CA2238353A1 - Wood treatment process to prevent splitting and checking during drying - Google Patents
Wood treatment process to prevent splitting and checking during drying Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2238353A1 CA2238353A1 CA 2238353 CA2238353A CA2238353A1 CA 2238353 A1 CA2238353 A1 CA 2238353A1 CA 2238353 CA2238353 CA 2238353 CA 2238353 A CA2238353 A CA 2238353A CA 2238353 A1 CA2238353 A1 CA 2238353A1
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- wood piece
- wood
- electric current
- pole
- length
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Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F26—DRYING
- F26B—DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM
- F26B1/00—Preliminary treatment of solid materials or objects to facilitate drying, e.g. mixing or backmixing the materials to be dried with predominantly dry solids
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F26—DRYING
- F26B—DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM
- F26B3/00—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat
- F26B3/32—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat by development of heat within the materials or objects to be dried, e.g. by fermentation or other microbiological action
- F26B3/34—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat by development of heat within the materials or objects to be dried, e.g. by fermentation or other microbiological action by using electrical effects
- F26B3/353—Resistance heating, e.g. using the materials or objects to be dried as an electrical resistance
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F26—DRYING
- F26B—DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM
- F26B2210/00—Drying processes and machines for solid objects characterised by the specific requirements of the drying good
- F26B2210/16—Wood, e.g. lumber, timber
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Microbiology (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Biomedical Technology (AREA)
- Biotechnology (AREA)
- Molecular Biology (AREA)
- Chemical And Physical Treatments For Wood And The Like (AREA)
Abstract
A method for treating a wood piece to be dried. The wood piece comprises a complete cross-section through a tree trunk or branch and includes bark, phloem tissue, xylem tissue and heartwood and is commonly referred to as a pole. The method involves passing an electric current through the length of the wood piece for a pre-determined period and removing the bark immediately before or after the electric current treatment so that the tendency for the wood piece to split or check during subsequent air drying is reduced. The method is particularly useful for treating pine or spruce poles intended for carving into walking sticks or turning on a lathe.
Description
WOOD TREATMENT PROCESS TO PREVENT
SPLITTING AND CHECKING DURING DRYING
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to a process for treating wood, and more particularly, to a treatment process to reduce the tendency of a wood pole to split and check during subsequent drying by passing an electric current through the wood.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the following description, the term "pole" is defined as an elongate portion of a tree trunk or tree branch that is created by making cuts across the full cross-section of the tree or branch at both ends. The pole thus includes bark, phloem tissue, xylem tissue, and heartwood as will be more fully explained.
Pine and spruce poles tend to split and check during air drying or seasoning which make the poles unsuitable for carving and turning on a lathe to create walking sticks. Green wood poles cut from the trunk or branch of live pine or spruce trees have been found to check and split during air seasoning. Dead wood poles, defined as poles cut from the trunk or branch of dead, still standing trees whose sap has stopped flowing, have less water content than green wood, but are also prone to checking when air dried. Cracking and checking is caused by the outer surface of the pole drying faster than the interior wood of the pole.
A currently marketed chemical treatment for the control of shrinkage and swelling of wood is a member of a whole family of polyethylene glycols. Polyethylene glycol is best used on green wood as soon as possible after the wood has been cut. The wood is soaked in the Polyethylene glycol till the chemical is absorbed throughout the wood. Wood stabilized with polyethylene glycol is left impregnated with the chemical.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
There is a need for a chemical-free, inexpensive method of stabilizing wood pieces, such as pine or spruce poles, to permit drying of the pieces without splitting or checking which reduces the quality of the wood or renders it unusable.
