# New fresh cut lumber



## kramerbryan (Oct 30, 2013)

What kind of lumber? You may be looking at more than a couple weeks. Also in the sun they might twist and warp. Usually boards are stacked with stickers in between to allow for air movement.


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## justin (Jun 16, 2007)

were the logs standing dead, or cured, or green? i'd ask whoever milled it, or get a cheap moisture meter. here we had one friend who had a moisture meter and about 6 people who borrowed it. you can find charts online for proper moisture content for different species of wood. if it does need to dry you might want to cut it down to 9 5/8 first, unless its going to shrink. are you planning to plane it? lots of variables.


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## epowers777 (Feb 24, 2015)

No planner. I'm gonna use a table saw to square it up and do a light sanding for the inside. I got 1 by 10 by 17 for 12 bucks a board. I should have done 12 inch wide boards. They feel dry but when you cut it they are wet.
I'm not sure if they were standing or fresh cut. 
How do you post pics?


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## cwood6_10 (Apr 17, 2012)

You need to stack them and let them dry. It takes a while for them to dry out completely. You can't post pics mobile that I knownof so you will have to so it on a computer. Scroll down and you will see where you can manage attachments.


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## epowers777 (Feb 24, 2015)

https://youtu.be/QslXmX4MoXg


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## epowers777 (Feb 24, 2015)

It's not letting me post the pic of the wood. I built one nuc already.


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## tech.35058 (Jul 29, 2013)

You will "probably" be fine.
the lumber will shrink some as it dries , or "cures".
the wider boards will have a tendency to split. or crack often refered to as "checking".
if allowed to "lay out" in the sun, it will warp. even kiln dried lumber does this.
My dad used to stack it in a shed, or with corrugated roofing over it if out doors, with one inch stacking strips between the boards, so that air could circulate.
we put concrete blocks on top to help it stay straight, but still it warped.
You are making beehives, the longest piece is 22 inches, ? the other boards it is nailed/glued to should hold it straight.
If you were going for long boards to build a barn or shed, the bent boards would get to be problematic 
Be sure to wear a dust mask, the wood dust can cause serious problems in your nose ( if you did it all day long for years & years ... just repeating the safety lecture from work ...)
Good luck ... CE


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

Green lumber built into hive boxes will shrink enough to compromise proper bee space unless you cut overwidth to start with. If you stack to dry all the advice of previous posters applies. You should use narrow stickers of preferably dry wood between layers and have your stack well up from the ground with a moisture barrier underneath. I stacked some valuable lumber and it all molded under the stickers. Talk about a revolting development!


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## bbbthingmaker (Sep 26, 2010)

general rule of thumb, air dry 1 year for each inch of thickness. That's if it is stickered and under a rain proof shed.


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## flyin-lowe (May 15, 2014)

If the board is actually 10 inches that might be good, assuming they are somewhat square. Most deep boxes are 9 5/8. A 1x10 from the lumber yard is less then that which is why many start with a 1x12. Not sure how square the boards that you have are, hopefully you can make them work.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

Wood will shrink, and you sizes will be off.
I agree a year to dry should be good


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

A 10" green board will be considerably less once it's dry. The ends will usually split badly if you don't paint them with glue while drying. Stack with stickers, cover with tin, and check back in a year.


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## garusher (May 28, 2012)

Ross said:


> A 10" green board will be considerably less once it's dry. The ends will usually split badly if you don't paint them with glue while drying. Stack with stickers, cover with tin, and check back in a year.


Yup, i bought fresh cut lumber last year for siding on a chicken shed. I stickered the lumber for at least 6 months and one important thing to do is paint the ends so the dry equally and do not split.

G>_


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

garusher said:


> Yup, i bought fresh cut lumber last year for siding on a chicken shed.


Did you buy pine lumber? in the Dexter area?


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## garusher (May 28, 2012)

FlowerPlanter said:


> Did you buy pine lumber? in the Dexter area?


No it was Cypress.
I am however considering using cypress instead of pine if i can find some 12"+ wide and 12' long

G>_


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## Michael B (Feb 6, 2010)

Sticker them until they are maximum 10% moisture. If you would will be frustrated when they shrink across the grain and the frames hang out the bottom of the box.


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## newbury (Jul 19, 2014)

Again - what tree is important. If it came from a nice straight unstressed pine you might get by with nailing it and letting it dry. I've cut gum that when nailed together would pull the nails out and spit them back at you. Elm is even worse.

