Woodworking with Holly
- Thread starter Gene S
- Start date
I would agree. I'm arm-chairing this, but I would have cut it up after it dried for a long time. It's probably still green.
Yah, take it down to finish dimension plus about a 1/2 inch, should dry a bit quicker.
A bit...
Wooden Boat Magazine has a regular column about wood and moisture. I would imagine your situation would be addressed in the many years the column has run. I don't have the author's name at hand but the author is university based, scholarly and detailed. Wood storage for moisture control is not a simple subject.
I was just wondering. I know there are a number of woodworkers on the forum. I have a lot of scavenged hardwood in the shop.
Slice it down to 4/4" then sticker it in the corner of your garage/shed with a weight on top of a sacrificial top plank, make sure it's well clear of the floor.
Seal the ends of the boards with at the very least a thick latex paint, but better yet anchorseal.
then wait, a year or two at least.
That size log won't yield much in the way of BF, grab more and then perhaps look into getting it kiln dried.
I have a home made kiln in the yard for small batches, but if you're not a woodworker, it's not worth the hassle.
Keep checking moisture every 6 months, get in into the low teens, watch and treat for bugs!
Seal the ends of the boards with at the very least a thick latex paint, but better yet anchorseal.
then wait, a year or two at least.
That size log won't yield much in the way of BF, grab more and then perhaps look into getting it kiln dried.
I have a home made kiln in the yard for small batches, but if you're not a woodworker, it's not worth the hassle.
Keep checking moisture every 6 months, get in into the low teens, watch and treat for bugs!
I just realized... I had a *very* large holly tree taken out of our front yard in 2004. We didn’t own any boat at the time. Not even our catamaran then. Dang. It would have been plenty dry by now. I imagine the mulch from it has long rotted into the soil.
P.S. I was going to make a comment about if I ever cut down the teak tree but then you’d think this post was a joke. It’s a serious post. I really wish I would have known someone could have used the wood.
P.S. I was going to make a comment about if I ever cut down the teak tree but then you’d think this post was a joke. It’s a serious post. I really wish I would have known someone could have used the wood.
Hi Gene, just the mention of hardwood makes my shop equipment drool. You seem quite close to my venue, so what do you have that you might, just might want to part with?
I have a variety, but not a lot, in my shop; oak, maple, myrtle, teak, walnut, etc. More into sailing these days, but there was a time...
P.S. Most green hardwoods take several months to a year to air dry depending upon the density. Be sure to sticker each layer so that air can cover all sides. Place some weight on the top layer to maintain stability and avoid warping/twisting. Having access to a kiln will reduce drying time considerably. If you have a kiln outfit nearby, some will do it for a pittance.
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Captmayhem got it right. If you don't sticker it it's gonna be a twisted mess. Stack and sticker with weight on top. May be nice in a year or so. I don't find holly all that interesting, but hey - it's a fun project.
(Gotta fix my lathe and try turning green eucalyptus... I got lots of that in the yard)
(Gotta fix my lathe and try turning green eucalyptus... I got lots of that in the yard)
My Parents sent the 30 year old Mahogany tree that was in our side yard to the chipper while I was off at college. I was quite upset.
My father-in-law lost some huge cherry trees on his place on north shore Long Island. There were no mills around or he would have turned them into lumber. He ended up burning them in his fireplace.