how to dry wood

[Cheechb77]

hello everyone
i wanted to know how to dry wood without a kiln.
i was thinking cherry, maple and chestnut. also how long would it take?

cheech

[Robson Valley]

Outdoors, under cover. Painting the ends with anything will even out the rate of water loss from the various surfaces. However, don't be surprised to find cracking anyway. Allow for cutoff ends. If you want to dry it, totem-pole style, make a BIG V-cut all the way up the "ugly" side of the log, right to the center. I have a 36" willow log which has dried beautifully that way.

The guy down the street builds log bed frames from diamond willow, makes sticks and canes, too. Harvests all the wood in April/May (Spring up here). Stripped of all bark, the stick & cane wood will be ready in 2 years. The bed logs (2" - 6") dry nicely at 1" of thickness per year. He has maybe 500 stick/cane blanks in stock, enough shed space for a 6 year rotation of his large wood stocks, maybe 2-3 cords of wood in each. This year's wood is "2014."
Here's the important part: If Late May and June are hot and dry, he can lose as much as 70% to splitting = firewood. He's excited now because May, June and much of July has been cool, wet and dreary. Perfect slow start to the drying process. He predicts very, very little loss.

[Cheechb77]

thank you, much appreciated

[A_Swope]

I agree with Robson, I have a porch with a big roof over it and I put it under there with a tarp over it. I like to put wax on the ends. Keep tight bark on to slow drying from the sides but remove loose bark to stop mold. Put thin pices of wood between the drying pieces so that the air can flow between them.

Alex

[Donsexton]

Are you wanting to dry logs? If you are I can tell you how I do it.

[Cheechb77]

Thank you all, i wouldnt want t dry logs, not yet anyways, i would be cutting them first. but thank you.

[Dylan]

Originally Posted by Donsexton

Are you wanting to dry logs? If you are I can tell you how I do it.

I'd like to hear how you do.