How long should timber be seasoned for ? I'm not thinking of air-drying and the usual rule of "a year an inch", but of the benefits (if any) of seasoning timber for maybe a decade or so. This has been a practice in the past, as an ideal or an acident, if more than by deliberate practice. Does anyone still do it ? Any benefits ? Any real basis to this, or is it just an old duffer's tale ?
I've got an old (50+ yr) of pine 2X16. The first owner had it in his shop for better than 40 years and never used it because he couldn't find something worth cutting it up on. He left it to his son, a shop teacher who had it for 10-15 years and never got around to doing anything with it. I picked it up when he moved to FL. This is a seriously heavy and hard piece of wood. I really wouldn't want to try putting nails in it. It's almost as though the sap turned into amber inside it. Of course it didn't, but it's that hard. May be something to the old tales.
Dave in Fairfax
If you look at Hoadley, you'll see that movement diminishes with greater cycling (seasons), so I would say you're doing nothing wrong.
Some thoughts. Is it pine? What species of pine if it is? Then did it come from a forrest that denser than now. Sort of like an old growth were the growth rings came on smaller due to crowding.
Wes
It's a dark yellow/ almost a light reddish-brown. It doesn't look like spruce or fir, though. I was told that it was pine, My guess is that it IS old growth, which is half th ereason that I don't whant to waste it on something dumb. Old wood is getting rare and I don't want to do something just 'cause it's burning a hole in my pocket. I'd rather save it another 50 yrs and pass it on if I have to. 'Course by then I won't be able to move it. I just hate the thought of wasting good wood, like burning walnut, can't unring the bell. Dave in Fairfax
Just out of curiosity what part of what country are you in? Maybe someone smarter than me will figure out what species it is.
A board that old deserves respect. I tip my hat to those that move old barns to new locations to save them.
I know that archeolegists (-2 sp) have made databases of growth rings in many areas. If the wood is local, it is likely that the age can be verified. Wish I had some web links on the subject for you.
Wes
I'm in Northern VA, but I don't know that the wood is from this area. Like I said, I'm the 3rd owner. My brother is the state archeologist in SC, if he comes up this way I'll show it to him and see what he thinks. Good thought, it hadn't occurred to me.
Dave in Fairfax
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