Moisture Content

[Bill Holt]

titanxt's Moisture Meter post reminds me of a question.  I turn several bowls a year.  First, I turn the green piece to a 1" thickness, seal it and store it upside-down.  Months later, when I check for MC, the inside is almost always dryer than the outside.  Thus the question...why?  The difference, generally is greater than 4%.  I have the General pin meter.  

I'm just curious.  The answer will not change my routine, most likely.

[Roly]

titanxt's Moisture Meter post reminds me of a question.  I turn several bowls a year.  First, I turn the green piece to a 1" thickness, seal it and store it upside-down.  Months later, when I check for MC, the inside is almost always dryer than the outside.  Thus the question...why?  The difference, generally is greater than 4%.  I have the General pin meter.  

I'm just curious.  The answer will not change my routine, most likely.

From what I understand moisture moves from a wet area to a dryer area in a porous material.  So the air on the outside of the bowl dries the outside so it keeps pulling moisture from inside the bowl.  The outside would be the last place to dry .   Roly

[EatenByLimestone]

This explanation makes sense, but it doesn’t act the same as it does in a piece of firewood. When you split a piece of firewood, the inside is wetter than the outside.

[Roly]

This explanation makes sense, but it doesn’t act the same as it does in a piece of firewood.  When you split a piece of firewood, the inside is wetter than the outside.

I agree with you but I think the issue is more the direction of the grain.  Also the time it takes to dry it.   The fire wood is mostly drying out from the ends first, but takes a lot of time for the moisture to get out.   Crosscut it has a shorter path.   Just guessing, but it would be interesting what various readings would be inside and out during the drying process.  Roly

[Bill Holt]

From what I understand moisture moves from a wet area to a dryer area in a porous material.  So the air on the outside of the bowl dries the outside so it keeps pulling moisture from inside the bowl.  The outside would be the last place to dry .   Roly

"KISS"  Thank you Roly, even I can understand the explanation.

[jteneyck]

If the bowls are stored upside down on a non-porous surface it makes no sense why the inside is drier after a period of time.  You must be storing them at least on stickers, yes?  In any case, water moves from wet to dry, as Roly said, but there has to be motivation for it to do so, so if the insides are drying faster there must be some mechanism pulling the moisture away from the surface.  Could be heat, could be moving air.  Definitely curious without more details.  

John

[Bill Holt]

John, the bowls are sealed with Anchorseal, stored upside down, on wire rack shelving, outside, under the eve of the house.  The bowls are post oak, pear, chittamwood, magnolia, ash, pecan, hackberry, and live oak.  I also have mesquite but the difference in MC is usually less than 2%. 

It thrills me that someone else finds this curious.

[jteneyck]

John, the bowls are sealed with Anchorseal, stored upside down, on wire rack shelving, outside, under the eve of the house.  The bowls are post oak, pear, chittamwood, magnolia, ash, pecan, hackberry, and live oak.  I also have mesquite but the difference in MC is usually less than 2%. 

It thrills me that someone else finds this curious.

That fills in the details of what you're doing, but nothing pops out as to why the insides dry faster.  I wonder what Dr. Wengert would have to say about it?  The fact that mesquite is an outlier is interesting, too.  

John

[Roly]

That fills in the details of what you're doing, but nothing pops out as to why the insides dry faster.  I wonder what Dr. Wengert would have to say about it?  The fact that mesquite is an outlier is interesting, too.  

John

I thought the bowl was on a flat surface that more or less sealed the bottom. Now that it was open on a wire rack and outside along with Armor Seal on it, I have no idea why the moisture readings are so different.  And yes ,other people find it interesting.    Roly