On Wed, 09 Sep 2015 20:34:35 -0400, "G. Ross"
wrote:

Mike Marlow wrote:
Leon wrote:

Good burning wood is typically horrible for building. It has been
split and cracked and lost its moisture way too quickly. That is why
it has cracks and splits.


Yup - I fully get the difference between the two pieces of wood, but you're
missing my point. If a hunk of maple can dry to 10% (or whatever it may
be...) in chunk form within 3 months or so, then a 1" slab should not take 1
year to dry the same way. It does not matter what the intended use of the
wood is, it's still just a piece of wood. The same kind of wood. If
anything, the 1" piece should dry faster.

I question why you say the split piece has lost its moisture too quickly.
Maybe I'm missing something here, but it can only lose its moisture at a
given rate. It can't lose it it any faster than a board of the same wood.
In fact, I would think the board would lose it faster, given the surface
area of the

Perhaps in shorter pieces the endgrain is closer to the center than
long boards, and much of the water is lost though the endgrain. That
is the logic behind sealing the end grain to retard drying.


I think you've squarely hit the proverbial nail. One wants to dry
firewood as quickly as possible. OTOH, the idea behind drying lumber
is to dry it evenly. That means slowing down the process, as you
suggest.