Rustic Furniture

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After harvest, the water evaporates to about 20%, cells shrink and the wood along with them-shrinking a little in length, more in width. So, lumber for building homes and commercial furniture is kiln-dried to a 15% moisture content and planed flat and square so dimensions are uniform and shrinkage is negligible, even inside a dry, winter-heated home. You needn't be that picky with your twigs ...but if you build from green wood, glued joints will not hold and fasteners can pull out. You are asking for the wobbles, the shakes, and eventual collapse.

It is best to air-dry wood outdoors, in a rick and undercover for a year. In a log rick, bottoms and tops of logs are alternated in a layer and crosssticks are set between layers to keep individual sticks level and to improve the flow of drying air. For inside furniture it is best to cut air-dried sticks to rough length and dry them inside a heated house for another winter. The wood will help humidify, and aromatic wood such as cedars or birches will impart a sweet smell to the air. Just don't bring in red oak saplings. They smell awful.

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