Good day all----My initial message went through yesterday, so I guess there 
is no choice but to send out this bio.  My name is Stephan Opacich and I live 
in Appleton, Wisconsin, which is about 25 miles south of Green Bay 
(American-style football capitol, Jeff).  I have worked as a pharmacist for 
25 years (BS in 1975, Univ. of Minnesota), and it was in fact a job which 
brought me to this area 17 years ago, from Hibbing, Minnesota, my birthplace. 
 My interest in old tools can be traced back to my early childhod when my 
dad, in the process of remodeling our first house, was planing a door to fit 
with a transitional (jack?/jointer?--it was 40 years ago, after all) plane.  
That plane and the wooden level that he used are the only tools I can 
remember from the remodel, but they left a lasting impression.  I got started 
down my own slippery OT slope in a serious way around 5 years ago, with a 
slight *l*ctr*c detour along the road.  My accumulation of old tools, users 
all, continues to grow, primarily through garage and estate sales, but also 
by way of antique stores and auction (only one so far, but I look forward to 
more).  My current project is a softwood workbench, on which the base is done 
and the top is in the process of being glued up.  Some day I may build the 
hardwood bench of my dreams, but for now I thing this pine one will work out 
OK.  This brings up a question about air-drying lumber.  A pharmacist friend 
from Green Bay who owns some land in Door County (looking at a map of 
Wisconsin, which looks a little like a mitten, Door County is the thumb part 
of the mitten) had some tornado damage to his land a couple of years ago, 
with quite a few good size trees blown down.  He had them hauled to a near by 
sawmill, had the trees milled and dropped off in front of his barn door.  So 
when he asked me if I would like to help him haul his lumber up to the second 
floor of the barn in exchange for some of the wood, I said sure.  There is 
lots of beech and ash and some oak and a little cherry and maybe other which 
I can't recall at the moment.The wood was piled and stickered and has been 
drying for about a year and a half now, but some of it may be 8/4 or more.  
Should it be sufficiently dry at this point, or should it be left for a while 
yet?  At this point I am in no hurry to use the wood yet, but was just 
wondering what your opinion is.  TIA.           SteveO.                         
                                                                           

Welcome to the Porch!

NeoGaloot Steve O. asks:

[SNIP Happens]
> He had them hauled to a near by
> sawmill, had the trees milled and dropped off in front of his
> barn door.  So when he asked me if I would like to help him haul his
lumber
> up to the second floor of the barn in exchange for some of the wood, I
said
> sure.  There is lots of beech and ash and some oak and a little cherry and
> maybe other which I can't recall at the moment.The wood was piled and
stickered
> and has been drying for about a year and a half now, but some of it may be
> 8/4 or more.

> Should it be sufficiently dry at this point, or should it be left for a
while
> yet?  At this point I am in no hurry to use the wood yet, but was just
> wondering what your opinion is.

I will again state that I'm no expert at drying wood, but I've done a couple
hundred board feet, and I've read about lots more...

Seems to me that if it's been lying "in front of his barn door", it's not
going to be too evenly dry yet. Subject to all kinds of changes in moisture
content (MC) based on relative humidity (RH), which in the doorway of a
barn, will change drastically day to day, week to week...

In my experience, it's best to bring it into your garage (or other similarly
weather-resistant shelter) for something like 6 months, then bring it into
your shop/basement/area that is closer to the actual RH of where the piece
will be for a few more months.

Then it will be more uniformly dried, the bound water will have a chance to
get out. It will most likely develop some checking, etc. through this
process, but if you do it in stages as described, it should help...

----------------------------
Bill Taggart
On the road in Atlanta, GA
----------------------------

Greetingsd GG's

>NeoGaloot Steve O. asks:
>
>[SNIP Happens]
> > He had them hauled to a near by
> > sawmill, had the trees milled and dropped off in front of his
> > barn door.
>
> > Should it be sufficiently dry at this point, or should it be left for a
>while
> > yet?

Bill responded

>Seems to me that if it's been lying "in front of his barn door", it's not
>going to be too evenly dry yet.

Major understatement perhaps:
I know a fella who had his whole kitchen built from walnut that had 
been stored "properly" in the loft of a barn for ten years.  6 months 
after all the solid wood cabinets, so beautifully made, were 
installed, they were full of cracks and checks from further drying 
(this was in Wisconsin)...........all of which shows ta go ya, GET A 
MOISTURE METER and don't take anything for granted if you're into a 
major project with air-dryed wood.

my .02

Tom

>It is a shame that apparently schools all over
>the country are dropping wood working classes.  I wonder where the next
>generation of woodworkers will come from?

China?  They grow those plywood trees there don't they?

New Galoot Greg Hoffart zooms onto the porch...
> snip...
>
> I recently dropped my first chunk of old tool change on a Stanley #55.
I got 44 cutters and all the plane pieces except the cam rest for $250.
It is in good structural condition with a lot of dirt and a small amount
of rust.
>

Hey List Mom - ain't there a rule about drive by gloating in your bio...
if there ain't, there should be... darn new kids and their shiny
toys...grump, grump...get outa my chair, boy...

Alan N. Graham

Oh yeah, welcome Greg.