PAK<BR>Only have a minute here, but apologize for not answering your posts more directly. A finished stock is a tough thing to do very much to, other than glass bedding and free-floating. If you care to give a call or stop by I would be happy to show you what I know, and it would be lots easier than trying to type it all out. I'm in the book and live real close to Hoppy's old place.<P>Sheiester<BR>Kiln drying is a method for moving wood through a process as cost-effectively as possible, with only as much degrade as the end users will tolerate. The process of speeding the drying does not do anything for the wood. It is absolutely an inferior product, under all circumstances, when compared to PROPERLY air-dried wood.<P>The problem is simply that stresses are created in the wood by rapid drying, over time, these stresses cause change in the wood which translates to warpage or checking, or both.<P>The damage is caused by the wood reaching about 6% moisture content and taking a set. This set can occur at any level within the wood, even in a layer within the wood. The relaxing stages in the usual kiln schedule are designed to reduce these, but are used just enough to reduce damage to a tolerable level. <P>Wood which has never reached 6% is still moving quite a bit. There have been some classic wood movement studies done which graphed the movement. They are amazing and telling.<P>The wood is such a minor part of the whole cost of the new stock, when compared to the time devoted, that I would not use kiln-dried, except under very unusual circumstances, which I could not even imagine at this point in time. I try never to say never, but using kiln-dried comes real close to being a never situation, to me.<BR>art
