# Need help with new log of cherry



## firefighteremt153 (Jan 25, 2008)

Im pretty new to the woodworking (only about 2 years) and have recently been givin a 16" +15' log of cherry. My question is what do I do with it now in order to get quality lumber from it? Should I just take it to a mill and get them to saw it and bring it home to air dry or take it somewhere to be put into a kiln. My biggest problem is that I opened my mouth and said that i was going to build my baby's first crib (baby coming in sept) and I'm not sure if it will be dry enough to be worked by then. Also I am in the Atlanta area if anyone knows of a mill/kiln close by. Thanks so much for any help.. Jeremy


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## mpm1696 (Jan 22, 2008)

firefighteremt153 said:


> Im pretty new to the woodworking (only about 2 years) and have recently been givin a 16" +15' log of cherry. My question is what do I do with it now in order to get quality lumber from it? Should I just take it to a mill and get them to saw it and bring it home to air dry or take it somewhere to be put into a kiln. My biggest problem is that I opened my mouth and said that i was going to build my baby's first crib (baby coming in sept) and I'm not sure if it will be dry enough to be worked by then. Also I am in the Atlanta area if anyone knows of a mill/kiln close by. Thanks so much for any help.. Jeremy


Jeremy, to air dry, generally, you need to wait at least 1 year, per inch thickness of board. So if you have a 2 inch board (unusual and not recommended), you will need to wait 2 years to use it.- unless you have it dry in a well known kiln and knowledgeable kiln operators. (not all wood type is the same).

In your case, Dad, I think you should kiln dry.

It's best to have it sawed as soon as possible (rot and decay) by a good mill operator (they can read thru wood for best quality cut boards). Seal the board ends with a good paint or preservative to prevent splitting and decay (wood looses it moisture twice as fast on ends than surfaces) If you air dry; first, have it dry 6" off the ground and well stacked, outside in the shade covered (top only) untill the boards' moisture content (MC) gets to around 15%, then take it inside your shop to dry (well stacked) to 6 to 8% moisture content. -get a moisture meter. If none available - I had a comparison chart somewhere, but 15% wood moisture content equals, I think is around 70% relative humidity and 8%MC = 45% RH. Maybe somebody else here can correct me... 

A fresh cut log may contain 200% moisture content depending on wood type, where in the country it's from, and time of the year it was cut. - meaning the water mass of the wood is heavier than the wood itself - That's a lot of water (sap or sugar - for maple)

Good luck
Pete


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## stuart (Jan 20, 2008)

WOW - never heard of this before.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

stuart said:


> WOW - never heard of this before.


Heard of what?


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

And welcome Pete, I don't think I have done that (welcomed you). You saved me a bunch of typing...your advice on a good sawyer and kiln drying is right on.


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## firefighteremt153 (Jan 25, 2008)

Thanks Pete for your advise. Can you tell me on the average how long it normally takes to kiln dry cherry and what would be the best way to have it cut, through&through or quarter sawn or what other way?


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

I know you are not asking me, but a good sawyer will "grade saw", meaning turn the log to get the best boards from the faces he sees as he saws. Flat sawing the lumber. The question of how long it takes to kiln dry 150 bft (approx. what you should get) is dependent on your local kiln driers. I will explain that...they will usually make your little load wait till they have a full load, bummer. I had to deal with that early on. 4/4 cherry will dry properly in a d/h kiln in 3 weeks once in the kiln. I would check around and find a guy who will fit it in. If you get sent home with wet lumber you need to know how to deal with it (stack/sticker) to air dry. If you have any questions about this stuff in the future, just holler myself and others here run sawmills and a couple of us have kilns, we can get you lined out .


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## Gerry KIERNAN (Apr 20, 2007)

Welcome to the forum Pete and Jeremy.
I have found that one inch thick boards [not kiln dried] will dry to about 12 to 14% RH in my unheated shop, in about six months, if properly stickered. I also have a box fan blowing air around the stack of boards to help dry them out. My shop is running around 70% RH at this time of year. When I am going to build anything I plane the boards, and then bring them into the house to dry to the ambient conditions in the house. After about another couple of months they are down around 6 to 8% RH. The house has dehumidifiers, and the RH ranges from 40 to 50%. I am dealing mainly with cedar, hemlock, and alder. I expect cherry would behave similarly. At this point the wood seems to be fairly stable.

Gerry


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## solidwoods (Apr 26, 2007)

If the log has a bend in it, cut the log at the bend so the lumber from the 2 logs will have straighter grain.
Straight to a kiln- no air dry (if not properly done air drying can kill good wood)
Saw it for grade or box the heart.
I use 1.125" increments on the mill scale to make the 4/4 lumber for my business.
jim


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## dpmcreations (Feb 3, 2008)

*well*

The guys have you on the right roll.. Find a GOOD Sawyer in your area.. I am sure that some of these guys have friends in your area... I grew up in the northwoods and a good ole' sawyer is hard to find but invaluable once found.. Especially one with a good dryer... Good luck and have fun... Oh yes.. Congrats on the baby


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## firefighteremt153 (Jan 25, 2008)

Thanks, everyone for all of your advice. I actually found a great sawer yesterday and got my logs converted into lumber. right now I have it stacked (largest on bottom) with stickers every 16" in my garage with a fan circulating the air. I'll keep yall posted on the status of it as it starts drying. Thanks again and happy woodworking from GA.


