Hello everyone, I'm wondering how "quickly" wood shrinks when it dries. Not how "much" it shrinks. The answer should be "the faster it dries, the faster it shrinks." But is that the whole truth? Or does the wood continue to shrink for a longer time after it has "finished drying"? Let's not discuss that rapid drying on the surface can cause the wood to crack.
Please give me advice on the following practical example:
A few years ago, I got leftover pieces of dry flooring wood. For a few years, these have been stored in an unheated outbuilding, and now I would like to use them for fine woodworking in the main house. How long do they need to stay indoors to regain their "indoor dimensions"? Are we talking "weeks," "months," or "years"? Is the shrinking time significantly affected if I place the boards on heated floors or let them dry in free dry air? I assume the drying should happen extremely quickly if I place the pieces on a heated floor, but does the shrinking time shorten to the same extent?
My own thought:
When wood is drying, it shrinks to "fill in" after the water that dries away. Could it be that if the drying happens quickly, the water is first replaced by air...? ...and then, as years go by, the "air pockets" shrink and push out the air?
/Piparebo
