# Heres what we are doing this Sunday....



## CaseyForrest (Oct 12, 2006)

Here is the White Oak that Davvyd and I will be slicing up this weekend.

















Im going to cut off both ends and get to some unchecked wood. I should end up with 9'6" long boards.


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## davvyd (Oct 12, 2006)

That looks great!! Thank you for posting that I am extremely excited. can't wait!!


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## Adkpk (Oct 12, 2006)

Snow? Whoa!


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## hautions11 (Oct 12, 2006)

*White Oak*

Looks good Casey! You and Daavy should have fun with that one. I am going to try some Ash this weekend. What are you using as far as saw/bar/chain combination?

I was in the Detroit airport this afternoon comming from Montreal and it was snowing like crazy!! It is cold down here in Indy. 20's tonight!


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## 04ultra (Oct 12, 2006)

Casey that looks like fun...But you might get out side and find Brandon has it done already..


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## Adkpk (Oct 12, 2006)

04ultra said:


> Casey that looks like fun...But you might get out side and find Brandon has it done already..


04, who is that debonair looking fellow in your signature?


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## 04ultra (Oct 12, 2006)

Adrpk said:


> 04, who is that debonair looking fellow in your signature?



Me after i shave off my beard..


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## woodshop (Oct 12, 2006)

Nice, planning on quartersawing any of it? That's a monster. 20 inch, 12ft long... quick and dirty math says that log weighs about 1500 lbs if its still wet oak. You should get well over 200 bd ft out of that one depending on how you slice it. Can't wait to see pics of the inside. You ARE going to take some pics for us, no?


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 12, 2006)

Thanks all.....

Im still up in the air about Quarter sawing this log. If we slice it through and through, we will get enough wood that will naturally be quatersawn for what Dave needs.

Pics...Yes. There will be a few extra hands around to snap allot of pics. Dave is going to be doing some of the milling, so I can get some action shots for my advertising.


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 12, 2006)

Adrpk said:


> Snow? Whoa!



We have had squalls all day. So far I would guess if it would stick around 2". The UP is supposed to get over a foot out of this storm!!


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 12, 2006)

woodshop said:


> Nice, planning on quartersawing any of it? That's a monster. 20 inch, 12ft long... quick and dirty math says that log weighs about 1500 lbs if its still wet oak. You should get well over 200 bd ft out of that one depending on how you slice it. Can't wait to see pics of the inside. You ARE going to take some pics for us, no?



There is going to be some more clearing at work this winter. I havent walked through and picked out my trees yet, but there is one along-side the road....probably 4' dbh, and straight for 30'....White Oak....Im not sure how Im going to get it out of there. We arent allowed to run saws onsite, and I dont have any way to haul a log that big out....But I WILL find a way!!!


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## aggiewoodbutchr (Oct 13, 2006)

Adrpk said:


> Snow? Whoa!



NO JOKE! It was 85 deg. here today.


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## 04ultra (Oct 13, 2006)

aggiewoodbutchr said:


> NO JOKE! It was 85 deg. here today.



36deg. here rite now... might get snow showers....


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## aggiewoodbutchr (Oct 13, 2006)

CaseyForrest said:


> There is going to be some more clearing at work this winter. I havent walked through and picked out my trees yet, but there is one along-side the road....probably 4' dbh, and straight for 30'....White Oak....Im not sure how Im going to get it out of there. We arent allowed to run saws onsite, and I dont have any way to haul a log that big out....But I WILL find a way!!!



If there is a will, there is a way. Some 4' quater sawn WO slabs would be awesome!


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## rb_in_va (Oct 13, 2006)

Casey,
How long since that log has been cut? Can't wait to see the pics!


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## computeruser (Oct 13, 2006)

Looks good! Depending on what time you guys are doing it, I might be able to swing by. Have company in from out of town this weekend, so I'm not sure I'll be able to escape...

We got to find access to a proper truck for some of those big trees you see at work! 48"x30' is quite a log, a bit more than either of our trailers have any business trying to haul!


