Green Beech Splitting.

[trigger_andy]

Sorry if Im covering old ground but I really would appreciate some feedback.

 

Ive been milling an Old Beech that was Windblown around two years ago now and was rotten up the center. Ive got some nice 2" Slabs and 4" Beams out of it.

 

My Daughter is desperate for me to make her a bed out of some of this wood but is not happy about waiting so long for it to dry.

 

I would Mortice and Tenon the joints obviously and would be basing the design on the picture below but with a single slab at the top and bottom of the bed with 2-3 tenons on each side. (depending of feedback)

 

My main concern is obviously splitting and warping/cupping due to not seasoning the wood and I really would appreciate any feedback on what to expect and any suggestions are most welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[trigger_andy]

80 views and no replys?

 

Have I posted this in the wrong section? Or have I asked a stupid question? appologies if I have, Im not overly failure with the protocols here.

 

Andy:thumbup:

[Gary Prentice]

:biggrin:I've viewed twice now.

 

Sorry can't help, but will be interested in the replies. You'll get a response, but as there aren't too many millers and furniture makers on here, it might take a day or two. Have you considered getting it kiln- dried?

 

Nice design and some nice timber too

[muttley9050]

There are ways in which you can do it green. Fine glue joints arent going to work.

Chunky tenons from the headboard and foot board into the legs, draw bored and pegged should be ok. Similar with the rails. This will however make it hard to take apart. I suggest you use something seasoned for the slats.

All in all its not ideal to use green timber so you should expect some movement and cracking as it dries.

If you have 4" legs then i would use 1.5" tennons which i would draw bore 1.5 to 2mm. Make sure your joints are really tight and expect it to be a creaky bed once dried.

[Mike Dempsey]

The other aspect to this apart from the splitting is mould growth. Damp timber put into a warm atmosphere without much air movement will lead to mould growth which wont be very healthy with your daughter being in close proximity to it for several hours every day. Even more so if there is any spalting. Wipe it down with a borax solution regularly as this will help to minimise it but the chances are it will lead to a lot of unsitely mould marks/discolouration.

Don't put any finish on it either as this will just trap any moisture and eventually lead to the wood starting to rot. Eventually it will dry out and stop moving.

The best thing to do is wait and let it dry out or get it kiln dried if possible.

 

Mike

[Jamespepperpot]

I would imagine you still need to air dry beech for a year or so before it goes into a kiln. If you really are wanting to do it straight away I would bring the wood into your house for at least a month before you do anything. That way a lot of the movement and cracking will happen first then you could design and build around whats left - Maybe stack it up with stickers and ratchet strap it down super tight to reduce the amount it warps. The other thing with green timber is that it doesn't finish very well.

 

Not ideal but sometimes you gotta crack on!

[trigger_andy]

Hey all!

 

Thank you so much for the replies, means a lot to me.

 

I dont get a lot of time to do this kind of work so all the assistance sure helps.

 

So, from what I can gather is;

 

Kiln dry if I can.

 

Dry as much as I can.

 

Do not wax/Varnish,

 

Wipe the mold with Borax.

 

I have to go to work for a few weeks so maybe drying a bit in the house before cutting and planing will help?

 

Many thanks,

 

 

Andy

[Rob D]

I've mucked about a fair bit using green and semi dried timber.

 

With the original question - the reason few answers is that it is not really something you can answer!

 

It's the same as asking - how long does it take to go for a walk? How long does it take for a tree to grow? Dare I say how long is a piece of string

 

Sooooooo so many variables are involved...

 

But in summary - you can't have your cake and eat it - the wetter the wood the more chance of cupping and splitting.

 

So make it sooner and you will likely get more defects - but does that really matter? Even kiln dried through sawn timber will cup after drying once the weight is off it.

 

 

For myself I would make it asap - put it together (ideally somewhere warm like a polytunnel but if not somewhere under cover where the wind can blow though).

 

After a few weeks disamantle and sand. Put inside (but put batons where the bed meets the carpet to avoid mold and use dry timber only for the mattress slats to avoid mold on the matress).

 

After a year quick sand and treat in situ. Any cupping or splitting is part of the character.