Replies

1. 
   gulfstar | Apr 13, 2020 12:12pm | #1

   Furniture grade lumber is dried between 6 and 8% rh, this is only possible in a kiln. Air dried wood will drop down to around 12% in most climates at a 1 year per inch thickness rate. This is very general and can be slower . Your wood is way too humid and applying a finish will only slow down further drying. It will cup and crack .

2. 
   geedubbee | Apr 13, 2020 12:13pm | #2

   I'm no expert but, generally anything over 10% is too much for "woodworking". I start to get a tingle in my gut when I see 8% (meaning I feel that is the high end for me) and tend to wait it out. However, I live in a fairly dry part of the country. Obviously folks work greener materials but, I do not think that is what you are after here.

3. 
   wereese | Apr 13, 2020 12:19pm | #3

   Thanks

4. 
   bilyo | Apr 13, 2020 01:42pm | #4

   If you want to get a more accurate moisture reading with your pin style meter, drive a pair of 1" brads into an inconspicuous place leaving just enough of the head above the surface so that you can get a hold of it later for removal. Of course, space them the same as the pins on your meter so that each can touch a nail head simultaneously. This will allow you to read the moisture all the way to the center of the wood and you can leave the nails there until you are ready to use the wood.

5. 
   mdorsam | Apr 16, 2020 09:36pm | #5

   Too wet.

   This, along with the fact that once you skimmed the surface, the reading increased (substantially), means that the wood is not ready for fine work.

6. 
   mchristo | Apr 17, 2020 01:30am | #6

   I also have a black walnut crotch slab. Mine has a date of 4/2017 written on the edge. It is just over 2” thick and has cupped approx 3/8” in the area of the crotch, but remains pretty flat once you get out of the figured wood of the crotch. I’ve read that laying it outside with the cup side down will let it absorb ground moisture on the concave side and the sun would dry out the rounded side- thus flattening it at least somewhat. Is this a good idea?

7. 
   john_c2 | Apr 17, 2020 08:47am | #7

   Bad idea.

8. 
   _mj_ | Apr 17, 2020 10:13am | #8

   That will do what you suggest, but it will go right back to where it was when you bring it back inside.

9. 
   mchristo | Apr 17, 2020 11:00am | #9

   Thank you. Thats what I was afraid of. My other two options are: build a sliding slab flattener for my router, or take it to my local lumber supplier who also has a full shop. They have a large belt sander. Do you think a large belt sander would be able to flatten this, or do I need a planer? I guess I could try to flatten it with a hand plane, but I don’t know that my shoulders would like me for it. (Already bone on bone on my left shoulder and in need of replacement per my orthopedic, but thats for a different forum)

10. 
    user-1178988016 | Apr 17, 2020 01:16pm | #10

    Worth doing by hand, in my experience. If you sharpen a no 6 plane blade as a scrub plane, which is quite easy, you will find that planing across the grain you can take off wood very quickly, easily and effectively in black walnut. It is important to bevel the back edge that you are planing towards, so that you don't split off that edge. In the time it takes you to set up a slab flattener for your router, you could have finished the job, and with much less noise and fuss.

11. 
    mchristo | Apr 17, 2020 02:25pm | #11

    Thanks Nick,
    The largest plane I have is The low angle jack plane from Lee Valley at 15” long. Do you think that would work?