moisture content

[Milpaul]

When air drying blanks what is a safe moisture content range to wait for before turning?

 

[low_48]

With some woods (like walnut, ash, and butternut) I think you can start turning at 12%. Any fruit woods, burls, or dense exotics, I would take them to 6%. The attic in the summer is a great place to dry wood.

 

[MesquiteMan]

Unless you are in the desert, 6% is quite a bit less than EMC in most areas. If you dry wood below the EMC for your area, it will just re-absorb moisture until it reaches EMC. Here is a calculator to determine EMC based on average temperature and average humidity for your area: http://www.csgnetwork.com/emctablecalc.html

 

[gmcnut]

Curtis,

That's an interesting calculator. Thanks for sharing.

 

[low_48]

Originally posted by MesquiteMan
<br />Unless you are in the desert, 6% is quite a bit less than EMC in most areas. If you dry wood below the EMC for your area, it will just re-absorb moisture until it reaches EMC. Here is a calculator to determine EMC based on average temperature and average humidity for your area: http://www.csgnetwork.com/emctablecalc.html

Curtis, so you're saying that all the kiln operators in the U.S. are wasting time kiln drying to 6-8%? You're right that wood will adjust back to emc, but you have to get the bond water out of there during the initial drying. I would be real nervous having a 12% burl cherry blank turned and left in a car in the summer.

 

[MesquiteMan]

Not all kiln operators dry to 6-8%. For example, a few months ago I milled 1,500 bf of Texas Pecan to be used for the cabinets in a custom home I am building (the trees came from the property where the hosue is!). The wood was taken to a local professional kiln and they said they only dry to 9% since that is what is best for our area. They said anything less than 9% was a waste of energy and valueable kiln time.

I certainly do not pretend to be an expert kiln operator or an expert in kiln drying, just going by what I have had experience with. Most of the lumber that I cut gets air dried and they best I can get inside my metal building is about 9-10% on 4/4 after a year or 2.

As for that 12% cherry burl left in the car in the summer, that is risky no matter what the moisture content is!

 

[kf4knf]

It sounds like some are making fun of a hot car in the summer. Oddly enough it does make for a good way to dry wood. If someone gives me a piece of wood they have recently cut, I will seal the end grain and let it sit in the car for a few weeks to get they drying process started. [}][]

 

[low_48]

Oh, I've done the car drying before too. I have been known to have the back deck covered with blanks. If I would have gotten in an accident the investigating officer would probably have been puzzled about how the driver got all those little pieces of wood stuck in the back of his head[B)] I've had this running joke with a friend of mine, that also cuts alot of wood. We should buy a school bus, fill it with wood, then park it at the mall to dry[] Maybe move it once a day to maximize the angle of the sun. Oh the problems of the urban wood cutter.