How To Dry Wood Fast For Woodworking?

If we’re going to get some dry wood, it is probably not possible for the time being. We may end up getting a wet wood. But that doesn’t fit into our woodworking. As we have to work anyhow, we should know how we can dry it up.

That’s why in this article, we will tell you about how to dry wood fast for woodworking. You will be able to follow each step correctly. And then you can continue your woodworking without any interference and make a lot of money.

Contents

How To Dry Wood Fast For Woodworking – Step By Step Guide

This section is the main gist of the article. It will cover all the critical steps that you need to perform to dry up your wood. It will help you to do this task efficiently and very fast. Generally, people assume many things on their own and end up doing the process in the wrong way. If you go through the process given below, then you can be saved from a blunder. Let’s see the process in-depth:

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Step 1: Have a Stock Wood Moisture Meter

In this step, the first thing you need to do is buy a stock wood moisture meter. Whenever we want to do any work, first we should know the work amount. If we know the level of moisture in the wood, then it will be much easier to plan the amount of work.

So, a stock wood moisture meter will tell us the level of the amount present in the wood material. If the moisture is not too much, we can do the more straightforward tasks to dry it up.

If the moisture is higher in level, then we should go for some tasks in depth. A stock wood moisture meter has two metal probes. These probes are used to touch against the wood. And just by this contact, we will get to know the moisture content in our wood.

You should know that the acceptable moisture content for any ordinary woodworking is 7 percent. If the moisture level is below this, then you need not go for the drying process. But if it is showing the moisture content more than 7%, then you should follow the other steps also.

Step 2: Laying Down A Row Of Sticks

Now, after seeing the moisture content in your wood. You know the amount of dryness that your wood need. In this step, what you need to do initially is to lay down a row of sticks. These sticks should be pieces of already dried wood. The dimensions of these sticks can be around 2 x 4’s. Now, lay these sticks down by leaving a space of 16 inches between each consecutive pair. This will work as a base of elevated nature.

The space in this base allows the air to pass through the wooden part for quick dryness. The number of sticks that you need to lay down depends upon the size of your wood. Measure the size of your wood and then prepare a base of that size.

You can alter the spaces between the sticks, according to you. If you have fewer sticks, then leave less space. But make sure that these sticks are not congested; otherwise, the wood will not get the proper air it needs.

Step 3: Stacking Of The Board

Now, you have completed preparing the baseboard for your wood. You are now ready to use them. Now, take the wood that you wish to dry. Place the wood on the base that you have prepared by using the dried sticks. Place it carefully. You can see here a post on how to stack firewood.

You can even do this for multiple blocks of wood together. Start placing them on the base with layer one. All the woods that you want to dry should be placed perpendicular to the sticks.

Otherwise, the wood will fall from the space between two sticks. Here also, you should place all the woods with proper spacing. Leave a space of about an inch or two in between two successive sticks.

This placement of woods and sticks will create a matrix with equal and proper spacing between each of them. It will allow proper airflow through the setup. If you want to dry your woods faster, then make sure that the airflow is maximum.

The better the airflow, the better the drying up of wood. It is better to place all the sticks far apart in the base but not too far. Also, place your woods with proper and maximum possible spacing.

Step 4: Adding Layer Of Sticks

Now, your first layer is prepared. Then, you should proceed by preparing another layer on this first layer. But make sure that you do not place other wood pieces directly on this layer. Again you need to prepare a base on this first layer. Prepare this layer using dried sticks. And place them perpendicular to the woods. If you place the woods directly on the first layer, then it will stop the airflow.

Place these dried sticks with 16 inches spacing, as you did earlier. After this base, place another pair of woods with 1-inch space between them. It is the same way that you did in the previous step. Now, it is understood that you need to prepare a 3-dimensional matrix like this.

You are placing of sticks and then wood. Continue this pattern until you have your woods to dry up. You need to maintain proper spacing between each wood and stick. This is to ensure proper airflow.

Step 5: Weighing Of The Wood Board

Now the prepared matrix can be called a stack by keeping a proper airflow. After this preparation, the essential thing is weighing. You need to weigh down your stack using a suitable device. If you are working outdoors, then protect your stack from rain and moisture. You can protect your stack by getting a big piece of plywood.

