I’m building this bedroom suite and on the last piece, chest of drawers, ran out of wood. I needed enough Cherry wood for the drawer fronts and top. A friend had Cherry that had been on stickers in his shed for over two years. I bought it thinking it would be dry and after getting it in my shop measured the moisture with a meter.
The moisture level runs 11 to 13 %, mostly 13%. The material I used for the the entire bedroom suite ran 6 to 9%. Is it safe to mill the drawer fronts and top with 13% moisture?
If not safe, wonder how long I’ll have to wait for it to reach moisture level in my shop? Shop is air conditioned and heated. Should I go ahead and mill to approximatly 1″ thick and rough size to speed it along in aclamating? Or just go buy more wood?
Lot of questions but I need to get this finished and out of the shop. I appriciate any help. Thanks
Replies
I think that the 13% is a bit too high to play around with. Especially for sensitive parts like you mention. So go to your regular supplier and buy what you need. The risk involved is too high to let other considerations creep in.
DR
Thanks. No need to mess up the project for a few bd ft of Cherry. How long do you think it will take for that 13% to fall to 6 or 8%? Thanks again.
I see you're in Kentucky, and I'm not even going to venture a guess from the other side of the world. I'm in the Galilee in Israel, and here I'd have to wait 3 months or so. I have a very rough rule of thumb which seems to work for me, of about 1% a month for wood that's standing in the shop. But again, that's my own experience. Check out your friend's cherry in a few months and see what MC it's come to.
DR
Israel! Wow! The magic of technologly. I bought more Cherry already after your message this am. It's dry. Thanks very much.
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