Hi everyone, I have recently acquired a massive amount of weathered Doug fir that has been stacked without stickers and out in the elements for 2 years. It was formally dry but has seen a or of rain and now snow so it's now frozen too. Would I be better off stacking it properly and covering it outside to dry or can I bring in my shop (heated by forced air) and expect to dry it faster? I am hoping to avoid checks and cracks as much as possible. Right now it's between 14 and 16% moisture content. Also does anyone know what content Douglas Fir should be at before attempting to build furniture with it? Thank you for any and all advice you can give!

If it was stacked outside without stickers I would expect a significant amount of rout between the boards. Too late to do anything to prevent checks and cracks after the first several hours after moisture loss began from the end grain (i.e. shortly after the tree was felled). If the boards are long enough, and checking was mild enough, you may be able to cut off the last several inches of the board prior to stickering and stacking. If the lumber is truly at 14-16% MC, it is not likely to get drier outside. It should be stickered and stacked in the shop until it reaches equilibrium with the MC of the shop air. At this point it is ready for furniture to be made from it. Douglas fir does tend to warp and has a large amount of sap to contend with.

Hope this helps.