The size of this plywood should cover the whole stack. Cover the top of the stack with this plywood material and then weigh it down. Weigh the stack using some bricks. This will provide the required pressure. As the wood starts getting dry up, it will wrap up. This wrapping up is not a good sign of woodworking.

You need to prevent this wrapping up of wood. Weigh it down enough such that it doesn’t get wrapped up. This will help you in eliminating future errors and defects.

Step 6: Reducing The Drying Time Of Your Wood

Now, if you have followed all the steps correctly, then go for the following steps. By following the above steps carefully, your wood should dry up very fast. Just make sure that your whole stack has a warmer and drier environment. This will increase the drying process reasonably quickly. It does not matter if you are working indoors or outdoors. You need to provide the right environment and surroundings for your wooden stack. You can use a heat gun otherwise.

Also, have some patience when performing these steps. As you are drying up a wooden log, it will take some more time than drying small sticks. Follow all the steps slowly but carefully. Follow all the advice and tips. This will reduce the amount of waiting time. If you have created your stack with proper gaps and spacing, then you will see the result of it.

Things You Would Need

A dehumidifier
A wooden board
Some wooden sticks
A microwave wood drier
A table fan
Kiln drying for wood

Tips

Try to do the whole process in indoors as much as possible. Prevent the wood from the outside atmosphere because it will not get dried up quickly due to moisture in the air.
If you do not find a perfect indoor place for this process, choose some outdoor place. Remember that the place should be sunny, dry, and windy. This will help to finish the task very fast.
To get more wind, use a table fan or something that helps in that.
To remove the maximum amount of work, use a dehumidifier if possible.
It is worth buying a dehumidifier if you do not have one.
Use the process of Kiln Dry. This will help you complete your task in a couple of hours if the wood is a little smaller.
If it is possible, get a microwave wood drying. This will also help you to remove unwanted moisture and provide warmth to your wood.
If you are working with more heat, then wear gloves to protect your hands.
Leave proper spacing in the stack that you are preparing.
Work with a warmer and drier environment.
Do not perform any task in a hurry; have patience.
Do not leave your stock outside; otherwise, it will gain some moisture content. It can also get affected by rain.

FAQs

1. If we are working indoors, then what can we use as a fast drier?

In this case, you can get a garage heater of good quality. This will help you to increase the healing process very fast and efficiently.

2. Which one is better, working outdoors or indoors?

Well, if you work indoors, then it will eliminate the possibility of natural hindrances like rain, storms, etc. You can also work outside, but you should take care of your stock correctly if you are working outdoors. Working indoors will be the best option, though.

3. If we are working outdoors, how can we protect our wooden stack from rain?

If you are expecting such weather of rain, then you can use plywood to cover your stock. This will work just as a precaution. But if you need to protect your stack, then buy a waterproof trap of heavy-duty. This will protect your stack from all the unwanted things.

4. Should we use both a dehumidifier and a table fan together or separately?

Using both a dehumidifier and a table fan together will help in increasing the drying process to very high volume. There is no harm in using both the devices together.

5. What is a kiln dry, and how to use it?

If you don’t know about the kiln dry, go to a shop near you. Kiln drying a block of wood is a more efficient way of drying wood than the air-drying process. It helps in controlling both the humidity and the temperature. But there are certain restrictions in using it.

Final Thoughts

We hope that you got an immense amount of help from this article. Doing a task perfectly needs a useful guide or process that can guide you in each step.

If you follow all the steps provided in the article, then you should be able to dry up your wood very fast. This will help you to start your work as early as possible. You need not wait for the wood itself to get dried up after so many days. Moreover, Moreover, you should also get a Vac for your wood shop to clean the mess.

If you leave your wood in the wet condition itself, then it may ruin your whole project. A block of wet wood can get spoiled by moisture, and it will leave its strength.

So, never leave your wood by thinking that it will dry up by itself. You should take care of your products correctly. According to us, you will get much more benefit if you pair up each step with some good online tutorials. But remember that you should always have some written guide with you.

This will help you to know some of the tips and tricks that are not provided in online tutorials generally. I hope to see you back with another article!