Drying Koa? (long)
Gary Miller
>Just returned from holidays in Hawaii (not so subtle gloat) and received the Koa wood I had shipped. Small quantity, perhaps a dozen pieces of varying size of 4/4 and 8/4.
The moisture content as tested at the Hardwood dealer in Hilo was 15%--had been air dried for 2 years.
An Oklahoma City winter is generally very dry, with temperture swings of 10 to 60 degrees.
I am concerned about drying the Koa too quickly, so have painted the ends w/ latek paint to slow drying and am stickering the wood in the garage.
Did I do this correctly? I am wondering if I am overreacting? I plan to move move the wood into my inside the house bench room (even lower humidity than the garage/machine room) in a few months.
This stuff is expensive--$12 to $20/bdf, so I don't want it to endsplit and twist. Really beautiful wood!
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Gary