The 1" per year rule of thumb is greatly dependent on your environment and the tree type. Arizona dries quicker than Mississippi. Pine dries quicker than hard maple.


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## Michael B (Feb 6, 2010)

Air dried white pine that was at 15%....so I said that's close enough. Ripped deeps to 9 5/8 and a month later it was 9 3/8. Ripped them into mediums after that.


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## THALL (Apr 6, 2010)

I agree. Stack the lumber with stickers under a roof and let it sit for a few months. The time it takes to bring the moister down in the lumber is determined my the species, thickness and environment. Most softwood lumber at 1'' thickness will need to be stacked for a few months to bring it down around 20 percent MC.


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## epowers777 (Feb 24, 2015)

I think it's white Pine. I live in northern California. I'll stack like everyone says and use ratchet straps. 
What if I cover with a black tarp and let the sides vent?


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## Sunday Farmer (Nov 13, 2013)

I buy green lumber and am in the same boat as you. You can get a moisture meter at Lowes for $20. Make an end cut, and test the lumber. This isn't necessary, but unfortunately pine will shrink out of your dimensions. Time of the year has a huge effect on the wood. Spring, light air, boards dry quick. The year per inch is a conservative estimate, but there is some built in protectionism there. I really like planing mine at 8% or so. You won't get much shrinkage at that point.


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## Sunday Farmer (Nov 13, 2013)

Michael B said:


> Air dried white pine that was at 15%....so I said that's close enough. Ripped deeps to 9 5/8 and a month later it was 9 3/8. Ripped them into mediums after that.


Ripped a couple hundred board feet at 6 1/8. Don't know what I was thinking. Cut a bunch of 1/2 inch strips, used inch staples with crown stapler and now have quite a few medium nuc boxes that are mediums, with this funny little half inch rim.


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## Michael B (Feb 6, 2010)

Sunday Farmer said:


> Ripped a couple hundred board feet at 6 1/8. Don't know what I was thinking. Cut a bunch of 1/2 inch strips, used inch staples with crown stapler and now have quite a few medium nuc boxes that are mediums, with this funny little half inch rim.


That's not out of the question to me.......buy these boxes were built for sale. So, you know!


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

It takes 6 months to air dry soft wood but bees could care less. If you make your boxes out of green lumber cut the length 1/8 longer then what the actual should be and make the height of the box 1/4 bigger then what it should actually be. Next year you can shave off a little when they are dry. Because of the shrinkage you might have a problem with a box finger joint but I suspect if you are using green lumber you are not going to make a box joint.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Acebird said:


> If you make your boxes out of green lumber cut the length 1/8 longer then what the actual should be and make the height of the box 1/4 bigger then what it should actually be. Next year you can shave off a little when they are dry.


And what if the 1/8" extra _slop _you advise building into the length of box is not enough when the wood finally shrinks, Ace?:scratch:

Frame top bars are 19". If you make the box an extra 1/8" long, and the wood shrinks 1/4" instead, then the frames will not fit on/between the frame rests. 

That will not be simple to fix, and even if one does go to the effort, then the thin, already vulnerable top edges of the hive body frame rest areas will be that much thinner than normal. 

Now it seems like *you *are shooting craps! :lpf:



Acebird said:


> If nature cooperates you will be a big winner and if she doesn't you will shoot craps. Place your bets ladies and gentlemen.


:ws:


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

The Woodworker's Guide to Wood by Rick Peters states, one year of air drying per inch of thickness is a good rule of thumb. I cut my pine lumber 10 1/4". I sticker and stack, put weight on top in an outdoor barn for a few months. Then I cut it 2" longer than I need, bring it in the house, sticker, stack and weigh it down again, put a fan on it and let it dry until I need it or until my wife threatens to throw me out.LOL By allowing it to lose most of the moisture outside in the first few months before cutting it into the short lengths and bringing it in, I seem to be able to avoid the end checking associated with rapid loss of moisture through the end grain. I get it down to about 12% fairly quickly, which is plenty dry for outdoor projects. 50% relative humidity = 9-10% equilibrium moisture content. 
I have never been able to use green lumber on anything with the tight tolerances of a bee hive. Green lumber seems to have a life of its own when put in the sun. The nails and joints don't hold etc.
I hope this helps.