Broadly stated the present invention is directed to a treatment method in which electrodes are driven into the center of each end of the pole. Wire conductors are connected to the electrodes and an electric current is passed through the length of the pole prior to the pole being subjected to air drying.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for treating an elongate wood piece to be dried, the wood piece being a complete cross-section through a tree trunk or branch and including bark, phloem tissue, xylem tissue and heartwood, comprising the steps of:
a) passing an electric current through the length of the wood piece for a pre-determined period; and b) removing the bark layer before or after step a) whereby the tendency for the wood piece to split or check during subsequent drying is reduced.
In a further aspect, the present invention provides a method for drying an elongate wood piece, the wood piece being a complete cross-section through a tree trunk or branch and including bark, phloem tissue, xylem tissue and heartwood, comprising the steps of:
a) treating the wood piece by passing an electric current through the length of the wood piece for a pre-y determined period to reduce the tendency of the wood piece to split or check;
b) removing the bark before or after step a); and c) storing the wood piece in an environment for drying of the wood.
Preferably, the passage of electric current through the length of the wood piece is achieved by inserting electrodes into opposite ends of the wood piece, placing the wood piece on an insulating surface, and connecting the electrodes to a power source to deliver current through the wood piece.
The electric current of the above methods is applied for a period dependent on the moisture content and size of the wood piece.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Aspects of the present invention are illustrated, merely by way of example, in the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a view of a piece of wood undergoing the treatment process of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a detail view of the structure of a wood pole; and Figure 3 is a detail view of the end of the wood piece of Figure 1 showing the preferred positioning of the electrode for passing electric current through the wood piece.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The method of the present invention is particularly suited for treatment and drying of wood pieces such as pine or spruce poles to be made into walking sticks by hand carving or turning on a lathe. The poles are full cut sections through the trunk of a tree or the branch of a larger tree and include an outer bark layer, the phloem tissue, the xylem tissue and the heartwood. The poles are preferably cut into about six foot lengths and generally taper from a diameter in the range of approximately two to three inches at the base to a diameter in the range of approximately one to two inches at the tip. Before carving can begin, it necessary to dry the poles, generally by air drying. The treatment method of the present invention is used prior to drying to treat the poles to reduce their tendency to split and check during drying which renders the poles useless for carving. The treatment method of the present invention has been used on pine and spruce poles cut from the trunk of still standing trees that have died naturally in which the trunk has not split and checked with age. Also, the treatment method has been used on green wood poles cut from the trunks of newly felled live trees.
Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a pole 10 which is set up to be treated according to the method of the present invention. The method involves passing an electric current through the length of the pole 10 for a pre-determined period. Immediately before or after the applying the electric current, the bark is removed from the pole. Applicant has discovered that this treatment significantly reduces the tendency for the pole to split or check during subsequent air drying.
Passing an electric current through the length of the pole 10 is accomplished by inserting electrodes 14 into opposite ends of the pole. Electrodes 14 are made from a conducting material and have a sharpened tip to facilitate insertion of the electrodes into the ends of the pole 10 to a depth sufficient to hold the electrodes in place. The electrode end opposite the tip is preferably formed with a flattened head 16 to provide a surface for hammering the electrode into place. The electrodes are intended to be reusable. A common nail is appropriate for use as an electrode.
As best shown in Figure 3, the electrodes are preferably positioned in the centre or heartwood 30 of the wood pole 10. The desirability of this positioning will be explained in more detail below. Figure 2 is a detail view of the structure of a typical pole cut from a tree trunk or branch with broken away sections to show the central heartwood 30 surrounded by xylem tissue 32 and a relatively narrow zone of outer phloem tissue 34 covered by a cork or bark layer 12.
Insulated wire conductors 18 are removably connectable to electrodes 14 by clips 20. Wire conductors 18 are connected to a power source 22 for generating a current. As best shown in Figure 1, when electrodes 14, wire conductors 18, power source 22 and pole 10 are connected together in the manner described above a circuit is created that acts to deliver electric current through the length of pole 10.
