> I picked up some Western Red Cedar from a local sawmill. The boards are a
> full one inch by four inches. They haven't made it to the kiln yet. I am
> letting them dry out in my house. How long should I leave them to dry?
> They are a still rough sawn, should I plane them smooth before I rip them
> into strips. I am going to use the C&B method. Can't wait to paddle,
> thanks in advance.

Hi Don,

Wood drys at a rate of about 1" per year so a 1" board (which can dry from both sides) will be reasonably dry in about 6 months (depending on local conditions, of course).

If your re-sawing equipment can handle wet wood it might be an idea to cut your strips green and dry them at 1/4" thick - they should be dry in a couple of weeks.

I have not tried this with strips for kayaks (being 1/4" x 1" x *long*) but I often will make a rough bow from a green stave (1/4 of a 8"log 7' long) and dry it in a couple of weeks rather than wait 2 years for the whole stave to dry.

Rip a couple of trial strips and see if they "behave" while drying. "Flat sawn" strips might "cup" but the "quarter sawn" should be OK.

What ever you do. Raise the wood off the ground and sticker it (keep the wood apart with spacers). The wood will dry faster if there is an air flow over it but you will want to shield it from the rain with a tarp (but don't tuck it in too close).

Hope this helps.

Hank