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Beech Boards, Milled and Air-Dried
Beech is very hard, tough and strong and takes a fine polish; it went into plane, handsaw and chisel handles (USDA, 1913). It is difficult to season and checks in drying, and it rots if left outdoors. Mill the log as for oak, keep the heartwood apart from the sapwood, and dry the boards slowly under cover.
The picture: freshly cut beech stems in the Silesian Beskids.
Intermediate
1 day milling, then a long drying
Instructions
1
1
The milling method
The milling method
Setting up the mill and the guide board, as for pine.
2
2
Mill the boards
Mill the boards
Mill a straight beech log into boards a few millimetres over 25 mm (our size). Beech is hard and may crack in milling: feed slowly and keep the chain sharp.
Materials for this step:
Hardwood Logs1 piece
Wood Screws6 piecesTools needed:
Chainsaw (professional forestry grade)
Chainsaw Mill
Pine Board
Cordless Drill
Straightedge
Spirit Level
Safety Helmet
Ear Protection Muffs
Leather Work Gloves
Steel-Toe Safety Boots3
3
Heart and sap apart
Heart and sap apart
Sort the boards: the darker heartwood is what nearly every use wants; the pale sapwood is seldom wanted (USDA 1913). Stack them separately.
4
4
Seal the ends
Seal the ends
Coat both ends of every board with wax end sealer the same day.
Materials for this step:
End Sealer (paraffin wax)0.5 liter5
5
Sticker under cover
Sticker under cover
Stack on a level base off the ground with stickers one above the other, in shade, cover the top against rain and weight the stack. Beech checks in drying and rots if it stays wet.
Materials for this step:
Wooden Sticker (drying spacer)40 piecesTools needed:
Wooden PalletSpirit Level
Tarp6
6
Measure, then bring indoors
Measure, then bring indoors
Read a board from the middle of the stack each season, and bring the boards indoors when they stop drying out of doors (as for oak).
Tools needed:
Moisture Meter7
7
Weight of a stack
Weight of a stack
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Materials
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Tools Required
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