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 13, 2006)

rb_in_va said:


> Casey,
> How long since that log has been cut? Can't wait to see the pics!




That log has been on the ground for about 9 months.


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 13, 2006)

computeruser said:


> Looks good! Depending on what time you guys are doing it, I might be able to swing by. Have company in from out of town this weekend, so I'm not sure I'll be able to escape...
> 
> We got to find access to a proper truck for some of those big trees you see at work! 48"x30' is quite a log, a bit more than either of our trailers have any business trying to haul!



We should be starting around 10 or 11....Im sure well be at it for awhile.


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 14, 2006)

*Here she is....*

All set up and cut to length.


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## TedChristiansen (Oct 14, 2006)

Casey,

You must have tolerant neighbors (of the noise). That log will take a few hours. I see you use latex paint to coat the ends as well. I have had good success with that.

Regards,

Ted


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 14, 2006)

Yes, they are very tolerant!!! 

I bribe a couple of them with wood, since they are hobby woodworkers.

The Latex has worked well for me too. I pick up whats on the sale table at HD. Colors someone has returned, etc. I usually give it 2 to three generous coats.


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## rb_in_va (Oct 15, 2006)

Casey,
I wonder why you cut it to length first. I would have milled it first. That would leave more length in case of checking.


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## TedChristiansen (Oct 15, 2006)

I always cut to length first, removing all of the already "checked" ends of the log. If you paint the ends of the log or boards right away, then there should be very little checking.

If there is already checking and it is left, the checking will propagate further into the boards, even after the ends are coated.

Ted


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 15, 2006)

rb_in_va said:


> Casey,
> I wonder why you cut it to length first. I would have milled it first. That would leave more length in case of checking.



If the log was fresh, I would do that. This log has been on the ground for about 9 months, and was already checked pretty bad. So I cut the ends off to good wood. Its still 1.5' longer than it needs to be, so any further checking can be removed.


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 15, 2006)

Well, here are some pics. The only snag we had...well, two snags....

First one was I didnt get the tip of the bar pinched tight enough, the bolt worked itself out, and the chain started to dig into the mill. Brand new chain....

Second was on the last cut, I touched up the chain...well, it must have put me to even with the rakers. I couldnt get it to bite, and the cut took a LOOOOONG time!!!


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## woodshop (Oct 15, 2006)

CaseyForrest said:


> First one was I didnt get the tip of the bar pinched tight enough, the bolt worked itself out, and the chain started to dig into the mill. Brand new chain....


Nice planks casey... pretty wood, looks like clear top grade stuff. Too bad about rocking your chain. Hate when that happens... I ran my csm into the metal angle iron in the top of one of my chock blocks once. Didn't have a spare chain, spent 15 min sharpening. Then yesterday milling I ran my Ripsaw blade into the metal plate that attaches the guide bar to the log... toast one $18 blade in a heartbeat. Both cases entirely preventable. 

I too have neighbors that don't mind a little noise once in a while. They all use my woodshop from time to time, and also I'm the neighbor with the chainsaws when there is minor tree work to do.


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## carvinmark (Oct 16, 2006)

Looks good Casey.Remember when I showed you how I ran the tip on mine into the clamp bolt,bet you were thinking about me when you rocked that chain,guess we live and learn.Glad you got it done.
Mark


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## davvyd (Oct 16, 2006)

great pictures Casey,
Thanks so much again for not only the material, the saw, the chains the fuel, but your time and knowledge. I learned a great deal about milling, wood, saws and chains, drying and everything. I can't wait to try my hand at it again. 
For everyone else, I will try to get some of the pictures my dad took on tonite. If you can't tell, I am very excited about my first milling experience. 
Thanks again Casey.


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## oldsaw (Oct 16, 2006)

See Davvyd, I told you that Casey was good people. You learned a whole lot in a very short period of time from someone who has done it before. I had to go in blind, and would have killed for an opportunity like that.

Nice work, Casey. We hooked another one....

