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Once again Taunton Press delivers a fine product. Been a subscriber to Fine Woodworking since issue 1.
I do want to understand the relative merits of drying logs whole vs cut into planks, and I want some idea of how long to dry wood of various species and sizes under different conditions - topics that aren't addressed.//wiredweird Maybe you'll find a few good grains in this collection, but a lot of chaff. Don't laugh - I heard of one guy who makes a very good living using his horse to remove unwanted trees from ecologically sensitive areas.What it's not: an organized discussion of any one topic. For example, I won't be pouring a concrete slab for my drying barn any time soon. What it is: 20 or 30 articles reprinted from Fine Woodworking magazine, between the 1970s and early 1980s. The articles cover a range of topics, only a few of which deal with drying lumber on the scale of a beginning-to-mid amateur.A lot of the topics are of interest: spalted wood, a bit of the theory behind wood's material properties, essays on a few favored species, turning a trunk into lumber, and even logging with a horse. The few articles that spoke to my needs were too short to give a discussion that I'd find worthwhile.
I would like to see a drying table with humidity control and more on stress relieving wood. I enjoyed reading it and learned alot about how to cut and dry lumber myself. Like other Fine Woodworking books it's basically a collection of articles from their magazine. But they are very interesting articles. Plenty of info on air drying and solar kilns but I wished it revealed the mysteries of a large kiln.
It also includes a detailed section on kiln construction for the hobbiest. Overall, an inexpensive resource with a lot of usefull information for the serious wood hobbiest that harvests, saws and drys their own lumber. Book is a compilation of articles on growing timber,sawing methods using a variety of mill types as well as how to stack and air dry lumber. Different types of kiln plans are included including solar, and dehumidification types.
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