Australian Wood Review – September 2019

84 Australian Wood Review

TIMBER

20 x 20mm garden stakes cut to

support the full width work well –

space them around 400mm apart. The

stickers should be the same thickness

as this helps to keep the slabs flat and

reduce any warping.

Strapping the pack tight after stacking

will help to prevent warping, cupping

and twisting as the timber dries.

Ratchet straps are ideal for this and

best placed 500mm to 750mm apart,

making sure there is a strap close to

each end. Edge protectors will help

prevent the straps from digging into

the slabs.

Covering the stack will protect it from

the weather. A sound structure can be

made using roofing iron and timber (or

marine ply and timber) ensuring it is

stable and weighted down to prevent

blowing away. Leave a space between

the top slab and the roof for airflow.

Monitor the stack on a monthly basis

to make sure there are no leaks and

also to retighten the straps as the

timber shrinks.

The recommended moisture content

for furniture grade hardwoods is

between 8 and 13%². Timber for use in

furniture needs to be dried to ensure

its structural integrity and greatly

reduce wood movement. Dry timber

will glue and join effectively, and take

a finish without reaction.

As a guide, a 25mm thickness of timber

can take up to 12 months to dry. One

important point to remember is that

air drying will only reduce the moisture

content (MC) of the slabs to the

surrounding temperature and relative

humidity (this is called the equilibrium

moisture content or EMC). In humid

and warmer areas such as Queensland,

kiln drying will be required.

Kiln drying

Once your slabs have reached around

25% MC they can go in a solar kiln to

finish the drying process. Commercial

kilns will charge a cubic metre rate

to dry your timber. I have used

LDS Silviculture in Federal, NSW a

company which owns and operates

solar kilns for this purpose.

A kiln will ensure uniform drying in

much less time than by air drying

Above: Once sawn, slabs need to

be stickered in stacks. The ‘pack’

was then strapped and covered

before being air and then kiln dried.

Above right: After air drying the

quandong slabs were finished off

in a solar kiln.

Opposite: The finished quandong

table shown in the client’s home.