Storing wood

[John Torchick]

I have a lot of wood that is taking up space in my basement and shop. Some are walnut logs about five feet long and about sixteen inches in diameter. I have a storage building but it is damp. Any suggestions, besides buying a bigger house or building a detached shop?

 

[Gretch Flo]

Any chance of building an overhang on the storage bldg????-hopefully not in direct sunlight??? Gretch

 

[Odie]

John.......

It might be time to go through that wood and pick out the best pieces. Saw em' up, rough em' out, & wax the good ones..... take the rest outside for firewood, or whatever.

This, from someone who'll never have your "pile of logs" problem, because there is very little local wood I'm interested in. I do have a problem with having too many roughed bowls ready to mount on my lathe. I've been accumulating them for a long time in preparation for my retirement years. There are several hundred roughed bowls with waste blocks mounted......just waiting for me to do something with them!

Once you've got them roughed out, seasoned, and ready to mount on your lathe, they can be placed in storage boxes and stacked. I'm lucky to have a room in my home that used to by my two son's "game room". I have my "to do pile" stored there.....compact and neat.

ko

 

[Owen Lowe]

I have a storage building but it is damp.

Damp and raw wood storage usually go well together. What’re your concerns here?

 

[John Torchick]

Mold and mildew among other things.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Mold and mildew among other things.

For walnut I do not think that will be a problem. I have had logs 20 to 36 inches long outside for over 3 years . It keeps longer than any other I know. I did have lose and wish I had made blanks of all when green. Making blanks is the best way to save it "if" you have time.

 

[olaf Vogel]

Mold and mildew among other things.

Maybe raise them off the floor if its not too much work.

I've had mine outside for a few years as well, no issues.
The ends are Anchor sealed to retain moisture.

Although I can quote no studies etc, I've always guessed that a whole log (with ends sealed) will keep longer without splitting, than cut blanks with the ends sealed.

Olaf

 

[John Torchick]

Olaf, I have plastic corrugated discs that I can put them on. Just need to tidy up and make room for them. To all- thanks for your advice.

 

[hockenbery]

I've always guessed that a whole log (with ends sealed) will keep longer without splitting, than cut blanks with the ends sealed. Olaf

I agree to a point.
You get waste from the end checking (cutting off 4" takes care of that ) and the inch or so from the bark is usually waste too.
logs off the ground can last years.
At some point they will split open since tangential shrinkage is more than radial shrinkage.
The sawn face of a half log can bend with the tangential shrinkage.


If you are lucky enough to have storage and delivery for whole logs that is great.

An exception to being useful with any storage process other than freezing is for use as natural edge.

Wood rapidly losses its use for natural edge both in color and structure of the bark edge.
If I'm doing natural edge I like to work the wood within days of felling or a few weeks at most.

Al

 

[John Torchick]

The long walnut logs are, one of these day be cut into 5x5 squares and rough boards for a dining room table with a pecan top. Just need to get ambitious and do it.