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## Beregondo (Jun 21, 2011)

The risk is not just shrinkage.
AS it shrinks and drys, a 9 or ten inch board an inch thick also warps if not weighted down in a stack.

The further form the heat of the log the board was cut, the greater it's tendency to cup and warp.

AS it does, the top and bottom of the corner joints joints will fail as a gap grows at the edges of the boards warp and curve out (or in, depending on which way they face).

Apparently Mr. "Add an eighth inch" has never made a bee box out of green lumber.
But then it is easy to bet with someone else's investment. 

Have fun.
Enjoy your bees.

('Cuz you sure won't enjoy box failures form building with green lumber.)


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

I will say this. I ran out of wood I could find to build with and spent the last two days trying to cut logs into boards with a chainsaw. I am now going to try and build either a band saw mill or circular saw mill depending on what I come up with to use for building. It all started by seeing someone get a bandmill on another bee forum.

I am hoping it works in some fasion when I finaly get some boards made if I get a mill built without having to buy to much stuff. Time will tell. I pretty much used some old rough cut lumber already but in fairness, some of it may have been drying for 80 to 100 years. Some barn wood and such.

Good luck
gww


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## epowers777 (Feb 24, 2015)

I want to build an Alaskan mill with a chain saw. But if you had a few band saws (Craigslist) I'm sure you could build something. Check out YouTube. 

I talk to the guy who milled the lumber. The tree was dropped a few weeks ago. It was a Beetle tree. He thinks it will be ready in a few weeks.


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## Snowfighter (Nov 7, 2012)

Eric, I live just down the road from you and have a sawmill. Pine will be ready within a few weeks. Keep it out of the direct sun for sure.


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## Sunday Farmer (Nov 13, 2013)

Michael B said:


> That's not out of the question to me.......buy these boxes were built for sale. So, you know!


well hey! in that case, nice shallows!


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## rookie2531 (Jul 28, 2014)

I just bought 300 board feet of 12" hemlock and poplar mixed to experiment with rough cut and planed results as far as propolis. When I started unloading the stack, I noticed how wet the boards are. I was planning on building right away. Now it looks like next years projects, but now that I have them, I can just buy fresh lumber every year and have dry lumber to work with. I guess its like everything else. A time investment.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> And what if the 1/8" extra _slop _you advise building into the length of box is not enough when the wood finally shrinks, Ace?:scratch:


It will be enough.



> If you make the box an extra 1/8" long, and the wood shrinks 1/4" instead,


That can't possibly happen.
Ahudd, The inside moisture of a bee hive will be considerably wetter than 12%. The outside moisture will be more of an issue so I would wrap the hive with white tyvec that will slow down the drying rate. The following year you can remove it and paint. If you are going to dry the lumber first do not place it in the sun. I might even suggest you cover the top layer with a tarp leaving the ends open. That will keep off the rain and keep warping to a minimum.

An Alaskan saw mill waste trees use a band saw.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

rookie2531 said:


> I just bought 300 board feet of 12" hemlock and poplar mixed to experiment with rough cut ...


Just so you know, poplar is not a good choice for glue and nail joints on exterior use (especial a bee hive). I would advice using screws.


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

What if I cover with a black tarp and let the sides vent?[/QUOTE]

You need a Lot of air circulation. All you need to do is keep rain from falling on it. If you cover it to tightly moisture con condense on the inside of the tarp and fall back onto your wood. Without enough circulation it can mold. If it was standing dead then you may be able to use it sooner.(I read your later post)


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

>> If you make the box an extra 1/8" long, and the wood shrinks 1/4" instead ...



Acebird said:


> That can't possibly happen.


Ah yes, Acebird the _lumber _expert.  The same lumber 'expert' that thinks that all trees of the same species grown near each other will yield _identical _boards! :lpf:

This was on a previous thread that revolves around using green lumber for bee boxes, and may be of interest for its "non-Acebird" posts from knowledgeable posters such as _Windfall_ and _psfred_. Here's the thread:
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?276577-Moisture-content-of-wood-and-building-boxes


And from that thread, in response to a reasonable post from _psfred _about the variation in individual boards, Ace responded ...



psfred said:


> it's very difficult to predict how much the wood will shrink, every single log is different!





Acebird said:


> Not from the same species of wood grown in earth close together.



