Scroll and Pyrography Art Seasoning Wood

Scroll and Pyrography Art

Curing or Drying

If the wood is to be used in rough-sawn projects, construction beams, planking or fencing, it is sometimes air-dried for a month or two, or even used immediately. One example of a good wood that must be used immediately is sycamore. It is lightweight and works easily, but twists and curls unless fastened down immediately.

Wood used for fine furniture, house trim and other projects must first be dried. Most woods must be dried down to 6-percent moisture. Commercial kilns are often used to kiln-dry woods. But the simplest drying method, although the most time-consuming method, is to air-dry wood. This is an ages-old, traditional method. I have air-dried many board. All that's required is a dry area with plenty of ventilation. It does, however, take quite a bit of time. Soft woods, such as cedar or pine can air-dry in a couple of years. The hardwoods, such as oak or walnut may require from four to ten years, depending on the thickness and species. Air-dried wood should be “conditioned” for several months in your home or shop.

The first step is to coat all ends with paraffin or boiled linseed oil. Then stack the wood on a perfectly flat surface with “stickers,” or 1/2-by-2-inch flat pieces of wood placed between the planks. This prevents the planks from twisting or warping, but allows air to circulate and gently dry the wood cells.

Small quantities of wood can also be cured and dried at home with small kilns, including solar models. A number of small kiln designs are available on the web from the Department of Forest Products, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Extension. A good deal of this information is linked through www.woodweb.com. Most of these kilns will dry woods such as walnut or oak in two to three months.

A moisture meter is very useful for checking the stages of the drying process.

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Planing and Finishing

Once the wood has been properly cured and dried, it must be kept stored in a dry area and stacked perfectly flat. It can then be planed to the correct width. Or you can create a special molding for a very distinctive project or home interior.