Stacking lumber for drying is a critical part of producing quality lumber. Just like selecting the right sawmill for the cutting of the logs into lumber is critical to producing quality lumber, (we recommend the proven Swedish Mill, of course) drying the lumber produced correctly can be just as important. Certain species of wood, when left to dry without stacking properly can turn into what sometimes looks more like snakes, than lumber. Recently, the guys from Logosol built a stack on the Griffin Farm, in order to demonstrate how to correctly stack lumber for air drying.
A
Solid Foundation
Rob says, "The most important thing about building a stack for drying is providing a level, solid foundation for drying." Here are foundation blocks that were purchased at a local building supply store. These make an excellent foundation for a drying stack. You can also use bricks, cinder blocks, or treated posts. But, whatever you use as your foundation, be sure it will remain level, won't rot, and be strong enough to hold the load. Also, it should allow air to flow underneath the stack.
Selecting
a Site
Of course, you should also select a level spot for the stack. One that is partially shaded is ideal. Rob found this spot in back of the Swedish Mill. This allowed for ease of stacking of wood right off the sawmill. This area was cleared out and smoothed for the stack.
Laying
the Foundation
The foundation blocks were set on the level ground, and a 6X6 Cedar Beam was placed on top of them. This beam had been cut previously by the Swedish Mill from native cedar found on the farm. This stack was made 12' long X 8' wide. The blocks were leveled as much as possible initially. Later the beams and cross members would be leveled both directions.
Leveling
the Base
Check
the level and adjust the Blocks as necessary. Put material under the blocks
to raise them, or dig out to lower them as necessary. The cross supports
were placed every 18 inches and were made by 2X4 pine which we cut on
the Swedish Mill. They were all edged at once to 4" widths to insure they
were all the same. The cross supports were nailed down to the 6X6's for
stability, and to allow for leveling the whole base easily. This wide
base will allow for two stacks to be placed on it. 
One
inch material can be stacked on one side, and two inch lumber can be stacked
on the other side.
Allow
for Plenty of Air Circulation
Here, Rob is laying the first one inch lumber down. He is measuring the separation with a 4" wide board. Always be sure and leave plenty of space between the boards for air circulation. Make it plenty wide, so the air can easily circulate. One mistake seen in many drying stacks is placing the boards too close together. Make your base big enough to allow for plenty of space between the boards on the stack.
Use
Plenty of Stacking Sticks
On this stack the stacking sticks were placed 18" apart. Don't make these wider than 2' apart. Always place them above the ones below. Support is critical to drying a straight board. These are easily made on the Swedish Mill. One rule of thumb is from each log cut a 3/4" board from one of the first cuts. Cut this board into strips about 1" wide. The Swedish Mill can rip these into stacking sticks in no time at all. Then cut them to the width of your stack and use them as needed. Remember, these can be used over again, once the wood is dry and you move the lumber and start another fresh stack.
Weight
- an Important Factor
Here you can see that Martin and Rob are in full production with the Swedish Mill and the lumber going directly to the drying stack. This stack will grow and grow, and the weight of the lumber on top will keep the lumber on the bottom drying straight. But don't forget that the lumber on top needs weight as well. We topped this stack off with plywood over the top and some slabs and concrete blocks holding the top boards straight. The plywood will keep the top boards from drying too fast in the sun. Also, it's a good idea to paint the ends of the boards with paint to keep the boards from splitting from the ends drying too fast from their exposure.
Remember - Protect your investment in quality lumber - build a first class drying stack!
