Air Dried vs. Kiln Dried

We had always assumed that kiln dried lumber was better for furniture then air dried but then we read an editorial in Wood magazine (June/July 2004) that changed our mind. Then we received the newest email from American Wood worker where it discussed nothing but cutting and using backyard mills.

We have been using a small shop-made sled for the band saw (Wood Magazine May, 2007) that we borrowed to cut small logs into usable lumber for our turnings for a couple of years now. In fact one of our future projects will be making a sled that will handle up to 8 foot logs.

We do have a kiln in the works for smaller stuff built from an old refrigerator. However we haven't wired in the bulb and fan yet. It will also only handle smaller boards and wood used mainly for woodturning. 

We still have to get a planer to make these rough-sawn planks usable for furniture but since it takes 6 months to air dry we have some time. We may even buy one of the chainsaw mills since they are relatively inexpensive.

Here are some links to some articles about air dried lumber and cutting your own lumber in your backyard as well as what you can do with rough cut lumber.

Backyard Sawmills - American Woodworker

Simple Lumber Maker - American Woodworker

How to Succeed at Air-Drying Lumber - Wood Magazine

Kiln-Dried Vs. Air-Dried - Timber Ridge Enterprise

Air Dried vs Kiln Dried - Sawmill Creek

Air Dried vs. Kiln Dried - Lumberjocks

Air-dried vs. Kiln-dried Wood - WoodCentral

Natural Bench: Make Strong Joints in Slabwood - American Woodworker

Rustic Picture Frame - American Woodworker

This is a quote from HookieMojo at Lumberjocks that we think sums up the differences quite well.

"Air Dried
better color
wood is subjected to less extreme temps
potentially less checking
lower cost
less brittle material
less volume constraints (only so much can fit in a kiln at once)

Kiln Dried
pests are killed (like beetles and termites)
fungus can be killed (helpful for special woods like holly)
faster dry times
more control over the rate of drying
lower moisture content is possible which is beneficial for indoor projects"