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

I am so jealous. You found a good sawyer close enough to you, and you have a baby on the way... Congrats on both accounts. The wife and I are trying for both!


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## firefighteremt153 (Jan 25, 2008)

Hey thanks man. By the way, does anyone have anything good or bad to say about the Ridgid 13" planer? I'm about 2 days from buying one and didn't know if there was something better for the same price?


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## gtobeech (Dec 15, 2007)

*Ridgid Planer*

Check it out in Tool Reviews section of this site.


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## mpm1696 (Jan 22, 2008)

Well Fireman, this is my opinion on thickness planers;

I already had a regular basic 12 1/2" Jet or Grizzly style thickness planer, which a was not too satisfied of its too basic operation. I read a lot about thickness planers over the last 2 years, and according to various tool tests from Popular Woodworking Mag, Wood Magazine, American Woodworker mag and Woodworkers Journal: the DeWalt was one of the best in its class (13"). So I bought a factory rebuilt DeWalt DW735 off Ebay for less than $340.00 in May 2007. It's even better than new with full warranty. I got a deal off of Amazon.com for brand new DeWalt extension wings and table stand for no more than $100.00 total.

I really like the DeWalt DW735 because of its ease of operation, low center of gravity design, 2 speed infeed, integrated chip extraction blower fan, excellent rugged construction and ease of (3 indexed ) knife change. It just can't get any better... yet.

On low infeed finishing speed (196 cpi) setting, you could just stain and seal without sanding (as long as the knives are in new condition). I have a dust collector plugged into the planer. But with its self extracting chip blower, anybody could do without any dust collector. You would just need the DeWalt dust shroud and hose kit that goes from the planner to any 45 gallon drum size garbage can.

Since I got this planner, I planned ash and Rock Maple: Ash went in like a hot knife thru butter, the finish just out the planner is impeccable. But the Hard Maple is something else, its one of the hardest woods in North America. But still the finish is acceptable, even better than most planners.

You could say that the DeWalt DW735 is for professionals only, but for that price, any weekend DIYs will be surprised of the ease of operation of this well built machine.

Thou the Ridgid, Delta and Sears all have comparably the same features. But I'm talking about a DeWalt brand name. It's got a good reputation. It's built for professionals at a good price.

Pete


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## firefighteremt153 (Jan 25, 2008)

Hey Pete, thanks for that info. I have looked at the Dewalt 735 and really liked all the features it has but can't afford to spend the almost $600 for it new and haven't been able to find a reconditioned one for the price of the Ridgid. Can I ask where you bought yours at and do you think the 2 speeds and 3 knives are that important? Thanks, Jeremy


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## mpm1696 (Jan 22, 2008)

Jeremy, read my lips, 2 speeds and 3 knives are that important!:blink:

I had a basic 3 knife, single speed, regular style thickness planer for two years, and I got rid of it. The price of DeWalt reconditioned units seams to have gone up, I paid 344.00 plus shipping on EBAY in May 2007. May I recommend to read the comments in Amazon.com for that planer. Look it up. If ever you do buy a DeWalt or any other, get the extension tables that goes with the unit, for less to zero snipe at the ends.

Also, for any other tools you buy; You get what you pay for, don't go and buy just anything because the price seems affordable...

 “When you pay too much, you lose a little money – that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought is incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do” – John Ruskin 1819-1900
:yes:
My first band saw I bought, the first hour I ran it, it was vibrating like crazy, I couldn't get it running smoother, no matter what I tried. I took it back to the store and bought the better model for no more than $75.00 more. It's been two years and she's a keeper!
:wallbash:
3 month ago I bought a basic $100.00 biscuit joiner. I tried it, it was probably worth no more than $30.00 to my knowledge. I took it back to the store, it was that bad. What's the point of making tools that aren't worth anything? Just to sell something! ... I bought a DeWalt DW682 off EBAY for $65.00! it's nearly brand new and all accessories included. That's a deal, because it's worth around $180.00 in store.

DeWalt planer deal - Copy and paste this link in your browser:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-DeWalt-Heav...ryZ42283QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


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## Rick Cichon (Mar 24, 2008)

Jeremy, I have a Delta 22-580 and except for some end snipeing on outfeed[extension table would solve this],I really like this machine.3 blades,reversible,2 speeds:yes: .I've planed thousands of LF and am more than satisfied with the results.I need very little sanding.It ran about $500 new and IMO was worth every cent:thumbsup: .
Good Luck,HaveFun,Be Safe!


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