Preferably, prior to completing the electrical circuit, pole 10 is placed on an insulating surface to avoid risk of electrical shock. In the Figures, the insulating surface comprises a plurality of brackets 25 made from a non-conducting material such as rubber to support the length of pole 10, however, other arrangements such as a rubber sheet will be readily apparent to those wishing to practice the method of the present invention.
Immediately prior to or immediately after passing electric current through the wood pole, water impermeable bark 12 (cork) is removed from the pole.
For power supply 22, applicant has used a standard household electrical outlet supplying alternating current at 15 amps, 120 volts and 60 Hz. and a single wave rectifier to convert the household power supply to 120 volts direct current. Applicant has also used a 15 amp 12 volt battery charger and a 55 amp 12 volt battery charger have also been used successfully as power sources in the treatment method of the present invention. A
battery is particularly useful where commercial power is unavailable. Testing by the applicant indicates that the treatment method of the present invention works equally well with either alternating or direct current.
Applicant has also used as a direct current power source, a radio receiver tuned to static (white noise) connected to a 40 Hz to 15 kHz audio amplifier rated at 8 ohms and 60 watts at full volume to modify the electric current delivered through the pole. The electrical leads from the power outlet of the amplifier that are normally connected to a speaker were connected to each end of the pole.
The specific examples given above are by way of example only and are not meant to limit the power sources that can be used with the method of the present invention. It is anticipated that direct current at other voltages and amperages, and alternating current at other frequencies, voltages and amperages will also be effective in the treatment method of the present invention.
S Preferably, the treatment method of the present application involves application of the current only once and for a period of time dependent primarily on the moisture content and dimensions (length and diameter) of the pole being treated. In testing, applicant has determined that a green pine pole, heavy with sap must be subjected to an electric current for a longer period of time than a dead pine pole. Dead wood pine poles cut down in the summer and fall when sap is not running have been treated with an electric current for as little as about one and a half hours and up to about six hours without splitting or checking taking place along the length of the pole during subsequent drying. Applicant has determined that green pine poles generally require a treatment of from about four hours to about twelve hours.
It is impossible to provide an exact period for treatment according to the method of the present invention given all the variables involved including the moisture content and dimensions of the wood. The mineral content of the wood, the wood species and the time of the year the tree is cut down also effects the amount of electrically conductive sugars and salts the pole contains. The times given above have worked for treatment of pine poles cut down in the summer and fall. It will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art that additional testing will be necessary to determine appropriate times of year for harvesting and resulting treatment times for other types, moisture contents and dimensions of wood poles.
By way of example, six foot long, green wood spruce poles cut in the fall and winter and treated with electric current in the range of about four hours to about twelve hours have been successfully dried without splitting or checking.
After being subjected to an electric current, poles are then placed in an appropriate environment for air 5 drying. This can include placing the treated poles outdoors in a location protected from precipitation to be air seasoned. The poles may also be placed indoors, in a well ventilated area, to be air dried until the poles are dried to a suitable moisture content to be 10 further processed, for example, by carving.
The precise reasons for the effectiveness of the treatment method of the present invention are not known, however, applicant theorizes that the method works for the following reasons:
In a living tree, mineral salts are in the form of electrically charged ions. Once absorbed, the ions travel in the water in the xylem tissue and pass to the growing points of the plants where they are used for growth. The ions may also pass laterally from the xylem to the phloem. The electric current that is passed through the length of the pole in the method of the present invention causes mineral salt ions within the pole to migrate radially from the heartwood 30 and the xylem tissue 32 (sap wood) to the phloem layer 34. The effect of the electrical treatment is to leave the phloem tissue 34 with a higher concentration of mineral salts than the heartwood 30 and the xylem 32.
