I just bought a "MD-26 Timber Moisture Meter".

All the wood in my basement, be it stored hardwood or construction 2x4s,
measures 6% moisture. The wood in my 1st and 2nd story (completed projects)
do not register; presumably below 6%.

I bought the meter because I just cut and stickered a 4' high pile of
walnut, also in my basement. The wood at the bottom measures 24% and the
wood near the top of the pile measures 14%.

The meter is consistant; it will give the same reading over and over again;
but I am sure if it makes sense.
May in Rochester NY is not all that arid; my wood should not be below 6%.
And my freshly cut wood should not have gone from 24% to 14% in one week.

Do I have a defective meter, or do I not understand something? Thanks.

I'm east of you and would expect readings of 12% in a dry basement for wood
that has been stickered and stored for awhile. Tried finding that model of
moisture meter and cam up with zip. Is it a pin or pin-less model and have
you tried a fresh battery?

Bob S.


"Toller" wrote in message
news
I just bought a "MD-26 Timber Moisture Meter".

All the wood in my basement, be it stored hardwood or construction 2x4s,
measures 6% moisture. The wood in my 1st and 2nd story (completed
projects) do not register; presumably below 6%.

I bought the meter because I just cut and stickered a 4' high pile of
walnut, also in my basement. The wood at the bottom measures 24% and the
wood near the top of the pile measures 14%.

The meter is consistant; it will give the same reading over and over
again; but I am sure if it makes sense.
May in Rochester NY is not all that arid; my wood should not be below 6%.
And my freshly cut wood should not have gone from 24% to 14% in one week.

Do I have a defective meter, or do I not understand something? Thanks.

"BobS" wrote in message
...
I'm east of you and would expect readings of 12% in a dry basement for
wood that has been stickered and stored for awhile. Tried finding that
model of moisture meter and cam up with zip. Is it a pin or pin-less
model and have you tried a fresh battery?

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=11447

It came with a battery. I could try another...
What would you expect 1 week old wood to measure?

"Toller" wrote in message
...

"BobS" wrote in message
...
I'm east of you and would expect readings of 12% in a dry basement for
wood that has been stickered and stored for awhile. Tried finding that
model of moisture meter and cam up with zip. Is it a pin or pin-less
model and have you tried a fresh battery?

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=11447

It came with a battery. I could try another...
What would you expect 1 week old wood to measure?

Toller,

I get kiln-dried wood from Lakeshore Lumber near Pulaski and I check it with
my meter at the time I pick it out. They guarantee 8% or less - or it's
free (never had a chance to take him up on that either). When I sticker it
in my walk-in basement (insulated and has a dehumidifier), the wood will
slowly creep up to about 10-12% in several weeks. That's pretty consistent
across all kinds of hardwood I've purchased from them over the years.

Something does not sound right with your readings, so try this. Take two
pieces of wood, one that is at 6% or less and one that is much higher that
you can drive some nails into. Take two #8 finishing nails (shiny ones -
not coated) and drive them into the edge of the boards - not close to the
ends. The distance between the two nails should be the distance between the
pins on your meter so they will read the same. Drive the nails in about 1".

Take a measurement as you normally would, on the edge, pushing the pins of
the meter into the wood by hand and record the reading. Now take a reading
off the two nails - any difference?

If it's significant, one thing that may be causing the low readings is case
hardening. The wood was dried to fast and the outer layer is a lot drier
than the inside. Another cause of different readings is pushing the pins
into the end grain one time then into the edge of the wood the next
reading - lots of variance depending on how the wood was dried.

On construction lumber - like your 2x4, it comes from the mill at about 20%
mc and will take a good 3 months to get down to 12% in this area at this
time of the year. Try drying it faster in the basement by using a fan
blowing on it usually results in a lot of 2x4's that can be used for making
arched window frames. Need any arched 2x4's.......

Try a new battery and maybe even another meter if you can borrow one and if
the readings are still at 6% and the wood is dried properly and not case
hardened, then you found a good source. It will eventually come up to
equilibrium for this area which is 10-12% for wood stored in a dry basement.

Also keep in mind that this class of moisture meter is not going to be
extremely accurate and it's a "relative indicator", not an exact measuring
device.

Bob S.

Follow-up.

Also consider that the readings you're getting from completed projects were
(most likely) in a nice heated environment all winter and dry as hell - now.
Wait a couple of weeks (rain forecasted all next week for this area) for
your house humidity to get up to normal (RH 40% +) and measure again.

Bob S.

"BobS" wrote in message
...
Also consider that the readings you're getting from completed projects
were
(most likely) in a nice heated environment all winter and dry as hell -
now.
Wait a couple of weeks (rain forecasted all next week for this area) for
your house humidity to get up to normal (RH 40% +) and measure again.


There's the answer, only poorly enunciated. Check the relative humidity in
the area where the wood is stored, then check against the table EMC for that
relative humidity.

A "dry basement" can mean a lot of things. Mine's the 4' deep kind and is
heated, so the lumber stored there is at 4% right now - but climbing.
Dehumidifier will go on line by the beginning of June, but to maintain 55%
in the shop it won't run much save when the rains come.

You didn't mention the corrections for your meter. Most have to have them
to be even close to accurate across species.

"BobS" wrote in message
...


I get kiln-dried wood from Lakeshore Lumber near Pulaski and I check it
with
my meter at the time I pick it out. They guarantee 8% or less - or it's
free (never had a chance to take him up on that either).

Hey Bob - next trip up, give me a call. We'll hook up and go up together.
I'm in the phone book in case you lost my number. First stop - Dunkin'
Donuts - now open in Parish.

--

-Mike-

"Mike Marlow" wrote in message
...

"BobS" wrote in message
...


I get kiln-dried wood from Lakeshore Lumber near Pulaski and I check it
with
my meter at the time I pick it out. They guarantee 8% or less - or it's
free (never had a chance to take him up on that either).

Hey Bob - next trip up, give me a call. We'll hook up and go up together.
I'm in the phone book in case you lost my number. First stop - Dunkin'
Donuts - now open in Parish.

--

-Mike-



Ok....

My moisture meter has a setting for different species of wood. Oak for
example, and mahogany have different characteristics that have to be
considered in calculating moisture content. Maybe you're not setting these
correctly.


"Toller" wrote in message
news
I just bought a "MD-26 Timber Moisture Meter".

All the wood in my basement, be it stored hardwood or construction 2x4s,
measures 6% moisture. The wood in my 1st and 2nd story (completed
projects) do not register; presumably below 6%.

I bought the meter because I just cut and stickered a 4' high pile of
walnut, also in my basement. The wood at the bottom measures 24% and the
wood near the top of the pile measures 14%.

The meter is consistant; it will give the same reading over and over
again; but I am sure if it makes sense.
May in Rochester NY is not all that arid; my wood should not be below 6%.
And my freshly cut wood should not have gone from 24% to 14% in one week.

Do I have a defective meter, or do I not understand something? Thanks.