Wood Salvageable??

[c6craig]

Hi All,

As some of you know I have just started planing my own boards to be able to get some decent hardwoods that are not available to me where I am.

My brother was kind enough to bring me down a load of pecan boards, very nice looking boards and some decent slabs.

He commented that the wood smelled like cat pee, and I laughed it off figuring it was just rough cut wood he wasnt used to.

I stacked it in my garage and in a while...I'll be darned, something does stink. I dragged the pecan boards out and laid them out and it looks like the problem is MOLD. There are mold spots on the boards, the guy he bought from must have not used spacers in his wood pile.

My question is can this wood be salvaged? I am hesitant to even put it through the planer with the mold spots because I dont want to foul the planer. I hate to burn such nice boards, but I sure don't want to deal with problems later.....

Any advice appreciated...

Craig

[Ike]

Craig, have you checked the moisture content? If it still really wet it will dull your planer blades quick and as you know they are not cheap! As for to the mold I would wipe it down with a water bleach mixture not too heavy on the bleach it may spot the lumber. Just enough to kill the mold using a rag.

Here is a link for lumber storage http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/usda/ah531.pdf

Ike

[whr1900]

Craig
As far as the smell, Pecan has that odor until it dries out and it smells even worst when you burn it. We have a lot of pecan in the carolinas and after hurricane Bertha blew a lot of them down I made a bunch of benches with the wood, hope you have as good luck with it as I did after it dries out.

[drwatkins]

you probably should just send it to me and let me dispose of it for you!

[c6craig]

Thanks guys for the info. Like I said, I'm new to this buying lumber, my skill has been limited to off the shelf at big box stores.

Like Ike sugests, I'm sure I can clean up the mold. I was just worried that once it had mold on it that it would be all through the wood.

Well I guess this puts me in a bit of a pickle. The guy told my brother it was dried and it clearly isn't. I don't have a moisture meter but will be buying one now. The problem is that I think this wood is going to go to waste unless I can con my brother into taking it back up to Georgia with him. I have no way to dry it and no sawmills close to me that can do it.

I'm sure not leaving this reeking wood in my garage shop until it dries and I can gaurantee a divorce in my future if I try to smuggle it in to the back guest bedroom of the house....

Thanks,
Craig

[TIMCOSBY]

just put stickers between each layer and put comething on top to keep rain off the very top. air will blow through and dry the wood.

[c6craig]

Hmmm. I have a shed out back that's unfortuantely too full to be of use.

But maybe I can use it to stack the wood next to it and build off a little lean-to with a tarp.

Would it be sufficient for me to lay out some 4x4 strips of wood to support the stack, then put stickers between each board, and just have a tarp for the lean to top?

About how long would it take to dry this way?

Thaks,
Craig

[swhitney]

general "rule of thumb" is 1 yr for each inch of thickness......

[hess]

[QUOTE=c6craig;109180]Hi All,

As some of you know I have just started planing my own boards to be able to get some decent hardwoods that are not available to me where I am.

My brother was kind enough to bring me down a load of pecan boards, very nice looking boards and some decent slabs.

He commented that the wood smelled like cat pee, and I laughed it off figuring it was just rough cut wood he wasnt used to.

I stacked it in my garage and in a while...I'll be darned, something does stink. I dragged the pecan boards out and laid them out and it looks like the problem is MOLD. There are mold spots on the boards, the guy he bought from must have not used spacers in his wood pile.

Yep box stock it with 1 by going across every 2 ft that add another layer and so on I go 6 wide 6 high kept th air get to it
u could throw a fungicide on it just in case it just wet wet

mine has a but of mold do to all the rain

If you done want it I will take it
found for a sawyer they cut the wood while wet because it helps cool the saw and give a better cut. just take it slower
My question is can this wood be salvaged? I am hesitant to even put it through the planer with the mold spots because I dont want to foul the planer. I hate to burn such nice boards, but I sure don't want to deal with problems later.....

[c6craig]

Thanks Hess, that's how I will lay it out. Or if possible I will get my brother to lay it out that way up in Georgia, he is the one with all the darn acres, I just have a piddly little house

If it's going to take a year, I would rather it be up on his property where nobody will mind it rather than here having everyone comment on my backyard lean to LOL

Craig