Replies

1. 
   _mj_ | Oct 23, 2021 02:08pm | #1

   If you subscribe to what the Old Wife says you still have a year of drying ahead of you. One year per inch is the rule. If you can leave it indoors for the heating season you'll speed it up a bit. Probably safe to do at the 1.5 year mark.

1. 
   esch5995 | Oct 23, 2021 02:29pm | #4

   Not necessarily, it all depends on his local climate as to what moisture content is "normal".

1. 
   marcfish12 | Oct 23, 2021 02:42pm | #5

   I live in north Carolina

2. 
   esch5995 | Oct 23, 2021 02:28pm | #2

   I will take a different point of view, I don't worry about moisture content in absolute terms because it really does not matter. What matters is the wood at equilibrium with my environment. Think about it like this, do you think wood at equilibrium is going to have the moisture content in Phoenix Arizona as it does in Seattle Washington? I don't think so. The only time you need to use moisture meters IMO is if you are air drying wood and you are tracking moisture changes to determine when it has achieved equilibrium and is ready to use. If I lived in Seattle and I took wood straight from the kiln dried to 7% and started building with it immediately I guarantee I would have problems because that wood is going to take on moisture and swell. So if you really want to minimize problems from wood movent due to moisture changes, put the moisture meters in the drawer, buy you wood well in advance, 30 days or more if possible, stack and sticker it off the floor with good air movement and be patient.

   Now that you know how I feel about them I will tell you that painless and pinned meters don't read the same way and you need to use conversion tables to equate the results way too much trouble which is why for 40+ years I do as above, it is almost full proof.

3. 
   gulfstar | Oct 23, 2021 02:28pm | #3

   Air drying will bring it to the equilibrium moisture level of your environment. In the North east this is around 12%. Kiln drying will bring it down to 6% . http://www.moisturemeterguide.com/page226.html#.YXRURy1vqhA

   That does not mean that 12%rh wood is good for cabinets , that is assuming the wood has been dried outdoors. In our homes the winter equilibrium moisture content will go as low as 5% and in the summer, if there is air conditioning around 9% .

4. 
   marcfish12 | Oct 23, 2021 02:54pm | #6

   I am working in a basement that doesn't have air condition. I believe that emc in the area I live in is 16 percent.

5. 
   gulfstar | Oct 23, 2021 04:11pm | #7

   And that table will live in the same basement?

1. 
   marcfish12 | Oct 23, 2021 06:31pm | #8

   No

1. 
   gulfstar | Oct 23, 2021 09:24pm | #9

   The moisture needs to match the final environment where the piece will live.

6. 
   jharveyb | Oct 30, 2021 09:21pm | #10

   Basements are generally cooler and more humid than other parts (living areas) of houses. You may have set yourself back bringing the lumber into the basement, as it could be picking up more moisture in the humid space.

   I live in southern Tennessee, and air dried lumber in a shed ends up typically at 14-16% MC. Not suitable for typical heated/air conditioned houses, where I would want it around 10% max (for Tennessee.)

   If you get it close enough to its final MC, you can plan for the expected dimensional change when you make the table (which you should do anyway with virtually every wood project.) There are several articles in FWW about allowing for dimensional changes in wood construction. Without knowing more about your table, I can't offer explicit suggestions.

   By the way, I have a pin moisture meter and use it occasionally. My shop is basically a basement without a house above it; 2 sides are buried 9' in the ground. Keeps the temps even throughout the year but tended to be pretty humid in the summers. So I've been running a dehumidifier for the last few years, and can now bring air-dried lumber in and let it condition to something close to end-use MC. Pin moisture meter is helpful to let me know what progress I'm seeing.