So, with the Andy Rooney video fresh in our minds, I took my wife to
the woodworking show we had here last weekend. There, she forced me
to buy two slabs of wood as follows:

1. Black walnut crotch, abot 4' x 2' 1.75" (ends waxed).
2. Cherry burl about 32" dia x a little over 2" thick. (both
surfaces waxed)

They are both destined for table tops. So I have two questions.

Question 1. I intend to put plastic down on my basement floor, then
some sticker material, then a slab, then some more sticker material,
then a plywood panel and some weight. This is to allow the material
to dry before I use it. Is this the best approach? Did I miss
something?

Question 2. I wish to solicite recommendations on an affordable
moisture meter so I know when I can start to make the tables.
Suggestions, please.

Thanks

Bill Leonhardt

In article
,
Bill Leonhardt wrote:

Question 1. I intend to put plastic down on my basement floor, then
some sticker material, then a slab, then some more sticker material,
then a plywood panel and some weight. This is to allow the material
to dry before I use it. Is this the best approach? Did I miss
something?

Why the weight?


Question 2. I wish to solicite recommendations on an affordable
moisture meter so I know when I can start to make the tables.
Suggestions, please.

I have this one:

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=32548&cat=1,43513,45788

I'm happy with it.

--
Woodworking and more at http://www.woodenwabbits.com

On Nov 18, 9:31*pm, Dave Balderstone
wrote:
In article
,

Bill Leonhardt wrote:
Question 1. *I intend to put plastic down on my basement floor, then
some sticker material, then a slab, then some more sticker material,
then a plywood panel and some weight. *This is to allow the material
to dry before I use it. *Is this the best approach? *Did I miss
something?

Why the weight?



Question 2. * I wish to solicite recommendations on an affordable
moisture meter so I know when I can start to make the tables.
Suggestions, please.

I have this one:

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=32548&cat=1,43513,45788

I'm happy with it.

The only concern I have with that meter, in this particular instance,
is that you may not get an accurate reading to the center of a 2"
slab. I use a much beefier pin meter with a slide hammer to get the
pins in a full inch or more at work. But my preference lately is to
use a pinless meter, as it seems to paint just as clear a picture with
much less hassle. Good ones are pricey though. I think one of the
ww'ing mags did a review recently, maybe FWW... In any event, I'd go
pinless, and I'm a fan of buying the best and only crying once.
JP

On Nov 18, 9:31*pm, Dave Balderstone
wrote:
In article
,

Bill Leonhardt wrote:
Question 1. *I intend to put plastic down on my basement floor, then
some sticker material, then a slab, then some more sticker material,
then a plywood panel and some weight. *This is to allow the material
to dry before I use it. *Is this the best approach? *Did I miss
something?

Why the weight?

With thinner stock, some weight might help minimize the twisting
etc..., but I agree that with 2" planks you'd need an awful lot of it
to do any sort of good in that regard. And I'm wondering if any
movement you do restrain with weight during the initial drying won't
just show up again after the wood starts fluctuating with seasonal
humidity changes. Where's my Flexner...

If those slabs are green, you're going to have to air-dry them for a
coupla years I think.

..... * I wish to solicit recommendations on an affordable
moisture meter so I know when I can start to make the tables.
Suggestions, please.

Here's an alternative that works for meIt's especially useful with
thicker lumber.)

... I wish to solicit recommendations on an affordable
moisture meter so I know when I can start to make the tables.
Suggestions, please.


Here's an alternative that works for me (it's especially useful for
thicker lumber):

Weigh the piece and record the date at (say) three month intervals.
When there is no more significant change, the amount of moisture in
the wood has stabilized.

Joel Jacobson

On Nov 18, 9:31*pm, Dave Balderstone
wrote:
In article
,

Bill Leonhardt wrote:
Question 1. *I intend to put plastic down on my basement floor, then
some sticker material, then a slab, then some more sticker material,
then a plywood panel and some weight. *This is to allow the material
to dry before I use it. *Is this the best approach? *Did I miss
something?

Why the weight?



Question 2. * I wish to solicite recommendations on an affordable
moisture meter so I know when I can start to make the tables.
Suggestions, please.

I have this one:

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=32548&cat=1,43513,45788

I'm happy with it.

--
Woodworking and more at http://www.woodenwabbits.com

Glad to hear you're happy with the Lee Valley unit. It seems
affordable and I expect Lee Valley to stock good stuff.

I mentioned the weight because the guy I got the slabs from
suggested. As someone mentioned, I would need a lot of weight to make
a difference. I will eliminate the weight. Also, I'm thinking that I
will be tripping over these slabs in the basement (where my shop is).
I'll now dry them in the attic, laying on ceiling joist so I don't
need to sticker them.

I don't find floors very level.
I recommend you build a frame 2x4 on your workbench using (straight lumber)
The put that frame on the floor and shim ... this also takes you off
the floor more where moisture exists.
Cover with ply, then stack and sticker.
cover with ply (on top of stickers) if you want and weight.
Use sand bags...

Keep it away from the walls where moisture is normally present.

I have a Lingnomat pinned meter. I think pinned or not is fine. I have a
preference for air dried wood... I just buy and store until I need it.
If I had to buy another meter, I might buy a non-pinned meter. So I can
move the meter around with out all the pinholes. Most of the time they
are not a problem, but sometimes I have had a spot that when you plane
it down you realize that the area with holes is gorgeous. You can't tell
that from rough cut wood all the time. When you can you avoid.



On 11/18/2011 3:53 PM, Bill Leonhardt wrote:
So, with the Andy Rooney video fresh in our minds, I took my wife to
the woodworking show we had here last weekend. There, she forced me
to buy two slabs of wood as follows:

1. Black walnut crotch, abot 4' x 2' 1.75" (ends waxed).
2. Cherry burl about 32" dia x a little over 2" thick. (both
surfaces waxed)

They are both destined for table tops. So I have two questions.

Question 1. I intend to put plastic down on my basement floor, then
some sticker material, then a slab, then some more sticker material,
then a plywood panel and some weight. This is to allow the material
to dry before I use it. Is this the best approach? Did I miss
something?

Question 2. I wish to solicite recommendations on an affordable
moisture meter so I know when I can start to make the tables.
Suggestions, please.

Thanks

Bill Leonhardt

"Bill Leonhardt" wrote in message
...

I'll now dry them in the attic, laying on ceiling joist so I don't
need to sticker them.

====================

That is not recommended as attics get quite hot in the summer and
the accelerated drying rate causes a higher risk of cracking the slab.
Art

And your joists may not be flat either.

You not only risk checking, but case hardening.
And that will destroy your wood. Attics are too hot to dry wood.
They are fine for wood that is already dry though... (interesting isn't
it). The basement is fine. Put a fan on a timer and run it for 1 hour a
day. Just to move air. I disagree about the weight. bags of sand will
keep the wood from moving. You choice though. I wouldn't risk not
weighting it. I dry all my wood with weight.

On 11/19/2011 3:40 PM, Artemus wrote:
"Bill wrote in message
...

I'll now dry them in the attic, laying on ceiling joist so I don't
need to sticker them.

====================

That is not recommended as attics get quite hot in the summer and
the accelerated drying rate causes a higher risk of cracking the slab.
Art