Removal of the bark (cork) layer 12 from the pole exposes the phloem layer 34 directly to the air for faster evaporation of water directly from the phloem layer. The exposed permeable phloem cells retain a higher concentration of mineral salts than the heartwood and the xylem due to the treatment of the present invention. As the water evaporates from the exposed surface of the phloem, the water molecules of the weaker salt solution in the cells of the heartwood and the xylem pass radially through the cambium to the stronger mineral salt solution in cells of the phloem. The exposed phloem in turn transpires water to the surrounding atmosphere during air seasoning. Through osmotic action, the water molecules pass from the interior of the pole to the outer phloem and from the exposed surface of the phloem by evaporation to the surrounding atmosphere. This osmotic action continues to take place during air seasoning. The moisture content of the dried pole is dependent on the prevailing atmospheric humidity. Splitting and checking no longer take place due to the outer surface of the pole drying faster than the interior.
Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of example for purposes of clarity and understanding, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be practised within the scope of the appended claims.
SPLITTING AND CHECKING DURING DRYING
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to a process for treating wood, and more particularly, to a treatment process to reduce the tendency of a wood pole to split and check during subsequent drying by passing an electric current through the wood.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the following description, the term "pole" is defined as an elongate portion of a tree trunk or tree branch that is created by making cuts across the full cross-section of the tree or branch at both ends. The pole thus includes bark, phloem tissue, xylem tissue, and heartwood as will be more fully explained.
Pine and spruce poles tend to split and check during air drying or seasoning which make the poles unsuitable for carving and turning on a lathe to create walking sticks. Green wood poles cut from the trunk or branch of live pine or spruce trees have been found to check and split during air seasoning. Dead wood poles, defined as poles cut from the trunk or branch of dead, still standing trees whose sap has stopped flowing, have less water content than green wood, but are also prone to checking when air dried. Cracking and checking is caused by the outer surface of the pole drying faster than the interior wood of the pole.
A currently marketed chemical treatment for the control of shrinkage and swelling of wood is a member of a whole family of polyethylene glycols. Polyethylene glycol is best used on green wood as soon as possible after the wood has been cut. The wood is soaked in the Polyethylene glycol till the chemical is absorbed throughout the wood. Wood stabilized with polyethylene glycol is left impregnated with the chemical.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
There is a need for a chemical-free, inexpensive method of stabilizing wood pieces, such as pine or spruce poles, to permit drying of the pieces without splitting or checking which reduces the quality of the wood or renders it unusable.
Broadly stated the present invention is directed to a treatment method in which electrodes are driven into the center of each end of the pole. Wire conductors are connected to the electrodes and an electric current is passed through the length of the pole prior to the pole being subjected to air drying.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for treating an elongate wood piece to be dried, the wood piece being a complete cross-section through a tree trunk or branch and including bark, phloem tissue, xylem tissue and heartwood, comprising the steps of:
a) passing an electric current through the length of the wood piece for a pre-determined period; and b) removing the bark layer before or after step a) whereby the tendency for the wood piece to split or check during subsequent drying is reduced.
In a further aspect, the present invention provides a method for drying an elongate wood piece, the wood piece being a complete cross-section through a tree trunk or branch and including bark, phloem tissue, xylem tissue and heartwood, comprising the steps of:
a) treating the wood piece by passing an electric current through the length of the wood piece for a pre-y determined period to reduce the tendency of the wood piece to split or check;
b) removing the bark before or after step a); and c) storing the wood piece in an environment for drying of the wood.
Preferably, the passage of electric current through the length of the wood piece is achieved by inserting electrodes into opposite ends of the wood piece, placing the wood piece on an insulating surface, and connecting the electrodes to a power source to deliver current through the wood piece.
