Wet Slabs, Cut or Leave

[Trevanion]

Of the last set of pictures, the second picture (first endgrain) looks a lot like Poplar, which isn't particularly great for anything, it's very soft and doesn't look very pretty. I think its only merit is that it can take extreme temperatures very well.

The third picture (second endgrain) looks like Chestnut to my eyes, but I could be wrong on both counts.

 

[MikeG.]

Yep, it's not fence post pine. It doesn't even look that good. I tend to agree with the pallet wood idea. There are two different species here, no doubt, but neither of them looks like something that is of much use for an indoor woodworking project. I'd bet my house it isn't chestnut, which is virtually indistinguishable from European oak (or AWO) except for the medullary rays.

 

[Trevanion]

I'd bet my house it isn't chestnut, which is virtually indistinguishable from European oak (or AWO) except for the medullary rays.

I've got to disagree with you there Mike, I've not used masses of chestnut but the stuff I've worked with (Sweet Chestnut I think) has been quite a bit different to oak, It's similar but definitely not indistinguishable.

 

[Osvaldd]

Fair enough Mike, I’ll chop it up for firewood.

 

[MikeG.]

....I've got to disagree with you there Mike, I've not used masses of chestnut but the stuff I've worked with (Sweet Chestnut I think) has been quite a bit different to oak, It's similar but definitely not indistinguishable.

I mean indistinguishable in a photo.

 

[Osvaldd]

its alder and aspen

 

[Trevanion]

its alder and aspen

I don't think I've ever seen Aspen in the flesh, Alder I've seen from time to time. They'd both make for rubbish "railway sleepers" so I think you've been had on there, they're both extremely soft and no rot resistance at all.

I would make a guess they won't be worth your time messing around with.

 

[Osvaldd]

I can return these two and get one oak sleeper instead, new, still probably wet and green though.
I think Im going to do that, judging by all the negative responses.

 

[MikeG.]

The green oak will need a year of drying for each inch of thickness before you can use it for any indoor project. So if it is, say, 8" by 5", you'll be able to think about using it in 2024/ 2025.

 

[Trevanion]

I can return these two and get one oak sleeper instead, new, still probably wet and green.

I wouldn't bother, If it's green you won't be able to use it for anything internally for at least a year, maybe two or more, and even then when it's drying it may be liable to checking quite badly and ending up unusable.

It's best to start out learning with decent material rather than trying to make something rubbish work.

 

[Osvaldd]

The green oak will need a year of drying for each inch of thickness before you can use it for any indoor project. So if it is, say, 8" by 5", you'll be able to think about using it in 2024/ 2025.

Imagine how nice it'll be to discover this big chunk of oak in 5 years.

 

[Osvaldd]

I wouldn't bother,

well, I already spoke to the guy I bought this from hes more than happy to do the exchange and its only 10 miles down the road. And I'd rather have a nice piece of oak sitting in my yard than some unknown uninteresting wood. I'm already quite familiar with oak so I think I should swap.

It's best to start out learning with decent material rather than trying to make something rubbish work.

theres not a lot of hardwood merchants in NI, closest one is in Belfast, 50 miles away. And it probably would be very expensive wood too.

 

[Trevanion]

theres not a lot of hardwood merchants in NI, closest one is in Belfast, 50 miles away.

Doesn't have to be hardwood, I imagine most builders merchants in NI stock PSE softwood? Have you tried calling in with local joiners and cabinetmakers? We're usually a friendly bunch that'll help people and let them take some pieces from the offcut pile They might even be willing to order boards in for you at a small fee on the next lorry load, which would work out far cheaper than any proper walk-in hardwood merchant.

Imagine how nice it'll be to discover this big chunk of oak in 5 years.

Or in Mike's case, 2000+ years :lol:

 

[Osvaldd]

Have you tried calling in with local joiners and cabinetmakers?

no, I don't like bothering people, and I genuinely have a phone phobia, so its kinda tricky for me. :shock: I might send a few emails though.

 

[Ttrees]

Indeed swap them for oak if you can.
Aspen is what Cosman uses for drawer sides sometimes, it looks nice to plane.
He likes this secondary timber for its white appearance, although it seems it could be a similar
case to holly as in if not dried correctly will not yield a white result.

I have a cheap Lidl/Aldi moisture meter and it seems untrustworthy for even thin stock.
I got readings of 0% on a few sticks I have against the door. (I think it was the spring time )
My shed is a bit damp, so I was expecting/hoping to get a figure of around... say hopefully not more than 12% (gulp)
Just enough to be on the border of usable material that could stored in the workshop, and be brought into the house to acclimatise
if making something intricate or complex.

On the cutting green slabs issue can be a lot of things to consider.
It depends on the stock you plan to acquire.
Not studied the best way to go about acquiring rift sawn stock for chair legs, but I'd guess it might be why folks dry in the round.
For instruments cut from very dense timbers on the quarter which is more wasteful unless you have a Lucas mill, I've often heard its done while the wood is green and soft.

Although if you have one of these machines then you'd probably prefer dry stock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AG6tHBj96Y&t=56s
(sorry, totally irrelevant just thought its a cool yoke to see)

 

[Osvaldd]

@Ttrees
you cannot put in oak and come out maple, lol

 

[lurker]

Sources of wood:

Skips, people will be pleased for you to make space by removing stuff. Always ask though.
Charity shop furniture.
Friends and relatives recycled furniture and building project waste. Once people know you are interested, stuff will regularly turn up as I think most of us do not like throwing things away if someone can use them.
Auction houses have stuff that will not sell and are usually glad to avoid waste collection charges.

If you have somewhere to store stuff you will soon build up a stash, I have so much I will never use it all up! Other than sheet material I have not bought any wood for 20 years!

 

[Osvaldd]

Did the swap. I sure do hope its oak, don’t want to go back there.
In the end it cost me 20 smackers, if I can get 4 table legs and a mallet out of this slab when its dry in 5 years I'll be chuffed.
Cheers.

 

[MikeG.]

Yeah, that's oak......but it's got a ton of sapwood, which isn't any use for anything. The sapwood probably won't survive the drying period.

 

[user22161]

What content is acceptable, rather than ideal?

Last spring, I bought about 60 ft of spalted beech in mainly 7" x 2" x 8ft rough sawn lengths and a couple at 4" thick. As there was worm evident, I treated it all, then sticked and stacked in relatively sheltered space under eaves overhang until late October.

Have recently cut out the wormy bits and taken a couple of passes both sides through the planer to clean up. Moisture readings now between 14.5 & 19, it's in unheated garage but thinking of bringing inside.