Drying Layout

[AaronB]

I am trying to figure out my layout for air drying lumber.

What I have shown is 8x8x12 CMU blocks on the bottom at 18" on center that covers a little over 8'.
Then I have 4x4 cross members that are 4 feet long.
The two boards shown are 8 foot in length, one is 24" wide the other 12" wide, most trees I am going to cut are 24" at the center, one oak is 36" or a touch more.

Stickers not shown, but I will have them.
Also I will have plastic or weed cloth on the ground (haven't decided) and then a layer of gravel over that. The CMU block will be set and leveled on the gravel and then built up as shown.

Look good? or would it be better to just buy a 8x8 timber/PT board and use on the bottom instead of the CMU.
Thanks

 

[mtngun]

Your design would work.

8" PT would work, also, but I'd be tempted to use my own milled beams instead of storebought. They may rot after a few years, but just go mill some more. Besides, after a few years, you'll probably have graduated to a drying shed.

 

[AaronB]

Your design would work.

8" PT would work, also, but I'd be tempted to use my own milled beams instead of storebought. They may rot after a few years, but just go mill some more. Besides, after a few years, you'll probably have graduated to a drying shed.

Glad it will work the CMU block is only $1 each, so that makes it much cheaper than the 8" PT, and the blocks are 16" long not 12" like I thought, so there won't be to much gap between them. Just got to start getting supplies together.

 

[Mike1974]

Aaron,

I'm just getting started and have a very similar set-up. Picked it up from a book I have a milling & drying. Only thing I did different was to run milled 4x6 beams the length of the blocks, and my 4x4's across those.

Made the leveling process a bit easier, and gave me a bit more height. I also have forks on my tractor, and figured I could lift and move the whole stack this way, if need be.

I'm trying to set-up my stacks in a way that I can build a shed over / around them ... once I get to that point.

Mike

 

[BlueRider]

I mill everything at 2 1/4" thick and have no problem with putting my foundation blocks at 24" OC. If I were milling 5/4 I would go with 18" OC and if I were going to pack it solid with random width edged boards I would add a foundation block in the center of the span. stick with the blocks as they are cheaper. after four or five stacks it starts to add up.