The electric current of the above methods is applied for a period dependent on the moisture content and size of the wood piece.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Aspects of the present invention are illustrated, merely by way of example, in the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a view of a piece of wood undergoing the treatment process of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a detail view of the structure of a wood pole; and Figure 3 is a detail view of the end of the wood piece of Figure 1 showing the preferred positioning of the electrode for passing electric current through the wood piece.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The method of the present invention is particularly suited for treatment and drying of wood pieces such as pine or spruce poles to be made into walking sticks by hand carving or turning on a lathe. The poles are full cut sections through the trunk of a tree or the branch of a larger tree and include an outer bark layer, the phloem tissue, the xylem tissue and the heartwood. The poles are preferably cut into about six foot lengths and generally taper from a diameter in the range of approximately two to three inches at the base to a diameter in the range of approximately one to two inches at the tip. Before carving can begin, it necessary to dry the poles, generally by air drying. The treatment method of the present invention is used prior to drying to treat the poles to reduce their tendency to split and check during drying which renders the poles useless for carving. The treatment method of the present invention has been used on pine and spruce poles cut from the trunk of still standing trees that have died naturally in which the trunk has not split and checked with age. Also, the treatment method has been used on green wood poles cut from the trunks of newly felled live trees.
Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a pole 10 which is set up to be treated according to the method of the present invention. The method involves passing an electric current through the length of the pole 10 for a pre-determined period. Immediately before or after the applying the electric current, the bark is removed from the pole. Applicant has discovered that this treatment significantly reduces the tendency for the pole to split or check during subsequent air drying.
Passing an electric current through the length of the pole 10 is accomplished by inserting electrodes 14 into opposite ends of the pole. Electrodes 14 are made from a conducting material and have a sharpened tip to facilitate insertion of the electrodes into the ends of the pole 10 to a depth sufficient to hold the electrodes in place. The electrode end opposite the tip is preferably formed with a flattened head 16 to provide a surface for hammering the electrode into place. The electrodes are intended to be reusable. A common nail is appropriate for use as an electrode.
As best shown in Figure 3, the electrodes are preferably positioned in the centre or heartwood 30 of the wood pole 10. The desirability of this positioning will be explained in more detail below. Figure 2 is a detail view of the structure of a typical pole cut from a tree trunk or branch with broken away sections to show the central heartwood 30 surrounded by xylem tissue 32 and a relatively narrow zone of outer phloem tissue 34 covered by a cork or bark layer 12.
Insulated wire conductors 18 are removably connectable to electrodes 14 by clips 20. Wire conductors 18 are connected to a power source 22 for generating a current. As best shown in Figure 1, when electrodes 14, wire conductors 18, power source 22 and pole 10 are connected together in the manner described above a circuit is created that acts to deliver electric current through the length of pole 10.
Preferably, prior to completing the electrical circuit, pole 10 is placed on an insulating surface to avoid risk of electrical shock. In the Figures, the insulating surface comprises a plurality of brackets 25 made from a non-conducting material such as rubber to support the length of pole 10, however, other arrangements such as a rubber sheet will be readily apparent to those wishing to practice the method of the present invention.
Immediately prior to or immediately after passing electric current through the wood pole, water impermeable bark 12 (cork) is removed from the pole.
For power supply 22, applicant has used a standard household electrical outlet supplying alternating current at 15 amps, 120 volts and 60 Hz. and a single wave rectifier to convert the household power supply to 120 volts direct current. Applicant has also used a 15 amp 12 volt battery charger and a 55 amp 12 volt battery charger have also been used successfully as power sources in the treatment method of the present invention. A
battery is particularly useful where commercial power is unavailable. Testing by the applicant indicates that the treatment method of the present invention works equally well with either alternating or direct current.
Applicant has also used as a direct current power source, a radio receiver tuned to static (white noise) connected to a 40 Hz to 15 kHz audio amplifier rated at 8 ohms and 60 watts at full volume to modify the electric current delivered through the pole. The electrical leads from the power outlet of the amplifier that are normally connected to a speaker were connected to each end of the pole.
The specific examples given above are by way of example only and are not meant to limit the power sources that can be used with the method of the present invention. It is anticipated that direct current at other voltages and amperages, and alternating current at other frequencies, voltages and amperages will also be effective in the treatment method of the present invention.
