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(09-10-2019, 02:03 PM)SteveS Wrote: Your conclusion that because wood came from the PNW it must have high MC is erroneous. The relative humidity here is far lower than it is on the East coast. I air dry a lot of wood in my garage. Currently I have several hundred pounds of figured BLM that was up to 25% MC three months ago. The pieces I have cut to about 3" are now down to around 11% and stuff I have had drying for more than a year is down to 8-9%.
Seattle:
This is the mean monthly relative humidity
![[Image: average-relative-humidity-united-states-...eattle.png]](https://weather-and-climate.com/uploads/average-relative-humidity-united-states-of-america-seattle.png)
Boston:
This is the mean monthly relative humidity
![[Image: average-relative-humidity-united-states-...boston.png]](https://weather-and-climate.com/uploads/average-relative-humidity-united-states-of-america-boston.png)
Savanna:
This is the mean monthly relative humidity
![[Image: average-relative-humidity-georgia-savannah-ge.png]](https://weather-and-climate.com/uploads/average-relative-humidity-georgia-savannah-ge.png)
There's no way you would get down to 8 - 9% around Seattle or similar coastal areas of the PNW if left outdoors. Can't do it on East coast, nor where I live either. The average RH has to be down to 50% or lower. That suggests you are talking about wood indoors in a conditioned environment. If that's the case it doesn't matter much where you live.
John
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09-11-2019, 11:51 AM
(This post was last modified: 09-12-2019, 12:04 PM by SteveS.)
My wood I have drying is in my garage, not outdoors, but it is not controlled.
Seattle average daytime RH is 50%
during the summer so it is relatively easy to get wood down to 10%. I haven't checked to see how quickly the wet stuff dries in the winter, but it does.
I have a couple of Western walnut slabs I have had air drying for about ten years. I'll have to check what it is, but I expect it is around 8%.
Add'l: Checked one of my walnut slabs with my pinned meter; it is at 10% MC. Also checked a holly slab that's been drying for about three years in the garage; it's at 10%. Checked one of the maple burl slabs I milled in April and it's at 12%. Looks like 10% is the minimum for my area.
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What moisture meters do you all recommend? Affordable but gives reliable results?
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(09-16-2019, 03:50 AM)NEILYEAG Wrote: What moisture meters do you all recommend? Affordable but gives reliable results?
This is the one I use. I didn't want a Chinese made unit and the pinless are rather expensive.
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09-16-2019, 07:22 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-16-2019, 07:24 PM by jteneyck.)
(09-16-2019, 03:50 AM)NEILYEAG Wrote: What moisture meters do you all recommend? Affordable but gives reliable results?
I use a Mini Ligno pin type MM. I've compared the meter readings to oven dried samples and they are in very good agreement when the moisture is consistent across the thickness of the board. However, if the lumber is wet in the middle this type of surface pin meter will read low. Actually, it will read correct, but only at the surface.
John
