Harvesting my walnut crop?

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redhawknc1

New User
Wayne
I've had a stack of walnut about 5' wide and 5 ' high drying for a couple of years...checked today and it ran from 12% to about 13.6% moisture. So, I decided to start harvesting! Loaded the carryall on my tractor to the hilt. All the walnut seems nice and flat, with a little twist on a couple boards. The weight of all the cinder blocks and all the stickering might have paid off.
Now, I need to get this on the shelves in my shop where it is air conditioned about 8 hours a day.(While I am in there piddling). Sent about 16 6/4 boards through my Powermatic 20" planer and just took the outside off each side. Still have over 1 1/4" left approx. Should I go ahead and joint this stuff before I plane it? My thoughts were a rough planing on boards that were really flat. And then put up (don't know where, my shop is full, will have to make room) with stickers on my wood racks. Then with enough time, it should equalize to my shop humidity, correct? Then joint, plane and use!
Still have a stack 5' wide past my knees of 6/4 walnut that I picked out while the logs were being sawed drying. Got about another year on that stuff. Any suggestions? Here are a few of the boards. Have about 20 left...
w14.jpg

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Kdub

New User
Kurt
did you have those no sapwood walnuts or something? those boards look real good.
 

Tarhead

Mark
Corporate Member
What kind of moisture levels are you getting in the acclimated lumber in your shop? If it's much different than where your Walnut is I would stack and sticker it in your shop until you are ready to use it. It'll move around and you'll have to joint and plane it again if you square it now.
 

eyekode

New User
Salem
I am sorry you have completely ruined those boards. The only thing they are good for is fire wood. Oh.. by the way I am running low on fire wood :)
 

dkeller_nc

New User
David
Yes, it will equalize, but without running either an air conditioner or a dehumidifier, it may be late winter before they're down to 8% or so.

I would advise jointing, planing or doing anything else to them. Wood moves continually, and with grain like that, it may move in the opposite way to which you jointed and planed them at 13% MC. Far better, in my opinion, to get them down to usable MC and only surface them right before you wish to use them in a project.
 
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