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Been a subscriber to Fine Woodworking since issue 1. Once again Taunton Press delivers a fine product.
Maybe you'll find a few good grains in this collection, but a lot of chaff. 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 few articles that spoke to my needs were too short to give a discussion that I'd find worthwhile. 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 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. 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.
Plenty of info on air drying and solar kilns but I wished it revealed the mysteries of a large kiln. I enjoyed reading it and learned alot about how to cut and dry lumber myself. I would like to see a drying table with humidity control and more on stress relieving wood. Like other Fine Woodworking books it's basically a collection of articles from their magazine. But they are very interesting articles.
Overall, an inexpensive resource with a lot of usefull information for the serious wood hobbiest that harvests, saws and drys their own lumber. Different types of kiln plans are included including solar, and dehumidification types. 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. It also includes a detailed section on kiln construction for the hobbiest.
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