Moisture Meter Use Tips, Anyone?

[velvetfoot]

Yeah, okay, so don't be p****d at me, and tell me to search.
If you want to jot down any tips for using a moisture meter, that'd be great.
I think one is to drill little holes for the pins.
I'm not sure what % to look for, at a minimum.

I got one a while ago (Amazon I think), but never really used it.
Now I have a bunch of wood in different stacks.
I sort of have an idea when I stacked them, but complicating things is that they're in differing amounts of shadiness, one is 4-wide as opposed to 3, etc.
I'd like to get an idea of how things are going.

Thanks.
VF

 

[thewoodlands]

Drilling... not needed, just push in, don't bend the pins.
Test the side of the split not the ends, resplit then test again.
Put those same splits on top of the pile...let dry for another month and test again.
I did my neighbors on Sunday, 19 percent on the outside, resplit which gave us a reading of 35 percent on the inside.

zap

 

[Jags]

Also - temp can matter. Frozen wood will not give the same reading as room temp wood. Try and stay below 25%. If it is drying outside - you will never get too dry.

Test the fresh split face with the pins going WITH the wood grain.

 

[velvetfoot]

Thanks!
So, I'll split (each time?) and shoot for 25%.

 

[Jags]

Thanks!
So, I'll split (each time?) and shoot for 25%.

Yes - split, then test...each time. 25% is the highest that I would like to see in my stacks. I would prefer it to be around 20%

 

[velvetfoot]

Okie dokie. Thanks.

 

[DanCorcoran]

Thanks!
So, I'll split (each time?) and shoot for 25%.

Yes, the logic here is that testing the outside just tells you what's happening on the surface (which dries first). By always testing on a freshly split face, you know what the moisture level is throughout the wood (which is what's important).

 

[woodsmaster]

Does your meter have 2 wood groups ? If so be sure to get the right one. Those that don't probably are not to accurate. Either way should give you an idea.

 

[Realstone]

Drilling... not needed, just push in, don't bend the pins.
Test the side of the split not the ends, resplit then test again.
Put those same splits on top of the pile...let dry for another month and test again.
I did my neighbors on Sunday, 19 percent on the outside, resplit which gave us a reading of 35 percent on the inside.

zap

Were you able to convince him on the necessity of well seasoned wood?

 

[swagler85]

Does your meter have 2 wood groups ? If so be sure to get the right one. Those that don't probably are not to accurate. Either way should give you an idea.

2 wood groups? As in softwood and hardwood? Please explain, Im not sure I understand the how different types of wood would read different on a moisture meter. Thanks

 

[woodsmaster]

Don't know the science behind it but when I don't have the meter on the right group the reading is way off.

 

[Realstone]

Ramin, Rosewood, Teak, Wenge? What do you guys smoke down there?

 

[swagler85]

Wow I would have never known that there is a difference

 

[amateur cutter]

Ramin, Rosewood, Teak, Wenge? What do you guys smoke down there?

Ha! That's funny.

 

[Ashful]

Damn... now I have to remeasure all my Zebrawood and Jatoba.

 

[onetracker]

Ramin, Rosewood, Teak, Wenge? What do you guys smoke down there?

comes in handy for bowyers, craftsmen, cabinetmakers tho

 

[Normande]

I'm guessing it has something to due with growth pattern and cell structure, sorry it the biologist in me I've read that under the right conditions Oak with put two rings on a year.

 

[Realstone]

Referring to the Woodmasters pic of his moisture meter, it's interesting that they use the common names for wood species to be tested, not the scientific names. I'm reading the Peter field guide: 'Eastern Trees'. It seems a common name can apply to different species and different common names can apply to a single species.

 

[Cross Cut Saw]

I just bought a moisture meter and was so excited to see that the reading was under 20%, then I find this thread and realize I have to split it to get an accurate reading. If the outside is that high I'm sure the inside is nice and wet. Oh well, we have about 4 months to keep drying it...

Lowe's (by my house at least) has their meters 33% off...