I have a lot of rough turned bowls and want to start to finish turn them. They have been waxed, bagged and dried for 6 months but feel some are still wet. What is a good brand and type of moisture meter to buy? Thanks Gary
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moisture meter
- Thread starter Gary Chapman
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not sure how good but it works, harbor freight has one, it is what i use
you can also weigh your roughouts, if they continue to have the same weight for a couple of days, they are dry, or they are dry til you get northida coming through when even your finish turnings will gain weight 😀
you can also weigh your roughouts, if they continue to have the same weight for a couple of days, they are dry, or they are dry til you get northida coming through when even your finish turnings will gain weight 😀
Max Taylor
In Memoriam
What in tarnation is 'northida' Charlie? Inquiring minds want to know, Max
The following doesn't necessarily apply to segmented work:
Given the expense of the meters (and the shortcomings) I opted to buy a digital postal scale ($30+/-) and go with the weight method. I feel it's a more accurate and practical method than the metered.
Meters only measure the moisture in the surface or as far as the pins are driven into the wood. Additionally, meters give a moisture content reading (%) whereas weighing gives a moisture equilibrium comparison. As woodturners, we're really only concerned that the wood has reached equilibrium with the surroundings. For the wood to lose more moisture than the environment contains, you'd have to resort to forced drying - after which the wood will gain moisture from the air anyway. Monitoring the weight of the wood until it stabilizes (or gains) is all that's necessary. Once that happens, you're good to finish turn.
I establish a first weight at about 6 months; then begin monitoring at 8, 10, 12, etc. It's pretty foolproof and works quite well.
Probably just some words transposed by typing too fast. I read it as "... (tropical storm) Ida coming north ..."
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Hi All,
I'm struggling with the same decision. These meters can be pretty cheap or, can run up to about $500. Some are "pin-less" while others have pins to stick into the wood. Seems as tho most of them measure to about 3/4" depth. Some are also pre-programmed with as many as 70 different types of wood. I guess that this feature is to make auto adjustments for density or specific gravity of the wood that one is testing..??
Just curious if anybody has experience with these meters and, can recommend a particular brand and, it's features.
Tks,
J
I'm struggling with the same decision. These meters can be pretty cheap or, can run up to about $500. Some are "pin-less" while others have pins to stick into the wood. Seems as tho most of them measure to about 3/4" depth. Some are also pre-programmed with as many as 70 different types of wood. I guess that this feature is to make auto adjustments for density or specific gravity of the wood that one is testing..??
Just curious if anybody has experience with these meters and, can recommend a particular brand and, it's features.
Tks,
J
I have the pinless wagner L609. I think when it was given to me as a gift it ran about $140. Can't find them in Craft supply USA in the index just now, but I thought that was where it came from. Seems I have seen them in catelogs recenlt (can;'t remember which) for ?$180-190.
It penetrates about an inch. What is neat is to see how different different parts of the bowl read as it dries. (knots, spalted area, etc. ) The red area of box elder stays at a higher reading than does the surrounding white wood. =Not sure if that is moisture or the way the sensor reads. Russian olive dries just by looking at it!!!!!I have had it ? 6-7 years and the battery is still going strong (knock on wood!!!!, pun intended). I use mine almost daily on my finishing table. I usually green turn. Gretch
It penetrates about an inch. What is neat is to see how different different parts of the bowl read as it dries. (knots, spalted area, etc. ) The red area of box elder stays at a higher reading than does the surrounding white wood. =Not sure if that is moisture or the way the sensor reads. Russian olive dries just by looking at it!!!!!I have had it ? 6-7 years and the battery is still going strong (knock on wood!!!!, pun intended). I use mine almost daily on my finishing table. I usually green turn. Gretch
I've had a pin type for about five years that I really, really thought I needed back then. Today I only use it once in a while, usually on parts of logs before sawing them into blanks. I believe it was one of those running a bit over $100 back then, and I'm not exactly sorry I got it, but probably wouldn't get one today.
