air curing spruce logs

[fordson major]

any hints on air curing some spruce logs for a cabin in say 5 years? want to thin out the sprue bush and looking at the trees there are many that would do too make a cabin! was thinking a plastic ground sheet with runners on top then satck the logs with and air space under and around them cover in plastic but leave the ends open to breath! what worked for you? what did not!

[woodsy]

Getting them peeled will probably be the hardest part of the operation, spring time is best for that project as the bark will tighten as summer approaches.
This from Wiki:

Air-dried logs

Some log home companies let the fresh cut logs or milled timbers sit outside in the open air to dry naturally. The timbers can be stacked with spacers (stickers) between them. This process allows the moisture content of the logs to naturally come down as the timber dries. This process requires at least one year per inch of thickness, and requires adequate space to let air circulate. If the logs are to be dried to an equilibrium with the local climate the process may take several years, depending on the location and size of timbers. In some environments the logs must be kept under some type of roof or cover so that rain does not affect the logs.

[OkieDavid]

One trick to minimize splitting is to seal the cut ends- This can be done with several methods from dipping in very HOT wax (near the flash point), tar compounds, several coats of oil based sealer or paint. End splitting is caused by the uneven drying (faster at the ends) causing uneven shrinkage. By stripping the bark and sealing the ends the drying occurs more evenly over the entire log surface. More info than you wanted I'm sure but it would be a shame to ruin a good stack of logs due to lack of knowledge.
Edited to add: Don't cover the stack with a tarp....ruined the first custom sawed wood I got that way. The tarp trapped the moisture in and caused significant condensation....ruined the whole stack.

[prometheus]

I've cured, peeled, and notched more logs than I can count. I've done both Doug-fir and Lodge pole. They are really easy to peel when green, but will check (crack) much more than if you age them with the bark on. I wouldn't put that plastic down, but make sure there is room between them and the ground for air. If you do peel them cover them right away, they will start to gray in just a few weeks. Good luck and have fun.

MTA: DO NOT use plastic to cover them. Wherever it touches the wood will mold and discolor. I use old corrugated tin roofing.

[clovis]

I've never cut a log for building, but I have read quite a bit about the topic. From everything I have read, you have gotten excellent advice so far.

Stay away from the plastic, leave the bark on until ready for use, and cover the ends with a sealant, as suggested above. One book I read suggested using mistinted oil based paint bought cheap from a paint store.

Just to state the obvious: The sealing of the ends allows the moisture to slowly dry thru the bark, and not wick out the ends. Wicking out the ends causes the wood to dry too fast, and creates checking. The sealing of the ends will allow the wood to dry more evenly as well.

HTH

I've always heard to debark them as soon as possible to prevent insect damage . Maybe this doesn't apply to spruce .

[woodsy]

I find it hard to believe that a log with bark on it will dry well if at all. more apt to want to rot and bugs love rotting wood, but i've been wrong once before, LOL
This article says to at least partial peel the logs, but if you have ever tried to peel bark on wood downed a couple years then you know how tough it can be .

[barn-apart]

If the logs do not need to be removed imediatly you can dry then standing, simply cut rings around the base through the bark. This will halt the sap flow and the tree dies standing, they dry slowly and have no contact with other material to help trap moisture.
If you do cut them cross stack ( minimal contact between logs ) off the fround and cover loosely with metal not plastic air circulation is important to dry properly.
Peeling will be more difficult when dry and beetles may invade but this is only be under the bark and will leave little trenches in the surface of the log which can be knifed out or left as is.
Spruce is a good log for home building, is not prone to radicle checking and is moderate hardness for cutting.
Good Luck

[Ross]

Boy I hope my brother decides to actually fell the wretched things because it'll open up the ground to more pasture!

[prometheus]

Originally Posted by woodsy

I find it hard to believe that a log with bark on it will dry well if at all. more apt to want to rot and bugs love rotting wood, but i've been wrong once before, LOL
This article says to at least partial peel the logs, but if you have ever tried to peel bark on wood downed a couple years then you know how tough it can be .

We peeled less than 10% of our logs before cribbing and letting them age. Some didn't get peeled for almost a year. We only lost two, and those weren't off the ground. We did get some nice surface bug trails, and some "blueing" but I like it that way. I want people when they look to know those aren't milled kit logs.

This is what mine ended up looking like:

[js2743]

fordmajor check out this forum there are lots and lots of info about stuff like this www.forestryforum.com

[meanwhile]

We stacked our similar to what you said......plastic on ground, then pieces of wood to lay the logs upon........but we did not put the plastic right on the Logs. We took more sticks and propped up the plastic so it "tent" like to get off the wood. It worked.

We also put bug poison grains on the ground.

[Hoop]

Why dry your logs? Professional log home builders use green logs, incorporating an allowance for settlling/shrinkage into the design of the log home.

What building style will you be using? If you'll be building a full scribe log home, it will actually be easier using green logs. Green logs cut far easier than "dry" logs.

Stack your logs on some cribbing that is at least 2 feet off the ground.

[prometheus]

Originally Posted by Hoop

Why dry your logs? Professional log home builders use green logs, incorporating an allowance for settlling/shrinkage into the design of the log home.

What building style will you be using? If you'll be building a full scribe log home, it will actually be easier using green logs. Green logs cut far easier than "dry" logs.

Stack your logs on some cribbing that is at least 2 feet off the ground.

Green logs are much much easier to cut, but they weigh much much much more too. We raised all our logs by hand (using a come along when necessary) and wouldn't have been able to do most of them if they were green.

All of ours were cribbed on average 6" above grade and didn't have any problems.