www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

I'm using 3x2 tanalised rails to make a support for some trellis.

The rails are 3mtrs long (sorry mixing inches and mtrs).

Currently the rails are sopping wet, what sort of shrinkage will I get over their length as they dry out?

Don't want them bending the 4"sq posts into bananas

Not bothered about the height / depth

Cheers

have you ever thought perhaps you are thinking about jobs too much

virtualy nil as in perhaps 2 or 3mm if your unlucky [yes 1/8th of an inch ]

LOL - yep but I can't help it. Thinking a lot about work and the house at the minute.

Got into the shower yesterday, got wet, started thinking about the trellis and got out again without actually washing... I know - Sad git...

But I managed to crack some kitchen wall tiles when I put the shelf on the window ledge.

It had bits that overlapped the tiles either side. I screwed it into the concrete ledge and it contracted, pulled tight against the tiles and bust them

I know it's only for the garden but might as well learn something whilst I'm here

Same as Big Al, nil in length but will shrink in width and thickness.

I was told by a carpenter, wood shinks and expands 30 times as much across the grain as it does along the grain.

I think its assumed that you can ignore shrinkage along the grain unless you have really long lengths.