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: I have some red oak lumber that has a hazy appearance. The color just doesn't look sharp and lustrous like normal. The color is perhaps a little browner than normal too. Is this in the wood?

Q: We just ripped our lumber and everything was OK, but then we resawed it and the two strips bowed with a gap of almost a foot between them. Moisture seems OK. We are dealing with 6/4 basswood. We cut the standard prong test and found no stress. What causes this?

Q: We have some furniture with a tongue-and-groove panel design. The individual pieces are much like oak flooring. The problem is that we have trouble holding them down because they are buckling. We are very careful about storing our incoming lumber in a low humidity room, as we are in Florida. Our wood comes kiln dried from the Appalachian area. What are we doing wrong?

Pressure drop can cause open joint.

It is nearly impossible to detect tension wood ahead of time.

Spent time reducing the highest moisture content value.

Q: We wanted the strongest joint possible so we used epoxy, but the joints are failing. Any comments?

Q: We are using four pieces of 4/4 hard maple to form a thicker piece of wood. When we look at these pieces after they are glued up, we notice that they are warped lengthwise. We call it bow. Oftentimes they have bowed so much we cannot use them. What are we doing wrong?