uniformity of moisture content and the lack of tension set indicate that any drying 

 schedule for dead tree studs should not have too large an initial wet-hulb depression 

 in order to minimize the development of drying stresses. 



As before, the moisture content values obtained from the moisture meter were lower 

 than those obtained from the ovendry tests. This discrepancy is probably due to the 

 single meter scale used and the number of readings that exceeded the scale maximum. 

 In general, the results of both the moisture meter readings and the ovendry determina- 

 tions show that the moisture content of the studs is fairly uniform and less than 30 

 percent. This uniformly low moisture content indicates that the studs obtained from 

 dead trees should dry in about half the time required for studs from green trees, which 

 have an average heartwood moisture content of 41 percent and a sapwood moisture content 

 of 120 percent (Forest Products Laboratory 1974) . 



After the dead tree studs had been dried and surfaced, the moisture content of 

 a number of studs was remeasured with a moisture meter. The average moisture content 

 of these studs was only 8.2 percent and the maximum value was 21 percent (fig. 4). A 

 large percentage of the studs was in the 8 percent or lower moisture content class which 

 suggests that when a small amount of dry material is included in a charge of green 

 material, the final equilibrium moisture content should be about 6.5 percent. This 

 would be especially desirable to avoid overdrying in wider boards subject to planer 

 splitting . 



300 i- 



o 



UJ 

 DC 



Li_ 



o 



UJ 



CO 



200 



100 



Figure 4. — Distribution 

 of moisture content 

 determinations made on 

 kiln-dried lodgepole 

 pine studs cut from 

 dead trees. 



7-9 10-12 13-15 16-18 19-21 



MOISTURE CONTENT (PERCENT) 



8 



