On 10/1/13 12:36 AM, DoN. Nichols wrote:

I'm not sure that there is insulation in the tool shown, nor on
the shanks of the pins -- but by loosening the screws in the sides, you
could withdraw the body and then measure the resistance between the pins
with no danger of the body shorting them. I think that the primary
function of the body is to be strong enough to drive them in without
problems, and built-in insulation appropriate to the apparent period of
the device may not survive that process with a serious hardwood. What
the tool *does* do is place the two pins at a precise spacing, and if
driven to the shoulders of the pins, at a repeatable depth, too.

Enjoy,
DoN.

I can imagine two more reasons to remove the body. It would be easier
to connect the meter without shorting, and the pins could best be
extracted one by one.

http://woodgears.ca/lumber/moisture_meter.html

The chart is for 8mm penetration. On the tool, it looks like 15mm to
the shoulders. If 8mm were adequate for a given job, the pins would be
easier to drive and extract. I wonder if the tool was used with a wood
block as a spacer for a chosen depth.