We have had five straight days of rain (Rainy season here). Yesterday was the first day without rain, its raining hard again now as I write. Yesterday gave me a chance to open tarps on the wood piles, while keeping them out of the sun. I also made another drying frame from 2X6's.
I checked the moisture content of the newly cut cherry wood to verify the progress. I could only get the pins in 1/2 way in the new cherry board. The cherry the reading was 14%. I don't believe that is correct, they feel wetter (with my calibrated hands:sarcastic
than the pine or my other cherry (stacked last year).
Just for fun I checked the 2X6 pine; it had a higher moisture content of 16% which I would consider somewhat close to being accurate considering the humidity. I could bury the pins completely in the soft pine.
The cherry wood I started drying last year is at 9.5% up one percent from a couple of weeks ago. I could wiggle the pins into full depth in these. That tree was cut 2 years ago and was left on the ground for one year. It also came from the mountains so it is or can be a different cherry.
I believe the lower moisture content to be from not inserting the pins to their full dept. I didn't try to drill deeper holes with a smaller bit then try to force the pins in all the way for a reading. I don't think that drilling a hole with a smaller bit will affect the readings much if any. I would like some feed back from others who use moisture content meters.
The second question can I reuse the same holes. I would venture to guess the wood surrounding the hole will dry faster and make a lower reading than the actual moisture content.
I checked the moisture content of the newly cut cherry wood to verify the progress. I could only get the pins in 1/2 way in the new cherry board. The cherry the reading was 14%. I don't believe that is correct, they feel wetter (with my calibrated hands:sarcastic
than the pine or my other cherry (stacked last year). Just for fun I checked the 2X6 pine; it had a higher moisture content of 16% which I would consider somewhat close to being accurate considering the humidity. I could bury the pins completely in the soft pine.
The cherry wood I started drying last year is at 9.5% up one percent from a couple of weeks ago. I could wiggle the pins into full depth in these. That tree was cut 2 years ago and was left on the ground for one year. It also came from the mountains so it is or can be a different cherry.
I believe the lower moisture content to be from not inserting the pins to their full dept. I didn't try to drill deeper holes with a smaller bit then try to force the pins in all the way for a reading. I don't think that drilling a hole with a smaller bit will affect the readings much if any. I would like some feed back from others who use moisture content meters.
The second question can I reuse the same holes. I would venture to guess the wood surrounding the hole will dry faster and make a lower reading than the actual moisture content.
