Okay we’ve sawn your logs to lumber, now what?

You’ll want to find or create a flat level spot in which to stack your freshly sawn boards.

An area out of direct sunlight and open on all four sides is best.

Inside a shed or other structure is great as long as there is some ventilation to help carry the moisture away from the wood.

If stacking directly on the ground you’re going to want to elevate the stack with some 4x4 or 6x6 treated timbers, old used railroad ties, or pallets. If you have some cedar, locust, osage orange or white oak your sawyer can cut timbers from those for you.  These will be placed lengthwise to create the level area for your lumber.  Three are generally enough.

A typical stack will be from 30 to 48 inches wide and as long as your lumber.

On the floor or on the timbers you’ve used to elevate your lumber from the ground you will place 2x4, 3x3, or an equivalent board perpendicular to the lumber you will be stacking approximately every 16 to 20 inches.  So for instance with an 8 foot long stack you would need 7 of these bunks for 16” spacing.

After the bunks are in place you will lay down your first row of “stickers” on those bunks.  You will place your first layer of boards on those “stickers” .  Your stack will continue as such with stickers between each layer of boards until the last of your boards has been stacked.

Stickers are necessary to release the trapped moisture in the wood.  If you stack the boards without stickers, mold will develop on the surface of the wood and the wood will dry very slowly.

Stickers can be any species of wood.  Ideally they should be dry.  If that is not possible you should attempt to make them from the same species as the wood you are drying.  Stickers are generally ¾ to 1” thick and about 1” wide.  Your sawyer can cut these for you from some of the boards you’re having sawn. Another alternative is to use furring strips from the lumber yard.

If your stack of boards are exposed to the weather you will want to cover the stack with some old metal roofing or a piece of exterior plywood or something else to help shed the elements.  Leave the sides open so that the wood can dry.  You should not completely seal the stack from the elements or mold can develop and the boards will not dry.

Once your stack has been completed it is a good idea to add weight to the top of the stack if possible.  This helps the top boards to maintain flatness.  The lower boards in the stack are under the weight of the rest of the stack,  so if you don’t have weight to apply to the top of the stack, try to save your least desirable boards for the top of the stack.

A good final finishing touch is to seal the ends of your lumber, if you did not already seal the ends of your logs.  Sealing the ends of your boards can help to minimize checking on the ends.  No amount of sealing will completely eliminate end checking but it can help to reduce it.  You can use any exterior paint.  This is a good opportunity to use some of those old cans of paint you have lying around.  In a pinch you can even use interior latex paint.  It can provide some level of protection for your lumber.  There is a commercial product that can be used called Anchorseal.

The typical rule of thumb for the length of time your lumber will need to dry before using for furniture projects is about 1 year for each inch of thickness.  There are a lot of factors that can determine actual drying times.

If you are sawing slabs from some of your logs there is an alternative to the above stacking method.  You can “reassemble” the log just as the slabs came out of the log.  Stickering remains the same but each log can be assembled by itself.  The last piece to go on top acts as the cover for the rest of the log and the shape of the log helps shed the water.

If you have any questions please feel free to call Heirloom Timbers at 304.579.7975 or email me at sawyourlogs@gmail.com.