Mark


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## bookerdog (Oct 16, 2006)

*Nice pics*

Nice job casey. I had a guy come up one time and watch me mill. He was very excited to learn and its always nice to have help by someone that wants to learn.


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## woodshop (Oct 16, 2006)

bookerdog said:


> Nice job casey. I had a guy come up one time and watch me mill. He was very excited to learn and its always nice to have help by someone that wants to learn.


It still amazes me how many people just get amazed when they see a log being sliced into rough boards. It's just something... interesting... to many people. If I had a buck for every person that said "hey thats neat, I thought only a sawmill could do that", I could quit my job and play in my woodshop full time.


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## rb_in_va (Oct 16, 2006)

woodshop said:


> It still amazes me how many people just get amazed when they see a log being sliced into rough boards. It's just something... interesting... to many people.



It is amazing. Just need to figure out a way to charge admission, right?


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 16, 2006)

carvinmark said:


> Looks good Casey.Remember when I showed you how I ran the tip on mine into the clamp bolt,bet you were thinking about me when you rocked that chain,guess we live and learn.Glad you got it done.
> Mark



LOL...you only rocked a couple teeth, we rocked ALL the teeth!!!


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 16, 2006)

davvyd said:


> great pictures Casey,
> Thanks so much again for not only the material, the saw, the chains the fuel, but your time and knowledge. I learned a great deal about milling, wood, saws and chains, drying and everything. I can't wait to try my hand at it again.
> For everyone else, I will try to get some of the pictures my dad took on tonite. If you can't tell, I am very excited about my first milling experience.
> Thanks again Casey.



Not a problem, glad you were able to make it up and try your hand at it....


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## woodshop (Oct 16, 2006)

rb_in_va said:


> It is amazing. Just need to figure out a way to charge admission, right?


Well... people DO buy tickets to these tractor and steam shows that have old sawmills go through their paces. When that mill is buzzing through logs, there is always a crowd standing in wonder watching as the steam tractor with huge leather belts and pulleys work the mechanics of the saw, pulling logs past that huge spinning open blade, sawdust flying, boards falling off with each pass... some old geezer with a straw hat working the levers... the smell... the noise... I'm one of those standing there watching in amazement by the way.


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 16, 2006)

oldsaw said:


> See Davvyd, I told you that Casey was good people. You learned a whole lot in a very short period of time from someone who has done it before. I had to go in blind, and would have killed for an opportunity like that.
> 
> Nice work, Casey. We hooked another one....
> 
> Mark




I learned the same way you did!!! I would have loved to have someone show me how to do it right!!!

I do believe we hooked another one too.


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## aggiewoodbutchr (Oct 16, 2006)

Looks like ya'll had a helluva time. 

Did you use your oiler or grandberg ripping chain at all?


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 16, 2006)

aggiewoodbutchr said:


> Looks like ya'll had a helluva time.
> 
> Did you use your oiler or grandberg ripping chain at all?



I should have used the oiler. That smoke you see in the first picture isnt exhaust!!! I dont have that bar drilled for the oiler, but I am going to.

As for the Grandberg chain....I ditched that idea. I didnt like the way it turned out, and the decrease in cutting time for me wasnt substantial enough to justify modding a chain.


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## dustytools (Oct 16, 2006)

Awesome pics casey . I like the idea of the log being on the trailer while cutting, saves the back.


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## dustytools (Oct 16, 2006)

BTW, what did you use to edge the cuts? Neat job.


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 16, 2006)

Dusty, I clamp a piece of Uni-Strut to the slab and use it as a fence for my circular saw.

You can see it on the horses in the 4th picture.