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I've been using a lignomat
mini ligno E for about 10 years it has two pins
I push the pins into the chuck tenon so the holes get turned away.
when it reads 12% or less I consider it ready to go for a functional bowl.
It may still warp a bit but it will be imperceptible to the eye.
I suppose the tenon could be a bit drier than the rest of the bowl.
But it has never been an issue
If I were in the market I'd look at the pinless just because it is hard tot push the pins into some woods when they are dry.
I use the baby scale method for years before I had the meter and that works really well. is a piece dose not lose any weight in a month it is good to go.
happy turning
mini ligno E for about 10 years it has two pins
I push the pins into the chuck tenon so the holes get turned away.
when it reads 12% or less I consider it ready to go for a functional bowl.
It may still warp a bit but it will be imperceptible to the eye.
I suppose the tenon could be a bit drier than the rest of the bowl.
But it has never been an issue
If I were in the market I'd look at the pinless just because it is hard tot push the pins into some woods when they are dry.
I use the baby scale method for years before I had the meter and that works really well. is a piece dose not lose any weight in a month it is good to go.
happy turning
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inquiring minds
northida
is not in my webster's, but i used it like the weather channel used it to describe the drought ending rain we got, actually we were in pretty good shape water wise around here
we got about 5" of rain or a little more, we are in foothills (peidmont) so we only had some low lying flooding except for my basement.... its drying out now..... command decesions....water in basement or leaves in the gutters, actually need to let the leaves dry some before messing with so worked on the basement first, good news on leaves is that should have been the last time this fall/winter ....mulched them up
if i ever get some wood that looks like the s-cuves at Rodanthe after this storm system maybe i will use Northida to name it
http://reelbuzz.com/fishreports/frankandfrans/reply.asp?ID=16322&Reply=16322
that much moisture adds weight to our woodturnings 😀
northida
is not in my webster's, but i used it like the weather channel used it to describe the drought ending rain we got, actually we were in pretty good shape water wise around here
we got about 5" of rain or a little more, we are in foothills (peidmont) so we only had some low lying flooding except for my basement.... its drying out now..... command decesions....water in basement or leaves in the gutters, actually need to let the leaves dry some before messing with so worked on the basement first, good news on leaves is that should have been the last time this fall/winter ....mulched them up
if i ever get some wood that looks like the s-cuves at Rodanthe after this storm system maybe i will use Northida to name it
http://reelbuzz.com/fishreports/frankandfrans/reply.asp?ID=16322&Reply=16322
that much moisture adds weight to our woodturnings 😀
My right cheek
(either right cheek) works well. I compare the feel of relative coolness to a known dry wood object, small bowl usually. This is in my experience is close enough. Pull up your pants afterward.
(either right cheek) works well. I compare the feel of relative coolness to a known dry wood object, small bowl usually. This is in my experience is close enough. Pull up your pants afterward.
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If you want a meter, as others have mentioned, you need to realize that there is only one valid place to measure, and that's where the pins can read with a straight line in between. They are designed to measure planks, and a number of readings are normally averaged there. The tenon, if you are a tenon person, would be the one flat place on most turnings. That will give you numbers. What use are they? Well, you may compare them to the Relative Humidity, and what that equates to in Moisture Content. See The Wood Handbook or other similar sources to see what that is. If you show, with proper species correction, what the tables say, then your tenon is close to Equilibrium Moisture Content with its environment.
Equal weight with three days between weighing will tell you that, and the wood will still gain in wetter conditions, lose in dryer, with what that means in shape change. In short, numbers are wonderful, but they are valid for as long as marriages performed by the bellboy - a long weekend.
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf1994/james94a.pdf
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplrn/fplrn008.pdf
I've had the Mini Ligno E moisture meter for about 20yrs now. It was my intent to use it for roughed bowls in determining when they were ready for final shaping.
I no longer use the moisture meter as a sole source of information when determining just when a roughed bowl is ready to proceed.
