Hi All,
Well, I’m finally escaping Hell… er, I mean Utah. This fall I’ll be moving up to Southern New Jersey.
While I am excited about the move and actually having trees that don’t have to be watered by a sprinkler system for them to survive, I am concerned about the humidity change.
Aside from needing to make sure I keep all the cast iron tops of my tools coated well with Topkote, What do I need to be aware of? I know that this’ll affect the wood, but I have never understood exactly how moisture content affects everything. I have about 150bd ft of semi-rough cut red oak that I’ll be brining with me… anything special I should know/do when using this wood as opposed to wood that I buy there in NJ?
Thanks!
Donald
Replies
Lostone,
The most important thing you can do with your lumber is let it climatize before you try building anything with it. I'm not a scientist, and I can't give you the spiffy technical reason why things warp, twist and change dimensionally but if I were you I would leave the wood sitting around for a few months so that you don't have one of your projects move around a little.
Have a pepperoni pizza for me (Boston, great italian food),
Brian
LostOne,
Having lived in New Jersey for neigh on to 40 years, I assure you,(LostOne) you are gonna love New Jersey. First, you must familiarize yourself with The Garden State Parkway.
Next head South for 'The Shore' and enjoy The great beaches/fishing/entertainment/Jersey Girls etc etc.Lobster, Fried clams and Salt water toffee.
You'll have to learn 'Jerseyspeak' and loose that Utah dialect.
I lived in Northeast New Jersey and never had any trouble with humidity
affecting my many power tools. You are a short distance from Pennsylvania and a great source of oak' cherry and walnut.
Atlantic City beckons, but don't bring all your cash with you.
If you ever have 'Wanderlust', hit the Jersey Turnpike and head North.
Some of the neatest towns and shopping malls/parks/trails skiing/flea markets/ garage sales/(Same as 'Tag sales')
You don't have to pump your own gas and there's concerts and fireworks cool evenings, water skiing, (On the Hudson River) ferry boat rides to NOO YAWK.
Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches Oh, did I mention Jersey Girls?/
The mountains, orchards and lakes abound and day trips are recommended.
Wishing you a great stay in The Garden State Steinmetz.
Steinmetz,
Don't you think you should mention South Jersey is mostly farms (Lots of fresh vegies)?...and how could you forget crabs and carb cakes?...or was that the Jersey Girl reference?
BG, I purposely didn't mention those @#$%& black flies around South Amboy or the oil refineries in Rahway or Skeeters in 'Forked" River 'in the Pinelands' (Forked is pronounced, For kid)Speaking of skeeters, The mosquitos in Jersey are gigantic. One of those buggers bit a greyhound bus and it swelled up so bad it got stuck in the Lincoln Tunnel. Also didn't mention the Meadowlands, where Jimmy Hoffa lies under a pile of garbage.( The locals call it Mount Trashmore)The Jersey 'T'maters'(No! Not the girls!), are big and plump and delicious. Well,... Some of 'em are!
Stein.Edited 7/25/2005 8:00 pm ET by steinmetz
Edited 7/25/2005 8:04 pm ET by steinmetz
The mosquitos in Jersey are gigantic. One of those buggers bit a greyhound bus and it swelled up so bad it got stuck in the Lincoln TunnelTHAT WAS FUNNY!
Steinmetz,Thanks for the welcome and description of some of what's available in NJ. I am looking forward to the move, I am NOT from Utah, I only live here. I'm actually from Western WA state, Grew up in the Tacoma, WA area (about 30 miles south of Seattle).I'm very much looking forward to being around trees and water again. Here in UT, trees and water are those mythological things that "outsiders" talk about.I'm also looking forward to doing some boating off the shore as I have a 23' bowrider that I recently purchased but haven't been able to use much.Being close to sources of nice hardwood sounds about as close to heaven as I'll ever get! We missed trees so much here in UT that we planted several on the tiny lot where we live, including an english oak and a scarlet oak. About the only regret I have is that neither of them is mature enough to give me acorns to bring with me and plant up there.As for the red Oak lumber I currently own... It sounds like I just need to let it sit for a while before using it.... hmmm sounds like a GREAT excuse for buying new, different lumber. Me to wife: "I'm sorry honey, but I HAVE to get more wood, I can't use the stuff I have for at LEAST 6 months to let it get used to the humidity!"Thanks again!Donald
I am reminded of the jackets that I used to see some guys wear when they cam back from Vietnam ....... On the back they said " when I die I know I am going to heaven, cause I spent my time in hell............Viet nam 1967" I spent my time in hell too........New Jersey 1988- 1989. I cant imaging getting excited about moving to New Jersey!!
Wicked Decent Woodworks
(oldest woodworking shop in NH)
Rochester NH
" If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"
Aloha,
If you want an authoritative book on wood characteristics, I would suggest "Understanding Wood" by R. Bruce Hoadley. No, it's not a book on wood psychology, it's secondary title is "A craftsman's guide to wood technology".
You'll be going from a dry climate to a more humid one, at least in the summer, but be aware that in northern states where it gets cold in the winter the relative humidity can get quite low in heated areas. Wood will take in or give out moisture until it reaches an equilibrium moisture content and this will vary with the relative humidity.
It is always best to design and construct furniture pieces to accommodate wood movement. You disregard it at your peril.
As far as your tools are concerned, if you are going to be anywhere near the ocean keep your tools in drawers or behind doors. Coming to Hawaii from the mainland, I learned this the hard way. I also use a lot of T-9 Boeshield and apply paste wax to all my tops every couple months or so. Away from the ocean shouldn't be much of a problem. I moved here from North Idaho where it can be quite humid and don't remember having much of a problem.
Having spent much of my life in NJ, and many months in Utah, I'd say that the climate isn't the only change you're going to experience!
Andy
Andy Engel
Senior editor, Fine Woodworking magazine
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Other people can talk about how to expand the destiny of mankind. I just want to talk about how to fix a motorcycle. I think that what I have to say has more lasting value. --Robert M. Pirsig
None of this matters in geological time.
Utah.. I spent a month one weekend in Utah...
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