Drying Floor

[Ringo]

I have some Ash slabs, been drying for 2 years now and they are ready for use but I want to get the last bit of moisture out. A pal is putting some logs on a 'drying floor' soon, and has offered to put the slabs on as well. Im totally unfamilair with drying floors, or kilns or any of the last bit of drying so would appreciate any views of people with experience. Will the drying floor work like a kiln? My pal has said he could put the slabs ontop of his log bags so theyre not on direct heat. 

This would be a very convenient answer to my problem but if it wont work ill keep hunting for a kiln to use.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

[topchippyles]

1 hour ago, Ringo said:

I have some Ash slabs, been drying for 2 years now and they are ready for use but I want to get the last bit of moisture out. A pal is putting some logs on a 'drying floor' soon, and has offered to put the slabs on as well. Im totally unfamilair with drying floors, or kilns or any of the last bit of drying so would appreciate any views of people with experience. Will the drying floor work like a kiln? My pal has said he could put the slabs ontop of his log bags so theyre not on direct heat. 

This would be a very convenient answer to my problem but if it wont work ill keep hunting for a kiln to use.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

You must be mad. Those slabs could couple or twist within a couple of hours. Keep them awhile longer until they are ready to use.

[Stubby]

Have you considered that the moisture being driven out of his logs could then be taken up in your slabs setting you back ?  

[Ringo]

8 hours ago, topchippyles said:

You must be mad. Those slabs could couple or twist within a couple of hours. Keep them awhile longer until they are ready to use.

I think its unlikely they will get dry enough just from being air dried, I live in Glasgow its pretty damp and the slabs are to be used in a kitchen so they need to be properly dry.

 

@Stubby It is a concern that the moisture would go into the slab yeah, I've no experience with drying floors so was hoping someone could tell me one way or the other. I assumed (hoped!) its harder to get moisture into the timber than out so it wouldn't be too big a problem though

[ucoulddoit]

Not sure how thick or wide your slabs are. But, after air drying slabs down to 15 or 16%, I re-saw them into narrower and thinner sections before the final drying down to 8 to 10% suitable for use indoors with central heating. Dries quicker doing that, and less likely to develop defects such as splits, etc. I don’t have a kiln, but run a dehumidifier in the workshop and stack timber out of the way to slowly dry down to 8 to 10%.
 

Years ago, I just used to keep the planks in the house and they gradually acclimatised before being machined to final sizes. But you might not want a stack of planks inside!

 

Needs to dry slowly. I suspect with firewood logs the aim is to dry them as fast as possible and if they split it doesn’t matter.

 

Andrew

[Stubby]

3 hours ago, Ringo said:

I think its unlikely they will get dry enough just from being air dried, I live in Glasgow its pretty damp and the slabs are to be used in a kitchen so they need to be properly dry.

 

@Stubby It is a concern that the moisture would go into the slab yeah, I've no experience with drying floors so was hoping someone could tell me one way or the other. I assumed (hoped!) its harder to get moisture into the timber than out so it wouldn't be too big a problem though

Hi Ringo . I can dry fire wood down to less that 12% moisture here in West Sussex just in a log store in the summer . Come winter it has taken up moisture from the ambient air to around 15% . Still burns but just to illustrate the fact that wood will take up moisture even when under cover .  

[openspaceman]

3 hours ago, ucoulddoit said:

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Needs to dry slowly.

In practice yes but the main need is for it to dry evenly so a dry outside doesn't shrink more than the wet inside and crack. 

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I suspect with firewood logs the aim is to dry them as fast as possible and if they split it doesn’t matter.

Too true

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Andrew

Another one!