[beltramidave]

What is everyone using to check the moisture in their wood before using? What should the moisture level be?
Thanks

 

[harrysin]

Here is a shot of the one that I use, I aim for around 10%. They are quite cheap on Ebay, here is an example:

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/PRO-4-P...167571&hash=item1c9641ae2d:g:XIMAAOSwh1hZ6WY4

 

[DesertRatTom]

That's rarely a problem here in the desert, but I have a similar two pin meter. Oddly, this is a much improved version of the original moisture meter for plants that was invented and patented by engineer Harry Wayne, who recently passed away after building a company that made dozens of electronic vision training devices. He was still creating original devices well into his 90s.

 

[Cherryville Chuck]

I also use a cheap 2 pin meter. Below 12% is the figure I’ve always heard.

 

[Herb Stoops]

I use a Harbor Freight and never been wrong.

Herb

 

[Stick486]

I use a Harbor Freight and never been wrong.

Herb

how do you know???

 

[Herb Stoops]

how do you know???

Got 2 of them and they both read the same. How do you check yours?
Herb

 

[Stick486]

built in...
and there's plan ''B''....

.

 

[Herb Stoops]

built in...
and there's plan ''B''....

.

I don't use particle board.

 

[gmercer_48083]

I thought I was wrong once...but was mistaken.

 

[Herb Stoops]

how do you know???

I use a puddle of water, if they both read 100% they must be good.
Herb

 

[gmercer_48083]

I've always thought that a moisture meter is a fancy way of reading resistance over a specified distance. I wonder if a multimeter could be used as a substitute?

 

[Cherryville Chuck]

I would say yes Gary. You could drive two nails in a board and connect the meter to them and get a reading but besides the spacing between them being important, you still need to convert that to a moisture level somehow. If you also had a moisture meter I suppose you could build a graph

 

[JIMMIEM]

Isn't the idea to have the wood at the annual average moisture content of the geographical location where it will live? This will make sure that the wood neither expands or contracts too much during annual changes in the relative humidity.