:ws:

... wait til you read Ace's explanation of 'quarter sawn' lumber ...  ... same thread ...


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

Acebird said:


> It will be enough.
> 
> 
> That can't possibly happen.
> ...


 I did not suggest putting green lumber in the sun. I wasn't clear on that, I guess. I said it seems to take on a life of its own, meaning twisting and warping and Shrinking. If you build a hive from green lumber are you not planning to put it in the sun. If not, you might as well wait until your lumber dries to build the thing. I would not wrap a green lumber beehive with Tyvek or any other such product. I know Tyveck breathes but I doubt if it does enough to get rid of that much moisture. I think that would be inviting mold and mildew. Wood is never stable, especially outside. the moisture content constantly changes with the relative humidity. 
What I described works for me. As always there are exceptions to every rule and someone who has done it differently and gotten by with it. There are a lot of people in my neck of the woods who have been sawmilling for many generations and who were generous about sharing their knowledge with me. I followed their advice and it worked, so I am comfortable passing it on. I am sure there is still much for me to learn.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

AHudd said:


> If you build a hive from green lumber are you not planning to put it in the sun.


Yes, which is why I suggest wrapping it in tyvec. The tyvec will shield the hive from rain and let the moisture out slowly. If you do not wrap it it will dry like crazy on the outside while the inside stays wet. This will cause the boards to cup out. When the moisture dissipates from the inside wall over time it will go back the other way.

Now when you assemble the boxes you should mount them so the annular rings curve out. When the wood drys it will cause the sides to cup in meaning the center of the board will try to move out. This is better than having the top and the bottom of the box move out especially where the top bars set in the rabbited groove. If the center moves out it won't hurt a thing, bees could care less.



> I know Tyveck breathes but I doubt if it does enough to get rid of that much moisture. I think that would be inviting mold and mildew. Wood is never stable, especially outside. the moisture content constantly changes with the relative humidity.


Same as a house wrapped in tyvec. If it did not breath the house would rot in no time. There was a time when houses were wrapped in asphalt paper and it did more harm then good.

Drying lumber will not stop it from warping. It will warp based on how straight the annular rings are. If you do not have a way to mill the lumber flat after it drys then it doesn't matter if you dry it first. If the moisture varies after it is milled flat it will warp again. You won't stop it from warping as the wood gives up and takes on moisture. The only way you can minimize warping is to saw the wood so the annular rings are equal (quarter sawn). This yields much narrower boards that you would have to mill and glue together to make them wide enough. It also generates much more waste of the lumber and typically is not done unless the wood is used for furniture.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Ace, _lumber expert_, what was it that prompted you to use *OSB *for an outdoor deck?


Acebird said:


> I used Osb for a second story deck and painted both side. I think that was the downfall. After two years [HIGHLIGHT] it rotted to the point that a friend fell through in the winter time. [/HIGHLIGHT]


 :no:


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

Acebird said:


> Same as a house wrapped in tyvec. If it did not breath the house would rot in no time. There was a time when houses were wrapped in asphalt paper and it did more harm then good.


Houses are not built out of green lumber. Let's compare apples to apples. As I said before, what I described works for me, if what you describe works for you, then GO for it.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> Ace, _lumber expert_, what was it that prompted you to use *OSB *for an outdoor deck?
> 
> 
> :no:


It was free. Once the deck was built it became an asset to the property. Once it became an asset to the property the replacement with trex decking was a repairable expense. So now we have a second story deck that will outlive me that I didn't have to pay for.:thumbsup:


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## clyderoad (Jun 10, 2012)

OSB decking, brilliant!
These posts only get better! keep up the good work. :lpf:



Acebird said:


> It was free. Once the deck was built it became an asset to the property. Once it became an asset to the property the replacement with trex decking was a repairable expense. So now we have a second story deck that will outlive me that I didn't have to pay for.:thumbsup:


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> >> If you make the box an extra 1/8" long, and the wood shrinks 1/4" instead ...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I wish I had read that previous thread, I could have saved myself a lot of arguing with Ace. That thread covered it all. There's not much more to be said, except to say to Ace, all rift sawn is quarter sawn, but not all Quarter sawn is rift sawn. LOL


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

I had to look up the term rift sawn. I never came across that term and I wouldn't know where to get it in a commercial application. If someone had a band mill they might be able to do it their self but buying it commercially has never crossed my path.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

AHudd said:


> Houses are not built out of green lumber.


