by Professor Gene Wengert
Q.
I dry red oak in a kiln using an Ebac dryer. It is about a 1000 bd.ft. kiln with enough air flow to maintain 110 degrees. The problem I am having is this: several boards, when they are planed, seem to be darker and harder than the rest (10 %). Is this just in the wood itself or is there a problem?
A.
I suspect that you have some lumber from a butt log that is much denser than normal, but this is just a guess. We do find that butt logs have darker color too. It is not a kiln problem.
Professor Gene Wengert is Extension Specialist in Wood Processing at the Department of Forestry, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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