moisture content of Cypress

[cme4dk]

I hate to use the expression "asking for a friend" but I really am asking for a friend.  He was able to obtain old growth cypress that he wants to make a table out of.  The moisture content is at 18% at this point.  What will be the problems, if there are any, if he uses that wood now?  I realize that it is wetter than any wood that is kiln dried, but how significant is the 18% vs. the recommended 11% or 12% moisture content?

[rwe2156]

You want it lower than that. At least 8%. 6-7% is ideal for furniture if its going in a house.

It hasn't reached equilibrium yet. In my area of NE FL air dried lumber generally comes in at 14-16%. If I leave it stickered for a while sometimes it will get down to 12%.

Further drying can be done with either a kiln or storing in a climate controlled room for several weeks, or even months.

That's nice stuff and very hard to find anymore. How is he storing the lumber?

[Bill Holt]

There is an exception to almost every rule; and likely no rule is perfect.  But I do not want to be the guy who builds a great piece of furniture with high MC material only to watch it morf into something I am not proud to show another woodworker.  %18 is too high for me.

[jteneyck]

11 - 12% might be perfect for Hawaii or other tropical locations with no need for heating or much AC, but you might need 4 - 6% for some places in the desert SW.  All depends upon where you are.  Where I live in the NE you need 6 - 8% to avoid shrinkage that can cause all kinds of problems unless the builder really knows what they are doing.  

John 

[TomFromStLouis]

There is an exception to almost every rule; and likely no rule is perfect.  But I do not want to be the guy who builds a great piece of furniture with high MC material only to watch it morph into something I am not proud to show another woodworker.  %18 is too high for me.

+1

Do not tempt the wood movement gods by using un-dry wood. 

Only use wood that has been dried down to the point it will see in use (6% MC indoors for me, ~10% outdoors). 

This is a hard lesson to learn first hand. I recommend your friend learn it some other way.

[MichaelMouse]

Do not tempt the wood movement gods by using un-dry wood. 

Only use wood that has been dried down to the point it will see in use (6% MC indoors for me, ~10% outdoors). 

This is a hard lesson to learn first hand. I recommend your friend learn it some other way.

Further, take a bit of time to look at the wood and make your joints to minimize the worst.  SEP05WM_BOOK.indb (popularwoodworking.com)

[Gary G™]

Cypress usually dries pretty quickly without distortion or checking.
I would be patient.

[kurt18947]

Does your friend know to sticker the boards, not stack 'em tight? Certainly 18% is too high. Wrong or right, I'll take a moisture meter and check a similar species of wood that's been where the new piece is going. If the new material is the same moisture as a piece that's been in the intended place for years it seems like it should be dry enough. Something else to be aware of is make sure the moisture is the same throughout the board. Make sure the center isn't wetter than the outsides. The thicker the board the more careful I'd want to be.