S Preferably, the treatment method of the present application involves application of the current only once and for a period of time dependent primarily on the moisture content and dimensions (length and diameter) of the pole being treated. In testing, applicant has determined that a green pine pole, heavy with sap must be subjected to an electric current for a longer period of time than a dead pine pole. Dead wood pine poles cut down in the summer and fall when sap is not running have been treated with an electric current for as little as about one and a half hours and up to about six hours without splitting or checking taking place along the length of the pole during subsequent drying. Applicant has determined that green pine poles generally require a treatment of from about four hours to about twelve hours.
It is impossible to provide an exact period for treatment according to the method of the present invention given all the variables involved including the moisture content and dimensions of the wood. The mineral content of the wood, the wood species and the time of the year the tree is cut down also effects the amount of electrically conductive sugars and salts the pole contains. The times given above have worked for treatment of pine poles cut down in the summer and fall. It will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art that additional testing will be necessary to determine appropriate times of year for harvesting and resulting treatment times for other types, moisture contents and dimensions of wood poles.
By way of example, six foot long, green wood spruce poles cut in the fall and winter and treated with electric current in the range of about four hours to about twelve hours have been successfully dried without splitting or checking.
After being subjected to an electric current, poles are then placed in an appropriate environment for air 5 drying. This can include placing the treated poles outdoors in a location protected from precipitation to be air seasoned. The poles may also be placed indoors, in a well ventilated area, to be air dried until the poles are dried to a suitable moisture content to be 10 further processed, for example, by carving.
The precise reasons for the effectiveness of the treatment method of the present invention are not known, however, applicant theorizes that the method works for the following reasons:
In a living tree, mineral salts are in the form of electrically charged ions. Once absorbed, the ions travel in the water in the xylem tissue and pass to the growing points of the plants where they are used for growth. The ions may also pass laterally from the xylem to the phloem. The electric current that is passed through the length of the pole in the method of the present invention causes mineral salt ions within the pole to migrate radially from the heartwood 30 and the xylem tissue 32 (sap wood) to the phloem layer 34. The effect of the electrical treatment is to leave the phloem tissue 34 with a higher concentration of mineral salts than the heartwood 30 and the xylem 32.
Removal of the bark (cork) layer 12 from the pole exposes the phloem layer 34 directly to the air for faster evaporation of water directly from the phloem layer. The exposed permeable phloem cells retain a higher concentration of mineral salts than the heartwood and the xylem due to the treatment of the present invention. As the water evaporates from the exposed surface of the phloem, the water molecules of the weaker salt solution in the cells of the heartwood and the xylem pass radially through the cambium to the stronger mineral salt solution in cells of the phloem. The exposed phloem in turn transpires water to the surrounding atmosphere during air seasoning. Through osmotic action, the water molecules pass from the interior of the pole to the outer phloem and from the exposed surface of the phloem by evaporation to the surrounding atmosphere. This osmotic action continues to take place during air seasoning. The moisture content of the dried pole is dependent on the prevailing atmospheric humidity. Splitting and checking no longer take place due to the outer surface of the pole drying faster than the interior.
Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of example for purposes of clarity and understanding, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be practised within the scope of the appended claims.
Claims (11)
1. A method for treating an elongate wood piece to be dried, the wood piece being a complete cross-section through a tree trunk or branch and including bark, phloem tissue, xylem tissue and heartwood, comprising the steps of:
a) passing an electric current through the length of the wood piece for a pre-determined period; and b) removing the bark layer before or after step a) whereby the tendency for the wood piece to split or check during subsequent drying is reduced.
a) passing an electric current through the length of the wood piece for a pre-determined period; and b) removing the bark layer before or after step a) whereby the tendency for the wood piece to split or check during subsequent drying is reduced.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which passing an electric current through the length of the wood piece comprises the steps of:
inserting electrodes into the heartwood at opposite ends of the wood piece;
placing the wood piece on an insulating surface; and connecting the electrodes to a power source to deliver current through the wood piece.
inserting electrodes into the heartwood at opposite ends of the wood piece;
placing the wood piece on an insulating surface; and connecting the electrodes to a power source to deliver current through the wood piece.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the wood piece is a pine pole.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the wood piece is a spruce pole.
5. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the electric current is applied for a period dependent primarily on the moisture content and diameter of the wood piece in a range from about one and a half hours to about twelve hours.
6. A method as claimed in claim 5 in which the electric current is applied to a wood piece cut from a living tree of approximately six feet in length and varying in diameter from about one to three inches for a period in the range from about four hours to about 12 hours.
7. A method as claimed in claim 5 in which the electric current is applied to a wood piece cut from a dead tree of approximately six feet in length and varying in diameter from about one to three inches for a period in the range from about one and half hours to about six hours.
8. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the electric current is direct current.
9. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the electric current is alternating current.
10. A method for drying an elongate wood piece, the wood piece being a complete cross-section through a tree trunk or branch and including bark, phloem tissue, xylem tissue and heartwood, comprising the steps of:
a) treating the wood piece by passing an electric current through the length of the wood piece for a pre-determined period to reduce the tendency of the wood piece to split or check;
b) removing the bark before or after step a); and c) storing the wood piece in an environment for drying of the wood.
a) treating the wood piece by passing an electric current through the length of the wood piece for a pre-determined period to reduce the tendency of the wood piece to split or check;
b) removing the bark before or after step a); and c) storing the wood piece in an environment for drying of the wood.
11. A method as claimed in claim 10 in which treating the wood piece comprises the steps of:
inserting electrodes into the heartwood at opposite ends of the wood piece;
placing the wood piece on an insulating surface; and connecting the electrodes to a power source to deliver current through the wood piece.
inserting electrodes into the heartwood at opposite ends of the wood piece;
placing the wood piece on an insulating surface; and connecting the electrodes to a power source to deliver current through the wood piece.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2238353 CA2238353A1 (en) | 1998-05-22 | 1998-05-22 | Wood treatment process to prevent splitting and checking during drying |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2238353 CA2238353A1 (en) | 1998-05-22 | 1998-05-22 | Wood treatment process to prevent splitting and checking during drying |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2238353A1 true CA2238353A1 (en) | 1999-11-22 |
Family
ID=29275771
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2238353 Abandoned CA2238353A1 (en) | 1998-05-22 | 1998-05-22 | Wood treatment process to prevent splitting and checking during drying |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2238353A1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP2059757A1 (en) * | 2006-09-04 | 2009-05-20 | Wood-Neste Oy | Method and apparatus for drying of wood |
| EP3595856A4 (en) * | 2017-03-14 | 2020-12-23 | William John Baxter Heffernan | Wood heating system and method |
| CN113819722A (en) * | 2021-09-01 | 2021-12-21 | 杭州临安南洋木工机械有限公司 | Wood drying equipment |
-
1998
- 1998-05-22 CA CA 2238353 patent/CA2238353A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP2059757A1 (en) * | 2006-09-04 | 2009-05-20 | Wood-Neste Oy | Method and apparatus for drying of wood |
| EP2059757A4 (en) * | 2006-09-04 | 2014-05-14 | Wood Neste Oy | Method and apparatus for drying of wood |
| EP3595856A4 (en) * | 2017-03-14 | 2020-12-23 | William John Baxter Heffernan | Wood heating system and method |
| US11181318B2 (en) | 2017-03-14 | 2021-11-23 | The University Of Canterbury Of Ilam Road | Wood heating system and method |
| CN113819722A (en) * | 2021-09-01 | 2021-12-21 | 杭州临安南洋木工机械有限公司 | Wood drying equipment |
| CN113819722B (en) * | 2021-09-01 | 2022-08-16 | 杭州临安南洋木工机械有限公司 | Wood drying equipment |
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