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## l2edneck (Oct 16, 2006)

*Noticed the lack o snow*

Great pics,,,,,Tons a fun,,,,,,,,


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## davvyd (Oct 16, 2006)

*my Stickered Boards*

I havent been able to get the pictures of me milling from my dad yet but here are pictures I took of my boards once I got them stickered in the basement. I used furring strips as my stickers and regular weight plates (obviously) as my weight. I have two fans blowing on the boards through the stack to try to promote air flow. the temp in the room is about 70 degrees and a humidity level of about 50% ( that is with out the heat on in the house) it will get much hotter and much drier in the room that it is stacked in. (remember my goal is to have these ready by december) enjoy the pics and again, thanks you Kris for everything on sunday I cant express my gratitude enough. View attachment 39017


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Can anyone tell me if putting straps around the boards is bad for them? I want alittle extra force holding those boards straight and I was thinking of wrapping straps around them just infront of the weights on the ends.


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 16, 2006)

Ok....First thing is you need more stickers. You should have them spaced 12" to 16" apart.

I use ratchet straps to cinch my boards down, its a great, inexpensive way to keep you stack from moving. With the length of those boards, I would use at least six. You should also keep the weight on them as well. Make sure where you have them stacked is level as well. If its not, as the stack settles, it will mirror the levelness of the floor.

I think some of the guys here will tell you to move that away from the furnace. It may get a little warm right there. Either that or leave it there, and loosely cover that stack to slow down the drying a little.


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 16, 2006)

Also, get yourself one of those little two pin moisture meters. Check it frequently. If you see its drying to fast, slow it down somehow. The other guys here can tell you how fast it should be drying. You can also give the ends 1 or 2 more coats of Latex paint. Or more if you like. Keep the ends sealed up tight.


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## davvyd (Oct 16, 2006)

thanks casey,

the reason that i used only 3 stickers is because i was told that the moisture tends to escape where the stickers are and that will cause staining on the boards. that was my reasoning. I will definitly watch the moisture content and try to block the furnace from directly hitting the stack. Unfortunatly, since we are trying to sell the house, my wife said no boards in the finished part of the basement, well we only have an 800 square foot basement so that did not leave me much room elsewhere. you work with what you got! thanks for the suggestions, I will get more stickers in it tomorrow and get those straps around the boards aswell.


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 16, 2006)

You are right, moisture does tend to wick through the stickers. I forgot to tell you, only because I dont ever do it, you should rotate your stack occasionally. That will allow you to see whats going on with it, and catch any issues that may otherwise go un-noticed. Sort of the same reasoning behind why you rotate your tires.

I dont believe any staining would go deep enough into that wood that wouldnt come out when you plane it. I may be wrong.


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 16, 2006)

Make sure you dont cinch a strap down anywhere other than directly in line with the stickers. And youll want to check the straps as well, youll need to keep adding tension as the boards shrink.


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## woodshop (Oct 16, 2006)

CaseyForrest said:


> I dont believe any staining would go deep enough into that wood that wouldnt come out when you plane it. I may be wrong.


If you start with clean DRY stickers, and there is enough air flow through the stack so it doesn't mildew, there should not be any problem with sticker stain. Once in a while, I do get a little stain or discoloration where the sticker was with some boards, but casey is right, one pass through the planer and its gone.


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## aggiewoodbutchr (Oct 17, 2006)

My $.02

As the others have said...

More stickers, if they are dry staining should be minimal. 

Straps are OK. They will need to be checked and tightened regularly.

Monitor the boards closely. If surface checks appear then they are drying to fast. You will need to relocate them to a more humid area, maybe even outside, for a while.

Also, you need to move that fan to where it blows through the side of the stack, not directly on the end. Where he fan sits now it will dry those ends faster than the middle of the boards causing accelerated checking.

I know you are in a hurry to use you lumber but you don't want to loose what you worked hard for. Good luck!


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## oldsaw (Oct 17, 2006)

Yes, more stickers. Every 16" or so. Stickers have two jobs, the first is to let air circulate, the second is to keep the boards straight so they don't sag in the gaps. Wet boards like to do things that you don't want them to, like twist, sag, warp, cup, and skew. That's why this hobby is so much fun. :hmm3grin2orange: 

Mark


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## woodshop (Oct 17, 2006)

aggiewoodbutchr said:


> Also, you need to move that fan to where it blows through the side of the stack, not directly on the end. Where he fan sits now it will dry those ends faster than the middle of the boards causing accelerated checking.


