Selecting and Drying Wood

A lot of things have to be right about your lumber before it can be used in a project. Choosing the wrong wood for a project or not ensuring its ready to be worked can cost you plenty, not to mention the time youll waste. These articles, reprinted from Fine Woodworking, will take the mystery out of selecting and milling wood. Also included is a wealth of information on drying your own, alternative sources, wood movement, protecting wood from the elements, and more.

Section 1: Buying and Harvesting

Buying Lumber
Vincent Laurence

Take an inspection kit when buying lumber
Roland Johnson

Lumberyard Sleuth
Cliff Scott

Finding Figured Woods
Lane De Camp

When Run of the Mill Wont do
Vincent Laurence

Lumber from Your Own Backyard
Gus Carlson

Alternative Sources of Wood
Mike Dunbar

Section 2: Selecting Wood

The Right Wood for the Job
Mike Dunbar

The Right Board in the Right Place
Louis Irion

Wood Against the Weather
Jim Tolpin

Choosing Tropical Hardwoods
Jason Grant

Using Unfamiliar Tropical Woods
Scott Landis

Section 3: Drying Wood

Seasoned Wood: What You Need to Know
William W. Rice

A Dehumidification Kiln
William Bolf

A Solar Kiln for Drying Wood
John Wilson

Air Drying Lumber
Lee Grindiger

Moisture Meter Survey (Tool Review)
Lon Schleining

Section 4: Working with Wood

Working Highly Figured Wood
Peter Tischler

Wood Moves
Mike Dunbar

A Guide to the Wayward Ways of Wood Grain
Strother Purdy

What Woodworkers Need to Know about Light
Jeff Jewitt

When Wood Fights Back
Jon Arno

Section 5: Transporting and Storing

Tying Down Lumber
Gary Williams

Three Ways to Rack Lumber
Matthew Teague

I still wince every time I look at an armoire I made about 15 years ago. Its not a bad design, a slimmed down, lighter-toned version of a classic Stickley-style four-door piece. But I made a classic beginners error. When I bought the lumber, I assumed the seller had accurately identified the lot. I took a big pile home with me, let it sit for a week, then dove into the project. Along the way I did happen to notice that a few of the boards looked a bit more silvery than the rest, so I used them in certain places to balance the overall look of the piece. Well those lighter toned pieces turned out to be ash, not oak.

I may not be smarter now, but I am wiser. When shopping for lumber, I look for clues such as pores in end grain, fleck in figure, and the amount of warp. I take a block plane with me and shave away a bit of material to get a better look at the color and figure so that boards match up better.

To the unwary, lumber can hold a number of surprises, some pleasant, some not. I vividly remember an incident many years ago, while waiting my turn at a lumberyard. An architectural trim contractor returned a truckload of hardwood he had bought the previous day, upset that the moisture content was too high. At least he was smart enough to check before beginning installation. Still, he probably lost a day sorting out the problem.

A lot of things have to be right about your lumber before it can be used in a project. These articles, reprinted from Fine Woodworking, will take the mystery out of selecting and milling wood. Also included is a wealth of information on drying your own, alternative sources, wood movement, protecting wood from the elements, and more.
--Anatole Burkin, Editor of Fine Woodworking