Q: We have a large pedestal base for a table. The pedestal is about 6 inches in diameter, 30 inches long and made of 4/4 red oak edge-glued and laminated into the larger piece. The problem we are having is that many of the bases are cracking along their length. The cracks can be very small, but usually there will be one crack that is quite long and is wider than the others. We putty the cracks but will this be permanent? What can we do to prevent the cracks from forming? Will they get worse? We checked the MC of the damaged pieces and most were around 7 percent MC.

Q: We have a clamp carrier type of edge-gluer and have been getting about half of our panels with joints that are separating. Is this high? Is there something we should be looking at? If you are ever in Denver, please stop in and we can show you around.

Q: We are gluing some maple veneers together and are using 300 psi. Does this seem high to you? We are getting some delamination; it looks like starved joints.

Q: I have just received some glued-up oak panels that we will be using for tabletops. One of our people noticed that the ends of the panels have developed some cracks and more cracks are showing up every 10 minutes it seems. Most of the cracks are at the glue joint at the end of the panels. The supplier says that our shop is too dry (25 percent to 30 percent RH is what we measure now during the wintertime). My people just checked the MC of many panels, including some that have yet to be unstacked and unwrapped; they are getting some readings as high as 10 percent MC (after correcting for temperature), with a lot over 8 percent MC too. We need an outside person to give us an accurate evaluation.

Q: Before I shipped lumber to a customer, I did an oven test for moisture content and obtained values about 6 to 8 percent MC, with one at 9 percent MC. The customer checked the MC when the lumber arrived and found readings as high as 14 percent MC. What is going on?

Q: After we are done kiln drying a load of lumber, our kiln operator always leaves the lumber in the kiln for another 12 hours to cool. Is this really necessary? Obviously, if you read between the lines, we need the lumber ASAP or earlier, sometimes.

Q: What is the correct range of temperatures to use when oven drying sample wafers, and what might be the risk or consequences if a higher temperature is used? If a sample weighs 100 grams and then is dried and weighs 75 grams, does this mean the moisture is 25 percent MC, as it lost 25 percent of its weight?

Q: How can I dry wafers or disks from a tree so I can make round tables about 3 inches thick? My first attempt resulted in some very large cracks that made the tables unusable.

Q: We have some cypress 4/4 lumber that the customer returned as being unsatisfactory after he has already put it into use. The surface is corrugated and very bumpy, but I know that it left here smooth as a pancake. Can you tell me what has happened? Also, in a few places, the grain where the grain is very flat has separated and you can lift up long slivers with your fingernail.