Old timer at the lumber yard set me straight today
I was grabbing oak for a table build. Heard him tell a kid that wood moves more in the first year than people think. I always let my stock acclimate in the shop for a week. But he said give it a full 30 days if you can. Anyone else cut corners on drying time and regret it later?
Did you ever think part of the reason is that most shops keep their AC or heat running 24/7, while garages and workshops swing with the seasons? That temperature difference can make wood stabilize completely different than the controlled environment it came from. Your old timer probably saw a lot of projects fail just because the wood never adjusted to those wild temperature swings.