It's true that different wood densities, and species will effect the drying rate.......and knots, spalting, etc., will mean some areas will dry at a different rate than the rest of the bowl. I've also found that sometimes the moisture content reading might vary as much as 4%, or so, by simply repositioning the meter a few inches from the previous reading. Knowing these things makes trusting the moisture meter a bit difficult for many roughed bowls.......because it can be a bit "iffy" sometimes!
As someone else has pointed out, the weighing method is a far superior method of determining overall moisture content and stabilization, than the moisture meter. If I were to do this over again, I might skip purchasing the moisture meter altogether. I do find the moisture meter handy for getting an initial idea of just how much moisture I'm dealing with, and a sense of how long it might take to dry it.
If I get an initial reading of 12%, or less, I consider the block of wood ready for final shaping, and don't bother with the weighing process......and I suppose that's a very valid reason for owning a moisture meter, even if primarily using the postal scale.
ooc
I no longer use the moisture meter as a sole source of information when determining just when a roughed bowl is ready to proceed.
It's true that different wood densities, and species will effect the drying rate.......and knots, spalting, etc., will mean some areas will dry at a different rate than the rest of the bowl. I've also found that sometimes the moisture content reading might vary as much as 4%, or so, by simply repositioning the meter a few inches from the previous reading. Knowing these things makes trusting the moisture meter a bit difficult for many roughed bowls.......because it can be a bit "iffy" sometimes!
As someone else has pointed out, the weighing method is a far superior method of determining overall moisture content and stabilization, than the moisture meter. If I were to do this over again, I might skip purchasing the moisture meter altogether. I do find the moisture meter handy for getting an initial idea of just how much moisture I'm dealing with, and a sense of how long it might take to dry it.
If I get an initial reading of 12%, or less, I consider the block of wood ready for final shaping, and don't bother with the weighing process......and I suppose that's a very valid reason for owning a moisture meter, even if primarily using the postal scale.
ooc
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Northida
Northida
Max,
The folks in Maine call it a Naw-thuh.
In Texas, we call it a Cold Spell.
In Lake Wobegon, Minnesota, they call it a Northida because they think that it came from North of Idaho.
Webster's dictionary has it all wrong and spells it Norther.
Hope this helps.
Northida
Max,
The folks in Maine call it a Naw-thuh.
In Texas, we call it a Cold Spell.
In Lake Wobegon, Minnesota, they call it a Northida because they think that it came from North of Idaho.
Webster's dictionary has it all wrong and spells it Norther.
Hope this helps.
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Which they do. They also call them "Alberta Clippers," because the lows form just east of the rockies in that province, which is north of Idaho.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta_clipper
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A little confused. But, if the meter, whether pinless or not needs to have a straight line to be accurate, why wouldn't it work on an un-turned blank? Example...a bowl blank of perhaps 10x4..whether round or square is essentially a hunk of board. Like most others here, I am ready to finish a piece that's 12% or below. However, the moisture content on exotics that we buy is often described as "approx. 18%--waxed and sealed after 1 year of air drying". So, where are we starting? 16%, 14% 19% etc? Sounds like the meter investment is dubious at best...but, the scale sounds equally inaccurate.
Tks,
J
Tks,
J
My pinless meter can only reach a depth of one inch-so with a large unturned blank it is useless. I use the meter reading in turned blanks but just as in scale reading, I repeat daily readings til the reading is stable and doesn't go down any further on the various parts of the bowls Takes 5 sec to do 3-4 readings. No need to write down. Doesn't read above? 20%. Amazing how rapidly the moisture leaves many 1/4" or less thick woods, except maybe oak.Gretch
I use, and like the Lignomat moisture meter also and I'm very happy with it. I just don't have the patience to keep track of weighing and dating many different pieces of wood. That's just me. You can pick one of these up for about 100 bucks on the net or in catalogs. I have my wood stored in 5 different places that are all exposed to different humidity levels, so dates don't mean as much as actual weight or the meter readings. I like it simple, and if the meter is within a couple percent, I'm good to go. So far so good.
Don L.
Don L.