I stopped by a lumber mill in Plumsteadville PA today.
They had great prices on air dried lumber.
The name of the lumber mill was Heacock Lumber. I didn't check the
lumber out, since I was on my way to pickup a tool repair.

The prices were too good. Anyone have any experience with them?

They had great prices on air dried lumber.


No experience with them, since I am in Louisiana, but air dried lumber
is bendable/formable by steaming (a plus for some woodworkers). Most
mills, I am aware of, will kiln dry lumber, also, so check prices in
that department, also.

Sonny

I prefer air dried lumber.
Usually less stresses.

On 11/30/2010 7:32 PM, Sonny wrote:
No experience with them, since I am in Louisiana, but air dried lumber
is bendable/formable by steaming (a plus for some woodworkers). Most
mills, I am aware of, will kiln dry lumber, also, so check prices in
that department, also.

Sonny

On Tue, 30 Nov 2010 22:32:01 -0500, tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com
wrote:

I prefer air dried lumber.
Usually less stresses.

F E W E R





--
Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.
-- Margaret Lee Runbeck

"tiredofspam" nospam.nospam.com wrote in message
...
I stopped by a lumber mill in Plumsteadville PA today.
They had great prices on air dried lumber.
The name of the lumber mill was Heacock Lumber. I didn't check the lumber
out, since I was on my way to pickup a tool repair.

The prices were too good. Anyone have any experience with them?

If longevitity is any indication of quality then buy from them, Heacock
Lumber mill has been in Plumsteadville for as long as I can remember, At
least 55 years for sure, Possibly longer. They used to have a big saw blade
as their sign. I remember them from my childhood. (I am now 65 years old)
There used to be a covered bridge not far from there and on the other side
of the stone bridge is where we used to go swimming.......
I miss Pennsylvania when the seasons change.

Jack Cassidy
Living in Florida, God's waiting room.

Thanks, it helps, but first hand knowledge would be helpful.
They know they are cheap. The question is at what price?
I am going to trust that they have decent quality wood and make my next
purchase from them. Of course I'll bring my moisture meter and a block
plane if they will let me use both.

On 12/1/2010 2:41 AM, Jack Cassidy wrote:
"tiredofspam"nospam.nospam.com wrote in message
...
I stopped by a lumber mill in Plumsteadville PA today.
They had great prices on air dried lumber.
The name of the lumber mill was Heacock Lumber. I didn't check the lumber
out, since I was on my way to pickup a tool repair.

The prices were too good. Anyone have any experience with them?

If longevitity is any indication of quality then buy from them, Heacock
Lumber mill has been in Plumsteadville for as long as I can remember, At
least 55 years for sure, Possibly longer. They used to have a big saw blade
as their sign. I remember them from my childhood. (I am now 65 years old)
There used to be a covered bridge not far from there and on the other side
of the stone bridge is where we used to go swimming.......
I miss Pennsylvania when the seasons change.

Jack Cassidy
Living in Florida, God's waiting room.

"Jack Cassidy" wrote:

Living in Florida, God's waiting room.

-------------------
Which is why I chose CA.

Lew

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
eb.com...

"Jack Cassidy" wrote:

Living in Florida, God's waiting room.

-------------------
Which is why I chose CA.

Worse.

On 12/02/2010 05:27 PM, Lew Hodgett wrote:
"Jack Cassidy" wrote:

Living in Florida, God's waiting room.

-------------------
Which is why I chose CA.

Lew


Ah, the Devil's waiting room ;-)

On Thu, 2 Dec 2010 18:17:38 -0800, "CW"
wrote:


"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
web.com...

"Jack Cassidy" wrote:

Living in Florida, God's waiting room.

-------------------
Which is why I chose CA.

Worse.

It's OK, though.
He's -real- near Palm Springs, the California God's Waiting Room.

--
"Human nature itself is evermore an advocate for liberty.
There is also in human nature a resentment of injury, and
indignation against wrong. A love of truth and a veneration
of virtue. These amiable passions, are the latent spark. If
the people are capable of understanding, seeing and feeling
the differences between true and false, right and wrong,
virtue and vice, to what better principle can the friends of
mankind apply than to the sense of this difference?"
--John Adams

On 2010-11-30 23:48:59 -0500, Larry Jaques
said:

I prefer air dried lumber.
Usually less stresses.

F E W E R

fewer stresses

less stress

Also:

things that

people who

In article , tiredofspam
wrote:

I stopped by a lumber mill in Plumsteadville PA today.
They had great prices on air dried lumber.
The name of the lumber mill was Heacock Lumber. I didn't check the
lumber out, since I was on my way to pickup a tool repair.

The prices were too good. Anyone have any experience with them?

Heacock Lumber is quite reputable, and will sell you what ever grade of
local hardwood you want from FAS on down.

In a later post, you mentioned about bringing a plane and moisture
meter with you. I've had no problems with using either tool there. In
fact, half of the time I'm free to walk around the yard and look
throught the inventory.

Air dried is what it is. Great for some uses, not so great for others.

The last mill in the area that I knew of that had a kiln was
Hunsberger's, north of Sellersville on the old Rt. 309. Alas, they
closed up shop in the fall of '04. It seems as if the 4th generation
Hunsberger clan had no interest in keep the mill going.


Joe

aka 10x

Thanks for the info.

What is wrong with Air dried lumber?
I usually leave it for a year or so to finish drying. I have some wood
drying for 10 years... YEA it's dry. Just haven't gotten around to using it.


At the prices some of this wood is at, I can also consider it cheap
enough for utility wood, for the shop.



