Richard, don’t know whether it has been mentioned here but I much enjoyed your article in the most recent issue of “Woodwork” on the vicissitudes of working wood on two continents.
You mentioned that the kilned stuff we get here in Texas reacquires much of it’s MC shortly after arriving from northern climes and poses many problems after milling.
It brought to mind a highly figured walnut board which, along it’s pith, revealed a startling resemblence to an owl face. I took the 12X12 section with it’s “eyes” and burled “head” and “chin” and proceeded to mill it into the top of a hand dovetailed box.
By the time I got to attaching this beautifully figured lid.. it had curled rather nicely along it’s width rendering it practically useless for it’s intended purpose.
My solution was to attach three walnut cleats to the bottom side with screws which I plugged. It brought the top to near enough flat again.. but one side is still a tad raised.
I’ve also made a walnut writing table from boards I milled. Each time I pass by the room where it is located I give it a quick glance to see if it’s still intact.
But, these concerns aside.. I just this past week went to Clark’s Hardwood Lumber in the Heights for 90 bf of walnut, maple and cherry. I’ve dutifully stickered it in my garage workshop for projects I have in mind beginning in late October when this beastly heat and humidity subsides.
Cheers, Richard!
Bill
Replies
Uh oh, how did I miss that? Is it on the newstands now? Really enjoyed the last article he had on the stands.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
FG, it should be on the stands. I got my subscription copy early last week. Richard's article is excellent. But then I haven't seen him write a bad one.
My bad ones don't get published Jon, ha, ha. Slainte.RJFurniture
Thanks Bill. I haven't yet seen the article in its published form-- I've got the cheque- but no sight of the bleedin' magazine with the article yet, ha, ha.
Evidently something I said in it resonated with you. Houston is truly a difficult climate in which to be a woodworker. Well it's too darned hot and miserable for most of the year for a start! No wonder I'm glad to be back home in dank and dreich GB, although we had temps topping 90F yesterday--- a veritable heatwave for here.
Stickering up the wood is a good idea, but bear in mind that relative atmospheric humidity (RH) is affected by air temperature. Warmer air will carry more moisture vapour and this has a bearing on the wood moisture content (MC.)
Anyway, the cooler air in October will carry less actual moisture, but the RH might still be similar to that experienced in August.
RH and its effect on wood, wood movement and wood MC has to always be considered.
Anyway, if your wood MC now reads about 10- 12% MC and it's stickered until October, it may not read very much different at that time.
With air conditioning being run as much as it is in Houston there is a tendency for the wood MC to reduce after a piece of furniture is moved from the unairconditioned workshop to the home environment
The important thing is to allow for the wood movement. Typical home environments experience relative atmospheric humidity between about 30% and 60%-- there are exceptions either side of that, the 30-60% figure equates to roughly 7% to 11% wood MC.
I know in this wee post I'm probably not fully describing the relationship between atmospheric RH and wood MC, but I strongly suggest you get a copy of Hoadley's Understanding Wood if you haven't already got a copy.
It's an excellent reference book and well worth the money. I refer you to a chart in my edition that equates RH to wood MC on P 113 and the text that goes with it in chapter 6.
Trusting all news in Houston is good news (sic.) Slainte.
Richard, I will definitely get Hoadley's Understanding Wood (and hope I understand it) but in the meantime I intend to focus, as you suggest, on accomodating the inevitable movement of wood from shop to home environs.
These complexities are what kept me from tooling up to work solid wood to begin with.. favoring projects that could be built principally with sheet goods and only dressed up with solid wood edgings and frames.
But I suppose the next step was ineveitable and I have now plunged headlong into an appreciation for fine hardwoods and, perhaps even more, for the wonderful machines I've acquired to mill wood, modest though they are.
I can only hope that.. having to face more than the normal challenges of working wood because of my unnatural habitat.. I might one day become a better craftsman because of it.. if that makes any sense.
Say, is there any truth to what I hear about the sudden increase in the price of a pint in the auld country? The CNBC boys were talking about $6 US for a pint of Guiness. Not that it wouldn't be worth it, mind.
Bill
>>"Say, is there any truth to what I hear about the sudden increase in the price of a pint in the auld country? The CNBC boys were talking about $6 US for a pint of Guiness. Not that it wouldn't be worth it, mind."<<
That's what happens when a product's price is based on supply and demand. Higher booze prices follow Sgian around like a pet coon dog. :O)
Edited 6/10/2004 8:56 pm ET by Jon Arno
Edited 6/10/2004 9:52 pm ET by Jon Arno
Typical price for an Imperial pint of Guinness in pubs is about £2.60, or about US$4.80 at $1.80 per £1. Still cheaper than a couple of bottles of tasteless gnats pee Bud, plus tip, ha, ha.
Hey. I think I need a drink. It is nearly 9 pm here. See you all later. Slainte.RJFurniture
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled