[Camden]

That title makes no sense. Sorry. Let me try to explain, and then you all can tell me why I'm too stupid to live... I have several "chunks" of walnut around 12-15" diameter that have been stacked and covered outdoors for close to 20 years. I cut the pith out of one to see what I could see, and they're really nice. Here's the question: the wood should be "seasoned" I would think, but due to the weather we've had here this winter(lots of precipitation, freeze-thaw-freeze-thaw) the wood is extremely wet. Not green- wet. So, does the year-per-inch rule apply to this kind of wet, or am I looking at something else entirely? Being smaller pieces, would an oven on warm be a good setting be feasible? I'm not in a super big hurry, but the sooner I get them dry, the sooner I can monetize them. Any ideas, advice, flames, etc. are appreciated.

WCT

 

[Dave Paine]

Sounds like the covering was not so good.

I think water is the issue, whether from just being felled or absorbing from precipitation.

The cells have absorbed water. As the water evapourates, the cells will shrink and the wood will move.

It is possible the wood had cracks prior to the precipitation being absorbed. I have seen pictures of log sections which such cracks, then the wood got wet, the cracks seemed to disappear, but only because the wood expanded. As the wood dried out the cracks re-appeared.

If the wood appears wet, I think the normal rate of drying will apply. The sap may have been replaced by water from the precipitation.

You can try replacing water with pentacryl or PEG, but these are expensive. The big benefit is that these chemicals are meant to reduce or eliminate cracking.

http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Mer...tore_Code=packard&Category_Code=woodprep-pent

You can also rough turn wet then submerge the rough turning in denatured alcohol which replaces the water, then when removed evapourates faster. This method will not prevent cracking.

http://woodcentral.com/articles/turning/articles_473.shtml

 

[Camden]

Thanks Dave. Yeah, the covering was less-than-adequate, and the "shelter" was on the downhill, so every time we've thawed out, it gets hit with a tidal wave. Surprisingly, there were no cracks in any of the pieces I've pulled-yet. I guess that was what I was getting at: the water that was originally part of the wood is long gone, but I didn't know if this "new water" would invade on a cellular level or not. I put a small cut-off in the oven this morning on 170, and now(two hours later), it seems substantially dryer, though my scales are not precision scales. No cracking, not cupping. I was mainly trying to get them to the point of plane-ability, as I want to book-match some pieces for trays. I tried to hand plane them after cutting, but the wood was way to moist. Just kept gumming up.
Anyhow, I think you answered my question, Dave. The water will have invaded on a cellular level, so I may as well stack this stuff somewhere dry and forget about it. Will this principle hold true for dimensioned lumber as well, i.e., I left a stack of 2x's outside in a rainstorm, now I have to wait 1-2 yrs for them to dry out? Seems like fewer people would leave lumber in the elements if so.

WCT

 

[Dave Paine]

I think a lot of the moisture issues are with water absorbed into the cells, which is typically the exposed end grain.

If the water is on the face grain, it may not penetrate as much. Many variables though such as how long the exposure.

I purchased an inexpensive moisture meter so I could do a quick check. Any moisture check is on the surface and the wood inside can be very different moisture content as I have observed when turning.

The best method is weighing, but this is frequently not practical.

 

[Noek]

We don't have 'elements' where I live.

Send them to me, it will dry out in a week the way our winter is progressing.