# Oak stick & cane cut today



## CAS14 (Dec 28, 2012)

I took this morning off, and looked for material. I wanted ice storm deadwood, hanging and not rotting on the ground. No luck, but I found some oaks bent to the ground by larger fallen trees - these are alive but not for long. The wood is green, I'll wax the ends and leave in the garage to dry out.

Q: How long do you think I should dry them? Both pieces vary from 1 1/2" to 2" in dia.


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## Sean (Dec 29, 2012)

Those look like great pieces! Sealing the ends and leaving bark on will be good for preventing checking but will slow drying down.

Climate and humidity and type of wood, I think play a role in drying times however, an accepted general rule in the wood industry that

I've read is "one year for every inch of thickness." So looking at the way those sticks are there if cut green, sealed, with bark left on you might

find your looking at a year or more.


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## NightKnight (Dec 23, 2012)

An alternative to drying would be stableizing the wood chemically after letting them dry for a couple months.


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## CAS14 (Dec 28, 2012)

Thanks Sean and Aaron. I will tag them with the date and set up a drying rack on the garage wall. Although summer afternoons, with the sun beating on west-facing garage doors result in extreme heat. The attic would be similarly hot. I have an 8' x 8' outdoor work shed, open on two sides, where I might have room for a rack for the summer.

With luck, I will have an hour or more to search another hilltop today. Maybe I will get lucky and find ice storm damaged limbs still hanging and not rotted.


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