I got me some logs!

[linkshouse]

My son has been away on holiday with some friend who happen to have a wood. So while down there he and his friend chopped down a sycamore tree!

So now I have some logs.

My question is what do I do with them now? I know they will need to season before I can use them but -

Should I rough saw them first and then let them season, or leave them as logs?

How long should I leave them?

Finally, I imagine that perhaps I should have posted this on one of the other forums (it's just that this forum is where I "hang out") if it needs to be moved by an admin please do so, or if I need to do something with it please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

Phill

 

[novocaine]

2 options, leave em but paint the ends, year an inch and add a year.
or plank them with 20-30% oversize of what you are expecting, paint the ends and dry them. put them in stick in a dry but outside location and leave again 1 year per inch plus a year. check them every few months for moisture content.
don't expect to be using them any time soon basically.

 

[loftyhermes]

Whether kept as logs or planked Sycamore needs to be seasoned stood on end if you want to keep it white.
happy scrolling
Steve

 

[linkshouse]

Thanks for the advice so far.

A year per inch plus a year. I'd best get them cut down then or I could be dead before they're fit to use!

Why does standing them on their end change the colour? Not disputing the fact just asking out of interest, and what does it do to the colour. I might not mind a slightly darker wood tone.

Anyway...

Never being big on patience I have cut up one and a half of the logs as I was keen (impatient :roll: ) to see what the grain was like.

The shots below show what I have ended up with and are typical of what I had in mind to block them out at i.e around 30 - 50mm thick, the width of the log and about 200-250mm long.

It this wrong? Will I regret taking them down so small at this stage?

Thanks

Phill

 

[Claymore]

..........

 

[novocaine]

you've got a lot of pith/heartwood what ever you want to call it in the blanks so might get some pretty major cupping as it drys. quarter sawn is an idea if you can do it.

 

[linkshouse]

you've got a lot of pith/heartwood what ever you want to call it in the blanks so might get some pretty major cupping as it drys. quarter sawn is an idea if you can do it.

Oh, I'll have to cross my fingers and hope for the best as it is cut now! At least those bits are, and to be fair to myself the logs aren't really wide enough to quarter saw. Compared to what they'll be used for I have room for quite a bit of waste so hopefully I'll get away with it.

On the subject of drying I can't see them drying too quickly in my workshop over winter because...

When we move here there was one wing of the house (how grand is that :lol: ) that was derelict. Well actually the whole house wasn't far off! This particular bit of the house didn't have a roof and I was going to just demolish the whole wing/extension when someone suggested turning it into a garden room. That's a mucky bare walled room with a wonky stone floor and a twin wall polycarbonate roof, full of plants and a barbeque!

Anyway long story short it has now ended up as my workshop. The thing is, with the polycarbonate roof and 2 foot thick stone walls it is red hot in the summer and baltic in the winter. I will need to address this going forward if I want to use it as a workshop.

So, back to the relevance of that to my drying efforts, today with a wind from the North, directly off the sea which we are right next to, the temperature is 11 deg C and the relative humidity is 86%.

I am concerned about the humidity, not just for drying but also for the rest of my "stock" wood.

I'm not sure what I can do about it though as, sitting here in my office (in the house) the temp is 20 deg C and the rH is 72%

Sorry for the long ramble but does this point to problems down the line for me?

Phill

 

[finneyb]

Try one in the microwave. Defrost setting say 3 mins and then 3 mins rest repeat and repeat and repeat until boredom sets in. Don't get the wood more than warm to the touch.

If you are really serious weigh them - they should get lighter as the m/c reduces. When the weight stabilises they are done.

Brian

 

[linkshouse]

Try one in the microwave. Defrost setting say 3 mins and then 3 mins rest repeat and repeat and repeat until boredom sets in. Don't get the wood more than warm to the touch.

If you are really serious weigh them - they should get lighter as the m/c reduces. When the weight stabilises they are done.

Brian

I might give that a bash on one of the pieces. Worst that can happen is I end up destroying one piece of wood.

Oh, unless I burn the house down :shock:

Thanks

Phill

 

[Claymore]

.......

 

[finneyb]

I put a piece of oak in ours and set the timer for 3mins........ when it went ping i opened the door and found it was a finished intarsia Hare!..............or was i just dreaming lol

Brian

I don't know what your smoking up there - but it must be good

Brian