Weight tells me everything, not just part of the story.
Yep....this is the bottom line, Doug.....
Just how someone does use weight as the measurement, is a variable. On these forums, I've observed those who believe days without weight change is the determining factor. Others may find what they believe is stabilization (or equilibrium!) to be a matter of a couple weeks, or a month. What I use is monthly weights, and I've come to conclude is even KD wood will sometimes change in weight (depends on who, where and how the kiln drying is done), let alone wet unprocessed woods.
Since we know that, for us, successfully drying woods is (or should be!) a slow process, then monthly weights makes the best sense. Different species, and different levels of moisture content will dry at different rates. We also know that (generally) the drying process for wet unprocessed wood will be faster at first, and will gradually slow down during it's weight reduction. (This will also depend on the immediate environment in one's shop, as well as the general climatic conditions of the region......as, well as the kind of wax coating used, or none at all using shavings, beads, paper bags, or whatever.)
For me, a minimum of 3 months processing time, without weight change, is the basic requirement for determining stabilization. Note here, that I also use anchorseal on any roughed bowl with a MC of about 14%, or more. (I find that anchorseal is not needed with a MC of less than 14%.....and, this is where a moisture meter comes in handy!) My "anchorseal" is the wax solution available from CSUSA, and it
purposefully slows down the drying process. This is what you want, if you want to minimize cracking. Using Bill Boehme's wording, "internal stressing" is what causes these drying cracks, and slowing down the process is what minimizes it by allowing the surrounding wood to adapt to these internal stresses....
When I first started turning I had plenty of problems with drying my wet roughed bowls......just like everyone else does......but slowing down the drying process to a crawl, and monitoring it over an extended time frame is exactly what results in the most successful outcome.
I am adding my previous post (edited) for further clarification on the process:
I use a moisture meter on every bowl block in the waste corners, and I do so to get an idea of what kind of MC I'm dealing with. This is useful information to know. If my moisture meter conked out, I'd buy another.....
The only true way of determining stabilization is done by weight. Monthly weights are the best way to observe the stabilization process accurately. Time is your friend in this process.....this means you just have to have plenty of patience to do this right. I decide a roughed bowl is ready for 2nd turn after a minimum of 3 months of unchanged weight. For many roughed bowls, I wait 4 months, or more, during winter months. If you're not absolutely sure.....it's never a bad idea to give it extra time, just to make sure. Don't be hesitant to give dense and heavy roughed bowls a little extra time, over lightweight and porous bowls.
There are incidences where a roughed bowl will actually gain a few grams during winter, or rainy months. Take this into consideration, and allow for it. For instance, if a roughed bowl weighs month by month, 1lb 1.6 oz, 1lb 1.6 oz, 1lb 1.8 oz, 1lb 1.6 oz, and 1lb 1.6 oz......I'd consider that bowl stabilized.
The real trick is to not get too anxious to work on a bowl......have lots of roughed bowls in progress. You need to have plenty of other stabilized bowls to work with while you wait for that "special" one to stabilize. I stress here.....time is your friend in the stabilization process.....don't get too antsy to finish turn your bowls.....have plenty of other work you could be doing while you wait.
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My shop time is generally limited to weekends, although some evenings I am able to get out there and work a couple of hours or so.
