Drying Hardwood Lumber focuses on common methods for drying lumber of different thickness, with minimal drying defects, for high quality applications. This manual also includes predrying treatments that, when part of an overall quality-oriented drying system, reduce defects and improve drying quality, especially of oak lumber. Special attention is given to drying white wood, such as hard maple and ash, without sticker shadow or other discoloration. Several special drying methods, such as solar drying, are described, and proper techniques for storing dried lumber are discussed. Suggestions are provided for ways to economize on drying costs by reducing drying time and energy demands when feasible. Each chapter is accompanied by a list of references. Some references are cited in the chapter; others are listed as additional sources of information.

With relative humidity and temperature data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the average equilibrium moisture content for each month of the year was calculated for 262 locations in the United States and 122 locations outside the United States. As an aid for storage of kiln-dried lumber, a graph is presented for determining the reduction in equilibrium moisture content that results from heating air in an enclosed storage space above the temperature of the outside air.

To satisfy the increasing demand for forest products, much of the future timber supply will be from improved trees grown on managed plantations. This fast-grown resource will tend to be harvested in short age rotations and will contain higher proportions of juvenile wood than that of current harvests. In anticipation of this resource, definitive information is needed on the influence of juvenile wood on lumber properties so that grading rules and the associated allowable design stresses can be modified as needed. This document reports the results of an extensive review of the literature on juvenile wood in southern pines. This report defines and discusses the extent, occurrence, and characteristics of juvenile wood. It reviews the effects that environment and silviculture have on the amount of juvenile wood produced. Finally, the impacts that juvenile wood has on mechanical properties were quantified. The results of this quantification are significant to all producers of fast-grown plantations. Research has clearly shown that juvenile wood will have a detrimental impact on allowable design stresses for visually graded lumber. It is critical that methods are developed to more carefully manage fast-grown plantation wood for its most efficient use. This review should serve as an overall collection of knowledge pertaining to juvenile wood research in southern pines and should help in the decision-making efforts to improve seedling selection techniques and silvicultural practices to maximize the potential for fast-grown plantations of southern pines.