Drying new scaffolding boards delivered damp

[chris10000001]

I'm making a couple of ladder desks out of new unbanded white pine scaffolding boards.

To avoid the oft-described problems of ground in grit, end-bands and nails with used boards, I bought new boards - which were reasonably cheap.

The wood already has a pretty good finish, straight, smoothish with very few cracks, and a lot less knots than the pine I get from Wickes, but they have obviously been stored outside and had some surface moisture on delivery.

The lady delivering them said they often sell them for furniture makers and they would be dry in a day if stacked indoors, separated by noggins.

Is this really enough time? Or should I wait a bit longer to let the wood dry out? I'm wondering about getting a cheap moisture meter.

The very simple furniture I'm making could easily handle mild warping, but I will be finishing the wood with wax oil so I don't want to seal in any moisture.

 

[big-all]

they are unlikely to move much but they will shrink across the boards
to be honest if they have been stored outside i would give them at least 4 weeks preferably 6 weeks stored flat battened apart to air dry covered from rain and damp or in doors battened apart for at least 3 but preferably 5 weeks

if they where stored under cover and the dampness is an overnight/ few hours rain soaking then a week will be fine

 

[foxhole]

If you are using in central heated home they will need to sit in the room for several weeks to prevent further shrinkage.They also need to be kept from warping as they dry, you could park your sofa on them for a few weeks, stacked three wide .

 

[big-all]

i have just looked up "ladder desk"
what are your plans for the sides and how do you plan to join the timbers together??
do you plan on having scaffold boards on all levels and high up ??

 

[chris10000001]

Design inspired by this sort of thing:
http://www.grahamandgreen.co.uk/balthazar-ladder-desk
Modified with an adjustable monitor arm and split-level keyboard areas to become a sit-stand desk
The structure will be screwed to the wall at the top and have an angle bracket slotted between floorboards at the bottom, it's not going to slide off the wall...
I will attach the cross members with 2 or 3 coach-bolts per plank.

Untitled

• chris10000001
• 2 May 2015
• 1

The wood is currently stacked with 18mm spacers in a centrally heated landing.
Got home tonight and It still feels damp to the palm. I have a hygrometer that had been sitting elsewhere in the house. It was about 55% away from the wood. After 10 minutes sitting between planks it is 70% ...

Damp wood...so I guess I have a few weeks wait on my hands.
I'm really wishing I'd seen, touched and smelled the timber before buying...

 

[big-all]

do you have several supports along the boards around every 16 ish inches all in line to transfer load to the floor
make sure no part off the timber is within a foot off a direct heat source like a radiator
and make sure you have an small gap to the wall to allow air flow and stop damp transfer to the wall