On 12/8/2010 4:19 PM, 10x wrote:
In , tiredofspam
wrote:

I stopped by a lumber mill in Plumsteadville PA today.
They had great prices on air dried lumber.
The name of the lumber mill was Heacock Lumber. I didn't check the
lumber out, since I was on my way to pickup a tool repair.

The prices were too good. Anyone have any experience with them?

Heacock Lumber is quite reputable, and will sell you what ever grade of
local hardwood you want from FAS on down.

In a later post, you mentioned about bringing a plane and moisture
meter with you. I've had no problems with using either tool there. In
fact, half of the time I'm free to walk around the yard and look
throught the inventory.

Air dried is what it is. Great for some uses, not so great for others.

The last mill in the area that I knew of that had a kiln was
Hunsberger's, north of Sellersville on the old Rt. 309. Alas, they
closed up shop in the fall of '04. It seems as if the 4th generation
Hunsberger clan had no interest in keep the mill going.


Joe

aka 10x

In article , tiredofspam
wrote:

What is wrong with Air dried lumber?
I usually leave it for a year or so to finish drying. I have some wood
drying for 10 years... YEA it's dry. Just haven't gotten around to using it.


At the prices some of this wood is at, I can also consider it cheap
enough for utility wood, for the shop.

Wood is a dynamic material. It has a tendancy to absorb or desorb
moister that is present in it's environment. This is why certain doors
and drawers stick or bind in the summertime, yet work as expected in
the winter when relative humidity is at lower levels.

There is nothing "wrong" with air dried lumber. That said, one needs to
consider it's intended use. If used in a fine piece of furniture for
indoor use, it will be more prone to movement because air dried lumber
cannot be brought down to a moisture content comparable wood that has
been kiln dried. 7-8% moisture content is a number generally bandied
about for furniture grade lumber here in Pennsylvania. If you can get
your air dried lumber down to 10-12% you've done a good job. There is
some interesting reading at wikipedia. It get somewhat technical, but
some of it is understandable by mere mortals like us :-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_drying

One generally accepted rule for air drying lumber is 1 year of drying
for every inch of thickness of the board. This assumes the pile of
lumber is prooperly stickered, covered, and with adequate air movement
over the pile. YMMV


Joe

aka 10x

As you said air will absorb the moisture, even kiln dried wood.
So that being said, I have air dried lumber that is in the 6% area right
now. Left long enough Air dried lumber will be dry. Left long enough
kiln dried lumber will hyrdoscopicaly pick up the moisture in the air
and be at a higher moisture content than it was after kiln drying. NO?

Kiln drying brings it down quicker. It doesn't mean you can't get there
slower.



On 12/10/2010 8:15 AM, 10x wrote:
In , tiredofspam
wrote:

What is wrong with Air dried lumber?
I usually leave it for a year or so to finish drying. I have some wood
drying for 10 years... YEA it's dry. Just haven't gotten around to using it.


At the prices some of this wood is at, I can also consider it cheap
enough for utility wood, for the shop.

Wood is a dynamic material. It has a tendancy to absorb or desorb
moister that is present in it's environment. This is why certain doors
and drawers stick or bind in the summertime, yet work as expected in
the winter when relative humidity is at lower levels.

There is nothing "wrong" with air dried lumber. That said, one needs to
consider it's intended use. If used in a fine piece of furniture for
indoor use, it will be more prone to movement because air dried lumber
cannot be brought down to a moisture content comparable wood that has
been kiln dried. 7-8% moisture content is a number generally bandied
about for furniture grade lumber here in Pennsylvania. If you can get
your air dried lumber down to 10-12% you've done a good job. There is
some interesting reading at wikipedia. It get somewhat technical, but
some of it is understandable by mere mortals like us :-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_drying

One generally accepted rule for air drying lumber is 1 year of drying
for every inch of thickness of the board. This assumes the pile of
lumber is prooperly stickered, covered, and with adequate air movement
over the pile. YMMV


Joe

aka 10x

In article , tiredofspam
wrote:

As you said air will absorb the moisture, even kiln dried wood.
So that being said, I have air dried lumber that is in the 6% area right
now. Left long enough Air dried lumber will be dry. Left long enough
kiln dried lumber will hyrdoscopicaly pick up the moisture in the air
and be at a higher moisture content than it was after kiln drying. NO?

Kiln drying brings it down quicker. It doesn't mean you can't get there
slower.

The below is quoted from:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE € FOREST SERVICE FOREST PRODUCTS
LABORATORY € MADISON, WIS.
In Cooperation with the University of Wisconsin
U.S.D.A. FOREST SERVICE RESEARCH NOTE FPL-0226
1973
MOISTURE CONTENT OF WOOD IN USE

The entire 6 page report is available as a .pdf from the following url:

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplrn/fplrn226.pdf

"Air-Dried Lumber and Dimension

In most parts of the country, the minimum moisture content that can be
generally obtained in air drying is about 12 to 15 percent. Most
air-dried material is usually closer to 20 percent moisture content
when used.
Air-dried lumber is suitable for items that are not ordinarily
subjected to the artificial heat and dehumidification of buildings or
where appreciable shrinkage can be tolerated. All types of out-
buildings, such as sheds and barns, can usually be safely constructed
of air-dried lumber. Air- dried lumber is also satisfactory for
products used outdoors, such as boxes and crates, parts of agricultural
implements, and truck and trailer bodies."

If you got 6%, good for you. I tend to go along with the FPL figures
publisehed in the report.



Joe
aka 10x