Good call, I agree completely... the ends of the boards tend to dry too fast as it is, which is why they check. A fan on them will make that situation worse. As I and others have said in posts... putting wet lumber in a dry relatively warm house in winter will in my humble opinion, dry out the boards to fast unless you take steps to make sure they don't. Remember... moisture in winter air is lower than summer because cold air doesn't hold as much moisture as warm air. So then when you pull that air into a house and heat it up, the RELATIVE humidity of that air goes even lower... very dry air. Not the best place to dry wet lumber right off the tree. I too wouldn't want you to spoil all that nice lumber you worked so hard for.


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## davvyd (Oct 17, 2006)

*2 more questions...*

i really dont want to ruin these boards either, so can anyone recommend another method of drying. Unfortunatly, I donot have alot of space at my house so I am kind of stuck. 

second question... how often should I be rotating these boards and in any specific pattern (similar to rotating tires)??

I cant say it enough... THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO IS OFFERING ADVICE AND SUGGESTIONS FOR MY SUCCESS.


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## CaseyForrest (Oct 17, 2006)

Your location is fine, just keep an eye on them. They will tell you if they are drying to fast. If you notice they are drying to quick, throw a sheet, or some plastic over just the top, leaving the sides open.

I would rotate the stack about 1 a week. Just flip them all over to the other side.

Just had another thought...if you have a Garage, you can stack them there for awhile.


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## dustytools (Oct 17, 2006)

Davvyd, Im not at all familiar with your neck of the woods but there should be some type of kiln drying service around fairly close. Try calling local mills and lumber yards for help. Some times even local universities have some type of program. Good luck.


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## davvyd (Oct 17, 2006)

thanks casey and dusty. I will definitly keep an eye them and "listen" or watch for signs. Dusty, i have called around and what i found was that people were not really willing to do such a small amount. they say that it would be extremely expensive just to turn on the mill. you are right though, i would prefer to have someone who knows what they are doing dry them, but hey, I started it, I MAY AS WELL FINSIH IT! Right? wish me luck


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## hautions11 (Oct 17, 2006)

*Drying*

Davvyd, we all started somewhere. Others drying experience is far more in depth then mine, but I like the just try it attitude. The wood was basically free, you had a great time milling it, and you learned A LOT! What more can you ask for. Several of the boards you have are quite thick and from Caseys description, you have some extra length on your boards. Keep a close eye on them and you will probably do fine.


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## dustytools (Oct 18, 2006)

I also agree with the do-it-yourself attitude as doing it yourself is a great teacher. Much like yourself I am air drying some lumber that I have milled and am anxious to learn from doing it myself. I have based my startings on ideas and opinions of the more experienced people within this great site. There are also a lot of great ideas on milling and drying on various sites on the internet.Good luck with your project. Btw I wasnt trying to push the kiln-drying issue by any means, I just thought that with your limited time allotment that you might possibly benefit by looking into it. Good luck.


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## woodshop (Oct 20, 2006)

*air drying wet lumber*



davvyd said:


> thanks casey and dusty. I will definitly keep an eye them and "listen" or watch for signs... I would prefer to have someone who knows what they are doing dry them, but hey, I started it, I MAY AS WELL FINSIH IT! Right? wish me luck


I know this book has been talked about before in other posts, but it is such a good book full of good info on so many aspects of wood, including drying wood, that I have to hawk it again. 

"Understanding Wood" by Bruce Hoadley. 2d edition. Taunton Press 

ISBN 1-56158-358-8

I bought the first edition back in 1980 when it first came out. This second edition has a few more color photos, some more up to date info, but basically is very similar to the first edition. If anybody here is really serious about wood, its identification, its physical and mechanical properties etc etc... this is a fairly easy to read book. The chapters titled "Water and Wood" and "Drying Wood" are full of info essential for woodworkers, or people like us milling lumber.


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