DRYING SORTED SPRUCE-PINE-FIR LUMBER

Luiz C. OLIVEIRA
Dr. - Forintek Canada Corp. - Western Laboratory
Address: 2665 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1W5, Canada
E-mail: luiz@van.forintek.ca

Abstract: Spruce, pine and sub-alpine fir (SPF) 2x6x3' specimens were sorted by moisture content and dried in a laboratory drier. Two drying schedules were used, namely: conservative (used to dry high quality products) and accelerated (typical in many industrial installations drying SPF dimension lumber). Results indicated that for the low initial moisture content groups, spruce and sub-alpine fir exhibited similar drying rates and faster than the drying rates obtained for pine. Unlike this, for the high and medium initial moisture content groups, sub-alpine fir exhibited by far the slowest drying rates. It is likely that the higher incidence of wet pockets in the high and medium initial moisture content groups, especially in fir, is responsible for this situation. Thus, by sorting sub-alpine fir from spruce and pine and drying it separately will improve the overall drying uniformity and reduce the risk for degrade due to drying.

Key words: drying, sorting, SPF lumber.

REFERENCES
BRAMHALL, G & WELDWOOD, R.W. (1976). Kiln Drying of Western Canadian Lumber. Information Report VP-X-159. Canadian Forestry Serviuce. Western Forest Products Laboroatry. Vancouver, BC.Canada.
MACKAY, JFG & OLIVEIRA, LC. (1989). Kiln Operator's Handbook for Western Canada. SP-31. Forintek Canada Corp. Vancouver, BC. Canada.