Hi all, thanks in advance for any help here. We had a 100ft hickory tree cut down about a year and a half ago. Most of it we split for the wood stove, but we saved a 7ft section and milled it with a chainsaw mill into 3-4" slabs. I was told by the guy who helped me mill it that i should coat each slab in linseed oil and dry it for a few months. I've since learned about the 1yr per inch drying rule... that said, did i shoot myself in the foot by coating it in linseed, and it now wont dry at all making the pieces useless? Is there anything i can do to expedite the drying process or undo what i've done?

You didn't hurt anything. The oil may slow the drying down a little but not much. Other then drying it in a vacuum kiln you don't want to speed up the drying or it will possibly warp and crack a lot more.

Thats great to hear. Does that add another year potentially or do you think after 4yrs (its 4" thick) that it would likely still be in a good place? The tree was dead for 1yr when it was cut

After 3-4 years it will probably get as dry as it can by air drying. It depends on a lot of factors. If you stack the slabs in a heated area next winter or the winter after, after air drying until then, you could speed up the drying by a year or two.

Thats great. I'll move them inside this summer. thanks!

Raw linseed oil will dramatically darken the wood and is susceptible to mold. That 1 year per inch to dry is BS. You are going to have to undo the oiling if it too deep and will interfere with sanding and finishing. That can't be undone now. You should do reading from Purdue or the US Forest Service. Not a guy helping you with chainsaw milling

Another thing, if you didn't treat that wood with a preventative pesticide like Timbor, you'll have powder post beetle infestation in a year or so.

The one year per inch is not BS. It is not necessarily accurate all the time but it is a safe suggestion. Air drying will not get lumber as dry as a kiln drying. The only way to know for sure is to check the wood with a moisture meter. I know it can happen but I have never had a ppb in hickory.

Any rule that suggests every species dries at the same rate is not a rule. Silly to suggest white oak dries at the same rate as catalpa.

I would assume one year is suggested as opposed to six months for that reason.

You did not cause any harm. The oil might slightly but not significantly slow down the drying. Other than curing it in a vacuum oven, you shouldn't rush the process because it might warp and fracture more. It will likely dry out as much as it can by air curing after three to four years. Numerous variables affect it. After air curing the slabs until then, you could hasten the drying process by a year or two if you place them in a heated location the following winter or the winter after.