get them. October 25, 2006

Sciage et séchage du liquidambar
Le liquidambar est un bois difficile à travailler en raison de sa tendance à se tordre et à bouger, mais l'effort peut en valoir la peine pour certaines utilisations. 14 février 2010

Drying Cedar Siding
Fresh cedar boards need only a quick air drying for exterior use. October 30, 2005

Pose d'autocollants sur le bois du sous-sol
Faire sécher du bois dans une cave est problématique. 18 juillet 2008

Stickering Wood in the Basement
Getting wood to dry in a cellar is problematic. July 18, 2008

Fissures dans les rondins de bois des maisons en rondins – et autres avertissements
Les fissures dans les rondins utilisés dans la construction de maisons en rondins sont normales, mais pas nécessairement souhaitables. 10 août 2000

Prévenir la formation de moisissures sur le pin fraîchement scié
La sécheresse superficielle est la meilleure solution pour empêcher la moisissure de s'installer sur le bois résineux scié. Voici quelques conseils pour y parvenir. 18 avril 2010

Aging yellow cedar
Attaining the look of naturally aged yellow cedar. September 2, 2002

Ripping and Re-Gluing to Limit Cupping
The Wood Doc weighs in on the old-timer technique of ripping and re-gluing boards in order to lessen moisture-related cupping. February 19, 2008

Straightening Thin Dowels
A woodworker struggles with a crooked dowel problem in a mass production setting. October 1, 2010

Regaining MC in overdry wood
Is machinability lost when lumber has been overdried, then had moisture put back in? May 17, 2003

Troubleshooting Checking in African Mahogany
Woodworkers puzzle over unusual cracking in some African Mahogany rough-sawn stock. February 6, 2010

Is storing cants feasible?
Can large cants be stored until an order for custom-cut lumber is received? February 19, 2002

Moisture Content of Western Red Cedar
A stable wood that is typically serves exterior uses, Western Red Cedar is usually delivered at about 12% moisture content. But you can find it drier than that. July 28, 2006

Tips for creating spalted maple
Creating spalted lumber by creating the correct conditions. January 4, 2001

Air-dried lumber
Is it air-dried cherry acceptable for furnituremaking? March 20, 2001

Relative Humidity in the Wood Storage Area
Advice on what humidity level to maintain where rough lumber is stored, and how to accomplish that. September 23, 2008

Air-Dried Wood for Furniture
As this example demonstrates, when a people tell you your air-dried lumber won't make a sweet (and sweet-smelling) piece of furniture, sometimes it's because they want to take your wood away for free. January 11, 2007

Rate of Wood Moisture Gain from Ambient Humidity
How long will it take for furniture stored in an unconditioned warehouse to equilibrate with the ambient moisture conditions? April 18, 2010

Wood Worms
White worms in reclaimed lumber intended for furniture. What to do? April 20, 2011

Water Damage to Glued Cherry
Glued-up wide Cherry boards got rained on. What's the best hope for salvage? January 18, 2011

Ambrosia Maple
Beetles carry the fungus into semi-wet wood to create food for their offspring. December 11, 2007

Controlling Checking in a Walnut Mantel
A carefully located plunge cut in the hidden side of a large sawn member may restrict checking to that location. April 18, 2010

Humidity, Moisture Content, and Lumber Storage
Lumber moisture content equilibrates to ambient relative humidity. Here are details. December 9, 2010

Protecting Fresh Wood from Bugs
Chemical means have drawbacks and are not very effective. So good drying and careful hygeine in the the yard are your best methods for keeping wood bug-free. April 20, 2011

Pink Stain in White Ash
Pink fungal staining is tough to bleach out, and may be allergenic. March 9, 2010

Managing Fungus on Cedar
Advice on handling and cleaning a Cedar slab that wasn't properly dried and now harbors fungus. October 19, 2014

Today's Sponsors
  • CabMaster Software
    The Easiest Custom Cabinetry Software
  • Holz-Her US Inc.
    Custom Edgebanders, Vertical Panel Saws, CNC Beam Saws, Wide Belt Sanders, CNC Point to Point Boring Machines, CNC Routers
  • Colonial Saw
    North American Supplier of Striebig Panel Saws, Lamello Specialty Tools and a Wide Range of Saw and Tool Grinding Machinery
  • Parts Cutter CNC
    CNC Cabinetry and Closet Parts
  • GreCon
    Spark Detection and Extinguishment Systems and Quality Assurance Measuring Equipment
  • Industrial CNC
    Affordable, Easy, Industrial Grade CNC Routers for Woodworking and Cabinetmaking - Free Lifetime Support
  • ECabinet Systems
    Free, Fully Functional Cabinet Design Software and Kitchen Layout Software
  • Better Vacuum Cups, Inc.
    Vacuum Cups for All CNC Routers As Well As Many After Market Parts for Your CNC
  • American Fabric Filter Co.
    Provider of Custom Made Filter Bags and Transfer Sleeves
  • Baker Products
    Industrial Woodworking Machines, Wooden Pallet Manufacturing Machines, & Portable Sawmills
  • Western Dovetail
    Custom Made Dovetail Drawers
  • RT Machine Co.
    Stocking Distributor of New and Used Woodworking Machinery
  • 360 Degree Machinery
    Specializing in high end American, European, and select Import woodworking machines.

Become a Sponsor today!