Thread: Black/Silver Wattle - Smallest size that will air dry?

Looks like Black wattle. Sapwood prone to Lyctus attack. Quite easy to air dry. Can produce some very nice timber, as evident in your photo. Seal ends well and close sticker. The difference in drying time between 25 and 20mm would be negligable and not worth the risk. Short thin boards are hard to keep flat and straight.

Originally Posted by rustynail

The difference in drying time between 25 and 20mm would be negligable and not worth the risk. Short thin boards are hard to keep flat and straight.

Thanks Mate - exactly the kind of experienced view I was after.

So far most of the boards are 200mm wide, and log was only about 1100mm long - wish I had've been around when the tree feller dropped the tree and chopped up the trunk - I would got him to make sure the logs were more like 2500mm...oh well...

Have racked the boards we've already cut with stickers at about 200mm spacings, so that should be fine, but I'll have to paint the ends of them all before I put them to bed properly with weight on.

Have some other logs that I am hoping to 'Oval' slab and I will make these about 40mm thick I think - should get some fairly interesting shapes out of that exercise...anyone had any experience of doing 'oval slabbing?
Worth the effort? Any huge safety or other issues I should consider?

Hopefully in a year or so I'll have more timber than I need and I'll be trying to sell/swap some of them on here...as well as having plenty of Coffee Tables / Boxes to make for Friends and Family.

Many Thanks
Ian

Ian, it is a lot easier to paint the log ends before you mill. make sure your stickers start and finish at the very ends of the pack, otherwise the ends will wind.

re the coffee tables, a handsome size is legs of 4"x4"; these internally screw and glue to a framework of 4"x2" on edge. the corners are perfectly mitred. the legs rise up to a height (perhaps half inch or 3/4") that leaves the correct distance from the top of the frame to place a sheet of ply atop that will become flush with the top of the frame. i made these commercially in W.A. with jarrah and glued 6 or 8 30mmx30mm patterned tiles flush with the top with grout between. the wood was stained with 2 coats of linseed and 2 of cabots oil. hope this is of some help.

B-E

Nice looking timber. It will be worth taking some time with it.

Regards
Paul