Replies

1. 
   jgaiennie | Nov 24, 2002 07:24pm | #1

   From memory and a little experience:

   About 12% moisture, tolerance depends species, end use and allowable shrinkage.  Can be up to 17%, even 22% for some applications.  

   There have been several articals regarding seasoning wood in woodworking mags over the last couple of years.  I've even seen one comparing moisture meters.  Probably FWW.  Unfortunately I'm not prepared to say which issue.

   I know nothing of the meter you are asking about, but if I remember correctly, at the time of that artical, you need to pay $100 & up to get a decent meter - seems like it may have been neighborhood of $200. 

   Drying wood in your garage will work.  You'll need to "stick" it properly.  This is the key to success.  Lumber that is "sticked" properly is stacked carefully and neatly, supported on uniform thickness strips of wood at about 4 or 5' centers, usually about four or five boards wide, with gaps between the edges of the boards.  Strips supporting the next layer should be directly over the previous layers strips.  The point is to stack the lumber to allow air to circulate horizontally and vertically through the stack and such that you don't introduce bending or twisting stressing in the wood.

   Rule of thumb - allow about a year of air drying time per inch of thickness of your lumber, however I've cut into some walnut that was dried within those parameters that was still very wet. 

2. 
   RANGERP75R | Nov 24, 2002 09:24pm | #2

   dperfe

      Can't comment on that brand. The Timber-wolve at $69 is great. I use it for rougher lumber as it has pins. Use a Wagner digital on prepared stock.

      I prefer between 8% and 12% when the stock is ready to work. You might pick up Bruce Hoadley's book, Understanding Wood. You won't regret what you will learn from it.

   Luck..

   sarge..jt

1. 
   dperfe | Nov 24, 2002 10:12pm | #3

   Thanks both of you for the helpful input.

   Dperfette

3. 
   fredsmart48 | Nov 26, 2002 12:09am | #4

   For air drying from the articles that I have read say.

   You should store the lumber in a dry place garages is fine as long as it is dry and the wood dose not contact the floor.

   The would should be supported every 16" the support needs to flat ( string from one support to the last support and all the rest should just touch the string)

   Sticker for every layer with a piece of 3/4 inch wood. directly above each other (not 1/4 inch off center.)

   Wood on the same level should be the same thickness and separated by 3/4 inch .

   The top layers should a have heavy weight on it to hold the wood some what in place.

   Paint the end grain with sealer to help keep that from drying out to fast and checking the wood.

   Make sure you deal with inspects ( termites, carpenter ants, powder post beetles) keep checking.

    

   Some people have built a solar powered kiln to help speed up the drying.

   
   

   ---

   Edited 11/25/2002 4:16:01 PM ET by fredsmart

   
   

   ---

   Edited 11/25/2002 4:16:36 PM ET by fredsmart

4. 
   IanDG | Nov 26, 2002 12:23am | #5

   The cheaper meters are satisfactory for checking if the moisture content is stable by taking readings at different places across/along the same board.
   To my mind, it's more important to see that the timber has acclimatised in this way than the absolute value.