When Is Wood Dry Enough to Use Furniture

Most all woods absorb moisture like a sponge.  Of course, woods like teak and white oak are h2o resistant, and volition non warp, twist or crack.  This is why they are good choices for outdoor furniture, and in the case of white oak, a good choice for boatbuilding.

For the boilerplate woodworker, though, the sponge-similar quality of woods is well known.  When wood absorbs moisture, information technology expands.  As it dries and the water is released, wood loses weight and shrinks.  If you build something with wood that is not sufficiently dry, that shrinkage can ruin your piece, making assembled parts warp or joints fail.

Drying Wood

Air drying of wood takes time, lumber stacked and separated and then that all sides of lumber are exposed.  As a general rule of thumb, it requires 1 year for each inch of lumber thickness for wood to dry sufficiently to be worked.  As we know, time is coin, and that's a large investment.

Where green wood is to exist processed into usable lath, a kiln is usually used to facilitate and quicken that drying time under controlled conditions. Green, rough cut lumber refers to recently cut trees that accept not had time to season, a term that has to do with the drying of its internal wet. Green wood will be considered as having 100% wet content as compared with air-stale, kiln-dried, or "seasoned" wood.

At that place are many types of kilns used for seasoning (drying) wood. They are large, insulated rooms with a controlled environs (humidity, temperature, and airflow) that hastens along the drying process.  The theory of kiln drying is unproblematic: the increased temperature and airflow, under controlled atmospheric condition that regulate the room'southward humidity, evens out the drying procedure.  By evening out the procedure, nosotros mean as between the outer shell of the forest and its interior.

The outer beat, of course, volition tend to dry out more quickly than the internal core if a less controlled process is employed.  Wet pockets can be avoided, and a more than even drying is the result.

Poor kiln management, though, like an improper schedule of controlled atmospheric condition, tin can atomic number 82 to uneven drying.  The outer vanquish tin can dry too quickly and faster than the core of the forest.  As the cadre so dries, the push-pull betwixt core and vanquish tin can crusade the core to split and create a condition known as honeycombing.  This is irreversible and (no pun intended) cannot be cured.

How Dry out Does Wood Demand To Exist?

For the average abode woodworker, it'southward likely prophylactic to presume the wood you picked upwards at the lumber grand is dry enough for firsthand apply in your shop.  It's been kiln-dried under the right atmospheric condition and safe for your project.

This means the wood moisture content is probably in the safe range of 6% to eight% and would be suitable for most any blazon of project, including cabinet making, furniture, toys for your kids, and even restoration work on your boat.  Moisture content above that range, though, would mean you'd desire to wait a bit longer and give the lumber time for more drying.

Stacking the lumber in unmarried layers separated past scrap straps and so that all sides are exposed to the air, and a dehumidifier running in your store might be in society.  After a fourth dimension of drying, it volition be good to go for your projection.

How To Know If Your Forest Is Dry

Only, you ask, how will I know if I've given it plenty fourth dimension to attain that safe range of dryness?  Good question.  Or, perhaps your project is particularly important to you, a kitchen chiffonier task, or a fine piece of article of furniture, or something with extra-fancy joinery, and y'all don't desire to take whatever chances.

Fortunately, at that place are devices you can use to measure the wet content of your woods.  These moisture meters, as they are called, come in one of two protocols:  pin-type and pinless.  Let's take a look at each.

• Pin-type moisture meters/sensors.  These meters use electrodes inserted in woods and use electrical resistance to mensurate moisture content.  Utilize a piece of wood from your stock, and insert the electrodes for several readings.

  As we think from our loftier school scientific discipline classes, water conducts electricity; forest does not.  Water offers no resistance to the electrical current from the meter, while dry wood does.

  The greater the resistance, the greater the water content.  The readings will tell you lot whether your wood falls into the dry range of 6% to 8%.  Deeper penetration of the woods will requite you an accurate wetness reading well into the woods and assistance place the presence of any moisture pockets.

• Pinless wet meters/sensors.  Pinless meters exercise not penetrate the wood; rather, they take a sensor pad that reads the woods past contact with its surface.  They typically have the power to read moisture content to a depth of virtually ¼ – ½ inch.  They offering the ability to have sample readings on large areas more than quickly, though, as you practice not have to stick electrodes into the forest advisedly.

Which Is Better – Pin-type or Pinless Moisture Meters?

As you might estimate, the pin-type meters have the reward of determining the depth of moisture pockets, helpful data to have when deciding if farther drying is needed and for how long.  As noted, pinless do have the advantage of taking readings on larger areas of the woods more than rapidly.  Each offers something of value in helping you make an informed determination, just if the wood tin be poked a bit without interfering with your project, a pin-type can offer more than detailed and specific information.

Are Wet Meters Accurate?

When it comes to wet meters, you get what you pay for.

The more expensive meters will tend to be of improve measuring quality and accuracy.  A top brand moisture meter can be accurate to within 0.01% of your wood'due south wetness.  Cheaper models will not come close to that accurateness.

If your project is i that has no tolerance for pocket-sized defects, spend upwards for your wet meter.  Fine cabinetry and furniture projects certainly autumn into this category and demand that degree of accurateness.

Be honest:  how many of yous consider the moisture content of the wood you've only brought abode from the lumber yard?  True, you are likely safe in assuming it's dry enough for your projection.  Merely if your project calls for swell care in its finery finish, consider testing and add a pin-type moisture meter to your list of must-have woodshop tools.

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