Well yeah they are. My brother in law (now deceased) was a licensed professional engineer from the state of New York. We built his house out of the timber on the land, all rough cut pine. There is nothing preventing you from doing so. Before you go off on a tangent, he was not a shoemaker. He learned to build top notched cabinetry from his father. Quality meant for a church.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Acebird said:


> I had to look up the term [HIGHLIGHT]rift sawn. I never came across that term [/HIGHLIGHT] ...


That is just hilarious, Ace! :lpf:  

You claim you didn't know what 'rift sawn' means, and yet in that previous thread, you had your _*Lumber Expert*_ hat on and were lecturing us all about exactly that ...



Acebird said:


> Quarter sawn and rift sawn are not the same thing. Look at the two end pieced of the quarter sawn diagram. The rings could be up to 45 degrees. Only the center board is 90 exactly as it is with rift sawn and the single slab board cut from the center of a log.


:digging:


... its must be really _difficult _trying to keep all your different stories straight


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> ... its must be really _difficult _trying to keep all your different stories straight


Hey, call it a senior moment I forgot I came across the term a year ago. When you stop wiping your snot nose you will begin to have senior moments and then some snot nose like yourself will remind you.

So Mr. Sidetrack where can you buy rift sawn lumber today? And who in their right mind would pay for it for a beehive?


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Ace, you and I are of a similar age.

The problem is you shoot from the hip without giving your posts any serious thought before you click 'reply'.


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

Acebird said:


> Well yeah they are. My brother in law (now deceased) was a licensed professional engineer from the state of New York. We built his house out of the timber on the land, all rough cut pine. There is nothing preventing you from doing so. Before you go off on a tangent, he was not a shoemaker. He learned to build top notched cabinetry from his father. Quality meant for a church.


And there you go again, comparing apples to oranges. We were talking about Lumber not Timber. 
I have heard timber frame can be done green, but I still wouldn't attempt it. With all of that shrinkage, I don't know how I could keep it square and plumb. I guess if it got too bad I could cover it up with some quarter or rift sawn OSB, but then I would have to paint it. Is there no end to the madness?


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

AHudd said:


> I guess if it got too bad I could cover it up with some quarter or rift sawn OSB, but then I would have to paint it. Is there no end to the madness?


 _AHudd_, I see you are relatively new to Beesource. 

Standard protocol when replying to him is to add copious amounts of smileys.  This process is officially encouraged by Beesource.:lookout: From the FAQ section ...



> What are smilies?​
> Smilies are icons that can be used in your posts to express emotions or feelings. You might wish to use these to show that you are happy, sad, joking, or embarrassed. For example, if you are telling a joke or being sarcastic you may wish to add a wink instead of writing 'this is a joke'.
> 
> http://www.beesource.com/forums/faq.php?s=&do=search&q=smiley&titleandtext=1&match=all


:banana:

... don't forget to paint *both *sides of that OSB. And don't worry about any of your friends falling through the rotten deck either. :shhhh:


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> _AHudd_, I see you are relatively new to Beesource.
> 
> Standard protocol when replying to him is to add copious amounts of smileys.  This process is officially encouraged by Beesource.:lookout: From the FAQ section ...
> 
> ...


OK, Thanks for the help.:thumbsup:


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

Not only am I new to BeeSource,but new to forums as well.:s
Looks like I got it going now.
I'm not sure if Ace is just having fun with us or if he is a bona fide contrarian. :scratch:


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

Acebird said:


> It was free. *Once the deck was built it became an asset to the property*.


I think using OSB as a deck would be considered negligence by a personal injury lawyer, and the court. 

Was your employer pleased to have the OSB "repairable asset"?


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

BeeCurious said:


> Was your employer pleased to have the OSB "repairable asset"?


He is the one that paraded the accountant around and added the equity to the building. You can only be considered negligent if someone gets hurt and they take you to court. No one got hurt.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

deleted duplicate.


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## rmaxwell (Apr 23, 2014)

keep in mind that kiln dried wood made into a hive body and then subjected quickly to bees drying nectar can also present problems. 

I have lumber kiln dried to 7% that I recently made into boxes. Packages arrived quicker than I expected and I slapped a finish on the boxes and installed the bees. Placed a hive top feeder and threw the syrup to the new package. 

