Different ways to check moisture?

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Dairyman said:
B flat, now I wish I would've paid attention in band. How chopped up do u like to see the sample?

I cut 1" thick slices about 2" in from each end and one from the middle. This is a good enough sampling to get an average MC for a given split. Then I take my favorite kindling splitter (old meat cleaver) and chop these slices into chunks about 1" across. At this point I weigh them on a beam balance (reads in 1/10th gram increments) and record the weight.

I put the chunks on a paper towel on a dinner plate and run short cycles on the highest setting, allowing equal time resting to allow cooling. I'm not kidding, these things will get very hot on the inside and next thing you know they are on fire and you are sleeping in the doghouse with your very own microwave.

Just like with the way you've already been doing it, keep the cycling going until three full cycles fail to show any further weight reduction. Record the final weight and make your calculations.

BTW I see no useful purpose to use the counter-intuitive dry-basis calculation. Woodburners want to know the percentage of water that was in the original split, not as compared to the dry fiber weight. Although dry-basis calculations are the rule in the wood industry, all energy calculations in wood heaters must be done with a wet-basis MC expression. Even the EPA testers have to make this conversion if they use a moisture meter to get the MC of the test loads.
 
Dairyman said:
Backwoods Savage said:
Dairyman said:
Hi all, I was wondering if there was any other reliable way to check moisture levels than a store bought moisture meter. I know of a way to check forage moisture levels using a scale and microwave, could this work on wood? Any other methods?

Yes Dairyman, there is a very easy way. Split and stack your wood and don't touch it for 2-3 more years. Then burn it. It is a no-fail method and no instruments are needed except the normal saw and splitter.

Your right on with that, that's what I'm working on right now. Just curiosity got the best of me, the Manny can tell a difference in my 1 year vs 2 year and I was wondering how far off it was. Bad news is I'm 2 years behind. Thanks.
I had to reread that because I was trying to figure out how your male nanny knew so much about MC...
 
Danno77 said:
I had to reread that because I was trying to figure out how your male nanny knew so much about MC...

:lol:

That was a great stealth joke. Snuck up on me after I swallowed the scotch. Good thing, I hate when that stuff comes out your nose.

You are on a comedic roll this month, aren't you. ;-)
 
Battenkiller said:
Danno77 said:
I had to reread that because I was trying to figure out how your male nanny knew so much about MC...

:lol:

That was a great stealth joke. Snuck up on me after I swallowed the scotch. Good thing, I hate when that stuff comes out your nose.

You are on a comedic roll this month, aren't you. ;-)
Is it more funny or less funny if it was actually true that I was slightly confused for a second?
 
Danno77 said:
Battenkiller said:
Danno77 said:
I had to reread that because I was trying to figure out how your male nanny knew so much about MC...

:lol:

That was a great stealth joke. Snuck up on me after I swallowed the scotch. Good thing, I hate when that stuff comes out your nose.

You are on a comedic roll this month, aren't you. ;-)
Is it more funny or less funny if it was actually true that I was slightly confused for a second?

It would be more scary, that's for sure. Best not to tell us which it was. ;-P
 
Anyway, I much prefer the set it and leave it method for drying the wood. I made little blocks of the wood that were around 2 cubic inches. Toss them into the oven at 230 and weigh again after 12 hours or so, then weigh them again in another hour, then again in another hour. Once I get three equal readings in a row, then I call it a day and do the math.

No real need to make nice little cubes, but it speeds up the drying process. You can use some splits, just will take longer than a sane man is wiling to wait.

Don't worry. Wife gets used to it really quick.
 
BB walks away shaking his head. And chuckling.
 
Danno77 said:
Dairyman said:
Backwoods Savage said:
Dairyman said:
Hi all, I was wondering if there was any other reliable way to check moisture levels than a store bought moisture meter. I know of a way to check forage moisture levels using a scale and microwave, could this work on wood? Any other methods?

Yes Dairyman, there is a very easy way. Split and stack your wood and don't touch it for 2-3 more years. Then burn it. It is a no-fail method and no instruments are needed except the normal saw and splitter.

Your right on with that, that's what I'm working on right now. Just curiosity got the best of me, the Manny can tell a difference in my 1 year vs 2 year and I was wondering how far off it was. Bad news is I'm 2 years behind. Thanks.
I had to reread that because I was trying to figure out how your male nanny knew so much about MC...

No, I don't milk goats that have a hankerin' for wood.
 
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