common
questions:
Storing
wood...What you want to do is provide good air-flow
all around the wood, so it all stays at the same relative
moisture content. If it's kiln dried wood, and simply
stacked (no stickers) in a damp location, the outside
edges will start absorbing the moisture, but the inside
will remain dry. When it comes time to work the wood,
you may (will) have problems. Conversely, if it's green
lumber, stacked (not stickered) the outside will begin
to dry but the inside will remain wet. Again, you're
gonna have problems working it. And it's the 'wet' that
attracts the fungus spores (mold, mildew, etc) that
begins to grow on the wood.
So, if we must err, then err on the side of safety...Sticker
the wood! It's much better for the wood, it will keep
it flat, straight and true, and it looks pretty. Those
who enter your shop and see a nice, neat stack of stickered
lumber, and will be impressed with your professional
attitude toward woodworking. Personally, I wouldn't
bother covering the stack with a tarp. Just let it breath.
- Jules
The
lumber racks I use are pretty simple. Basically
they are 4X4's (I used screwed and glued 2X4's) sitting
on the concrete and lagged to the studs with a series
of 7/8" holes drilled at about 5deg above horizontal
spaced I think about 18" apart. Using 1/2" black pipe
cut to 20" long as supports for the lumber. The thing
you need to watch is to make sure your holes for the
pipe are level with each other.
- RandyS
Storing
hardwood...No matter how far off the bare ground,
you still will probably design a rack, made of wood.
So you basically are ending up with your wood on a collision
course with insect problems. You need a very stable,non-wood
barrier from the ground to your wood. Do you have access
to your attic? Its always best to have attic vents on
your gable ends. If you don't, install some and store
your lumber up there. Remember,when you go to use your
lumber,bring down enough for that one project and let
it sit near where the completed project will end up,for
at least a week, so it gets used to that environment.
- woodchuck1954
Storing
hardwood...The other thing is you do need to sticker
it when you store it. The normal changes in humidity
will cause the boards on the outside to gain or loose
more than the stuff in the middle causing issues. Stickers
allow air flow and keeps all sides of the wood at the
same condition. a few boards is ok but you have a lot
and need to have it stored away from major changes.
- Lou Williams
Make
sure that you build cabinets or buy some old ones. I
used the old birch kitchen cabinets from my old house...
and I have a rolling cabinet for power tools (routers,
belt sanders, 1/4, 1/2 sheet and detail sanders, jig
saws, biscuit jointer, drills, circular saw, rotary
tool, heat gun, glue gun, etc.) and another one for
screws, nails, fasteners, and etc. If you use pegboards
to hand everything, your shop will never be neat.
- Robert Walker