Well I've lost it.

[xbunzx]

I've seen a lot of post about moisture meters, and what % the wood it at. I thought you guys were crazy. Well get the straight jacket, I picked one up and could not wait to see how much moisture was in the wood.
Black walnut 6-8%
Hickory 12%
locust 21%
Oak 13%

 

[Freeheat]

The first year burning no meter, Had little to no control over the fire. Year 2 and a lot of reading a good meter and what a pleasure , the big things i noticed was little to no soot on the glass longer hotter fires and a reduced heating bill. BTW let the locust season some more !!

 

[Exmasonite]

Were they fresh splits? Otherwise, you may get falsely low readings.

Btw, how long as the wood been seasoning to get there? Congrats!

 

[Shari]

I'm assuming you did this correctly and re-split your test splits and took a reading from the newly exposed centers?

Don't take a reading from the end of a split....

 

[oldspark]

Fresh split or fresh cut.

 

[xbunzx]

Yes re-split, and locust was cut down last summer, the hickory is 4 years old and half the oak is 3 years and half was a dead standing cut down and split last summer. The oak from last summer looks a lot better than the stuff that s 3 years old.

 

[oldspark]

I think using a time frame for drying wood is not as good as the MM, too many varibles to work through and the hitting two pices of wood together does not work that well either, yesterday I had two farily green pieces of elm that sounded like base base ball bats when I hit them together but there green.

 

[NH_Wood]

I think using a time frame for drying wood is not as good as the MM, too many varibles to work through and the hitting two pices of wood together does not work that well either, yesterday I had two farily green pieces of elm that sounded like base base ball bats when I hit them together but there green.

I agree with oldspark on the 'baseball bat' sound issue - I've hit fresh cut wood, albeit ash, that gave the 'crack' sound of dry wood. Cheers!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

xbunzx, you probably have already guessed that folks are questioning those moisture readings. I too wonder even realizing what you describe. It seems to me that it is pretty difficult to get wood to a lower moisture content than the relative humidity in the area. I've been in your state several times and would not call your state a low humidity area. But all in all, one must realize that the MM still may not be totally accurate but should make a good guide.

For me, I've not broke down to buy one yet and do not feel that I need it. Should I ever have a creosote problem then I would begin to question myself or at least my judgement on seasoning wood. For now though, when we clean our chimney after 2 years of burning to get a cup of soot, I do not question if my wood is seasoned or not. We've experimented with different ways of doing the wood and feel that the way we now do it has worked for many years and see nothing that would change it. Well, maybe if we moved to the Pacific NW we might have to change something a bit...

 

[oldspark]

You can get it much lower than the relative humidity, there is a chart if I could find it.

 

[NH_Wood]

xbunzx, you probably have already guessed that folks are questioning those moisture readings. I too wonder even realizing what you describe. It seems to me that it is pretty difficult to get wood to a lower moisture content than the relative humidity in the area. I've been in your state several times and would not call your state a low humidity area. But all in all, one must realize that the MM still may not be totally accurate but should make a good guide.

For me, I've not broke down to buy one yet and do not feel that I need it. Should I ever have a creosote problem then I would begin to question myself or at least my judgement on seasoning wood. For now though, when we clean our chimney after 2 years of burning to get a cup of soot, I do not question if my wood is seasoned or not. We've experimented with different ways of doing the wood and feel that the way we now do it has worked for many years and see nothing that would change it. Well, maybe if we moved to the Pacific NW we might have to change something a bit...

For those of us that maintain 4 years ahead or more, there is simply no need for a meter, besides the fun/interest factor. I think for those folks that can't maintain a 20 cord store, that's when knowing how well seasoned your wood is becomes more important. Cheers!

 

[ScottyT]

Love to burn Locust however it takes forever to dry. I thought Oak took forever Locust needs a solid 2 years.

 

[NH_Wood]

Love to burn Locust however it takes forever to dry. I thought Oak took forever Locust needs a solid 2 years.

Funny, I was under the impression that the benefit of locust relative to oak was the faster drying time. Cheers!

 

[xbunzx]

Don't get me wrong, I've been burning wood for 15 years and a meter is not going to tell me when and when not to burn.The meter to me is a toy, I've been doing just fine with out it. Like I said I've lost it, been a long winte I saw the meter I bout the meter. Some of the things I read in here I don't take to heart, but its as good read.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Well shoot, we burned wood for 50+ years before ever using a stove thermometer too.... Now I'd hate to be without one.

 

[velvetfoot]

I'm about to drink the kool-aid too.
Which meter is a good one?

 

[lukem]

There was an add in this week's paper for the HF meter...can't remember how much but it was on sale.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

The moisture content will stabilize at a level that corresponds to a certain RH- not equal to the RH. For instance- if you hold wood at 30% RH, it will stabilize at about 6% MC (I remember that one because it is the lowest you want to go for drying bow wood). Remember also that there is more than one way to measure the MC.

 

[Jags]

Like I said I've lost it, been a long winte I saw the meter I bout the meter. Some of the things I read in here I don't take to heart, but its as good read.

Well, you are from Forreston - and that will account for some nuttyness. ;-P

Welcome aboard.

 

[oldspark]

There was an add in this week's paper for the HF meter...can't remember how much but it was on sale.

These seem to work just fine.