I have a smll table that the top is going to be made of some curly birch that I purchased about a month ago. I purchase most of my lumber from the same place and they kiln dry all their wood. I went to check the mc and my wagner has choice of several birch species to check. The hardwood store doesnt know exactly wich species they have. Anyway I tried all the species and I come up with a range of mc’s from 5% to 10%. My question is if anyone can tell me how to tell what species I have and if not do you think it would be ok to use it for my top.All the lumber that I have bought from them has been around 6% to 8%. The stuff that I bought before I had a Moisture meter always sat around in my shop for a while before I used it and I haven’t had any problems. The top will be put on using buttons to allow for expansion and contraction…mike
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Mike,
Every time the weather changes the wood will gain or lose water, so there isn't a correct moisture content. Just move the wood into your shop and sticker it for a few weeks to get it into balance with the climate in your shop and it will be ready to use.
It is easy to get obsessive about moisture content once you have invested in a meter. In a situation like this, if you wanted to put the meter to use, measure the woods MC when you first sticker it in the shop, and then measure it once a week to see if it is gaining or losing moisture. When the readings settle down with only small differences each time you check, the wood is ready to be put to use.
John White, Shop Manager, Fine Woodworking Magazine
John thanks for the info. I hope a moisture meter wasnt a bad investment. I just want to be a little cautious. mike
Not to worry about your moisture meter being a waste of money. Did you see this thread about how various members use their meters? And as John said, being able to tell when the wood "settles down" is a useful thing. (Might save you some time, should you want to get started ASAP.)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Hi mike ,
Since your design will allow for some movement with the buttons you spoke of you should be good to go .
The 5 - 10 % is well within the normal range of what is considered workable . Making sure the wood is stable is of more importance then the exact MC.
Even when wood is turned into a piece of furniture the MC will rise and fall with the seasons and such , that is where good design plays it's role .
You might try and ask the vendor you bought the Birch from if they know what type you have .
good luck dusty
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