Gloat!

[Dan]

Well, now that everything's quit hurtin' it is, I guess. I spent two days over Labor Day weekend working in the sawmill at the Rock River Thresheree near Edgerton WI, taking castoffs and handouts from folks who'd brought in logs to cut up. I came away with one seven-foot slab of 2x8 walnut, a couple wider, short slabs of 8/4 walnut, several 4/4 pieces of nicely figured walnut about 24x24, a couple pieces about 8x8x12 walnut, a couple pieces of cherry, and I'm pretty sure there's some more walnut in there that I forgot about. They sure ran a lot of walnut. If I'd brought it all home in one load I think I'd have overloaded that little pickup.

It was lot of fun. I found out about a lot of muscles I'd forgotten about since I started riding a desk, I met some pretty neat oldtimers, and I spent some hours at the best flea market of the year. One Stanley #80 scraper for 15$, a stanley #78 with all the parts for 30$, a couple spokeshaves that I thought were Stanley but now that the rust is off don't have any marks, and a Roy Underhill-type hand axe with a curved head for chopping smooth the face of a piece of split wood. Don't know if I'll ever use it but I had to have it.

So, a couple hot baths and a little ibuprofen later, I'm thinking it was a productive weekend. Even SWMBO says there's some beautiful pieces of wood in there. I keep getting home from work a little too late to get out to Woodcraft to pick up some end sealer, though.

Haven't gotten around to figuring out where I'm going to stack it for the next year or so till it dries out either.

[Steve Peterson]

In this area we have crawl spaces. Mine has about 2800 sq. ft, and lots of head room. You can store it here if I get to choose a couple.

Steve

[jo4hn]

booooo. you suck.

[Norman D. Crow]

Until you get some sealer, try putting some vegetable cooking oil on the ends(my sawyer friend says he's used gallons of the stuff on his own wood). Or some latex paint. Or some oil base paint. Or . . . just about ANYTHING to help keep the moisture from running out the end grain & checking.

[George]

I take it you are going to use the wood in "flat" work? If so, end seal is a great idea, though depending on the time since cutting it may be less effective than you think. Temporize by bagging the ends in plastic, not paper. And get 'em out of the sun. If turning, turn now and re-turn/finish in the dead of winter.

Said you were in WI, so you might have a basement if you live close. Store in the basement, off the slab, but close for the first couple of months. Sticker for circulation. If no basement, sheltered corner of the garage, but you'll get little drying when the world is frozen.

I'd turn them if you have them indoors somewhere around the beginning of February. Just make what was down up. By April or May they should have come down, and the RH indoors up enough to be close on the thinnest. Resaw a piece, sticker for a relaxing week and see where you are at that time.