Banding lumber

[Polish hammer]

So I’ve seen and read that more n more peyote banding there lumber to let dry instead of weighting it down to me this is more practical so I don’t have to get piles of rocks or cinder blocks but I can get an almost unlimited supply of ratchet straps that should work fine correct?

 

[Franny K]

What I have tried in a limited extent is to take a hard wood 2x4 and with a forstner bit drill in straight half way and then turn sideways towards the center of the board. Need to come out of the 2x4 with the bit into another piece of wood. Using 1/4 inch chain and chain binder make the chain tight. If you just wrap straps it won't keep the center of the pile down very much in my estimation. You need 2 such 2x4 with 2 holes each (spaced the size of the stack of planks or boards) one length of chain with no hooks on at least 1 end and one chain binder spaced apart. It sure does keep the pile together for moving. Only really keeps the boards flat not from getting a crown.

 

[Mad Professor]

When I worked at a big commercial mill, they had banders for banding stacked/stickered piles.

The metal banding material was ~1" wide thin steel strap and came on large rolls. The bander tool was a special ratchet devise that tightened the band on the stack and put a crimp on it.

Several bands per stack depending on length.

Worked wonderful but probably to $$$ for hobbists

https://www.acklandsgrainger.com/en/product/KIT-TOOL-STEEL-STRP-5-8-FDWHL-TYPE/p/SIGKITS58

 

[BobL]

Weights are way better than any sort of strap in that you can load them up and then forget about them.
Straps are useful in that you can move them around in the same pack

In terms of tension it depends on the ratchet straps.
Most ratchet straps simply cannot apply anywhere near the same pressure as metal banding can.
OTOH as the wood shrinks at least with ratchet straps they can be tightened - not so easy with metal straps - but you still have to regularly remember to do this.
Metal straps can also be retightened using wedges. Once the wedges are set up, a belt with a hammer can re-establishes the tension even quicker than a ratchet can.
. . . . . .and then there's this approach.