Unfortunately, I did two things wrong. The boxes didn't have a chance to reach equilibrium conditions (outside moisture is higher than 7% and they were made in a de-humidified shop) and, when I put the telescoping cover on top, I failed to check that it was slid back enough that the ventilation hole was not covered. All that syrup and incoming nectar was being dried inside boxes without adequate ventilation.

Those conditions can wreak havoc on extra dry lumber that is sealed on the outside. Lesson learned.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

rmaxwell said:


> Those conditions can wreak havoc on extra dry lumber that is sealed on the outside. Lesson learned.


Did they grow 1/4 inch and all the frames fall off the lip like Rader thinks they will?


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Acebird said:


> Did they[HIGHLIGHT] grow 1/4 inch[/HIGHLIGHT] and all the frames fall off the lip like Rader thinks they will?


:scratch:"Grow" ?!? :s

I said nothing about frames falling off boxes. My comment was with respect to green lumber _DRYING _and _SHRINKING_! :lpf:


... its all starts back in post #26 ...

[HR] [/HR]
Update: it appears from post #60 that Ace may think I was referring to the frames FALLING OFF the edge of the frame rest. However, if one goes back and reads my posts again, I was referring to the BOX SHRINKING to the point that the distance between the box sides - where the frame rests are - is TOO SMALL for the the frames to fit in.



... sorry for the all caps, but I don't know how else to get the the message across. 



... remember, Ace, reading is FUNdamental ... 

.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> And what if the 1/8" extra _slop _you advise building into the length of box is not enough when the wood finally shrinks, Ace?:scratch:
> 
> Frame top bars are 19". If you make the box an extra 1/8" long, and the wood shrinks 1/4" instead, then the frames will not fit on/between the frame rests.





Rader Sidetrack said:


> :scratch:"Grow" ?!? :s
> 
> I said nothing about frames falling off boxes. My comment was with respect to green lumber _DRYING _and _SHRINKING_! :lpf:


You keep referencing this thread
http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...ture-content-of-wood-and-building-boxes/page4

Link from thread
http://www.woodworkerssource.com/movement.php


> Shrinkage in the longitudinal direction is minimal, only about 0.1 %, and can generally be ignored for most furniture applications.


If a board shrinks when it dries it will grow when it takes on moisture.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

> ... be ignored for most furniture applications.


"furniture applications"? :scratch:

Ace, do you keep your wood furniture *OUTDOORS*? Aren't we talking about hive bodies - that are *OUTDOORS*?

:digging:


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## tech.35058 (Jul 29, 2013)

Yikes, what an example of human nature.
I will try to learn to keep bees, & leave sawmill work to those who can afford the resources to learn that also.
I will continue to scrounge what I can, & learn as I go.
happy brawling, y,all. ... CE


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## Tim B (Apr 16, 2009)

It is pretty dicey using fully green lumber for your boxes. Green lumber works okay for bottoms and lids. Lumber shrinks very little over its length so shrinking leading to a smaller box isn't a problem. Cupping could be a problem as well but might be overcome with box joints. There are scales that estimate shrinkage over the width of the board but that even varies depending on whether the board's grain is perpendicular or parallel to the board. This can be overcome by building the boxes around 10 1/4 with a 3/8 inch rabbit for the frames to sit in. That will give you the wrong beespace at the bottom but that won't matter much if you are using them as the bottom box in either a single or double deep configuration. If there are bigger knots they might warp sides of the box as they will dry unevenly. If you paint a green box the paint probably will peel. If you never get around to painting them that's probably okay. I have equipment that has survived unpainted for the past thirty five years. In green lumber nails will also loosen a bit as the wood dries and won't retain a tight grip. I've been keeping for a long time and I've learned that in a pinch, anything will work if it will hold the frames. I've seen hives that were nearly rotted away hold colonies for many years. In that context I would say, building them with whatever you have and make it work. If your boards turn out too narrow nail and glue a rim on the bottom with a waterproof glue and keep using them. If green was all I had I'd build only what I needed and stack the rest in a flat place with stickered every 18 inches or so. (For the record, I saw and plane my own pine and hardwood lumber, (know how to quarter saw and rift saw ) and build all my own equipment along with almost anything else I set my mind to.)


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## mobe_45 (Mar 14, 2015)

:thumbsup:


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