Stickers for Air Drying Lumber???

[Ethan]

.....hardwood is preferable, right? Seems I read that somewhere, but can't find it at the moment. Figures, as I have a bunch of cypress to stack, but only 3/4 x 3/4 pine offcuts readily available. Anyway, confirmation or refutation asap would be very appreciated.

TIA

[Rick Starr]

Stickers should be of the wood you are stacking. Under no circumstances use pressure treated scraps. They will stain the wood they contact all the way through.

[Ethan]

Well, Rick, thanks a whole bunch...you just added "unknown option #3" to the mix! :D

[Bob Smalser]

.....hardwood is preferable, right?

Figures, as I have a bunch of cypress to stack, but only 3/4 x 3/4 pine offcuts readily available.


Stickers are only a concern where staining from them penetrates beyond what gets planed off when the rough-cut lumber is prepared for use.

You're thinking of those machine-made hardwood stickers that are sawn square with coves milled into all 4 faces. Their purpose was to minimize sticker stain in maple and other extremely color-sensitive woods, and whether they are worth the effort is a mixed bag. When I mill maple, I mill it overthick so I have more room to plane the surface that'll be visible.

For cypress, cedar, pine and other woods not so sensitive I wouldn't worry about it. I prefer cedar because I have it and it dries quickly. You want the stickers to be dry, if possible, but I don't bother with that either in woods that'll be painted.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/4110272/147680135.jpg

Here I have dry Doug Fir stickers in a stack of curing madrone with tarred endgrain. Besides weathering, besides the tar, those stickers are a magnet for all the surrounding fir and pine needles to blow in, get wet, and further stain the wood. It all has to be planed out....sticker stain alone is the small part.

[Eric D]

just to add to it, they recommend using 1" x 1" to optimize air flow too ; )

Low tanin/pitch woods, normally hardwood variety, but like Bob said, depends on what you are doing with the wood later.

[Mrleft8]

I use 3/4" square rippings of KD lath. Cheap as, and dry when it goes down. Green rippings, at least over on the right coast, are a no no for the blue stain issue. More important is how well ventilated your stack is though.....

[few3]

I use those cheap white PVC plastic moulding strips they sell at cheapo. Not the expensive exterior stuff, but the lightweight shoe/stop stuff. A buck or two per 8ft length. Though sometimes not desirable in a stack, they have enough give to allow each stack to move independently.

[Ethan]

Thanks for all the input. The pine I have is KD (they're offcuts from the local Mom and Pop flooring operation), so it sounds like they should work just fine.

Tangentially related thought - will be using "stack covers" for the first time on this batch. Came across the plans/idea in Sawmill and Woodlot Management magazine.

https://sawmillmag.com/images/inventory/Issue%2062%20Low%20Resolution%20Cover.jpg

Not a great pic, but you get the idea. Seems like a good solution for the winds we get here in the spring and fall. Will let you know how it works out, if anybody's interested.

Thanks again.
Ethan