Yesterday was one of those good days for me. After having had a Bosch
SCMS on backorder at Amazon, my FedEx driver finally delivered. And 2
hours later, came my Wagner 220 moisture meter.
The Bosch looks like a good unit, although the head has more side to
side play than I expected. Maybe the rail bushings need to be tightened
up, but the manual doesn't mention adjusting them at all. The action of
the slider is very smooth. It cut through an oak 4x4 like it was butter.
The shipping carton arrived in perfect condition, not a single dent.
All in all, I'm happy with it.
As for the MM, it's not something I absolutely need. It's just
something I absolutely wanted. I'm starting to take interest in buying
lumber from a supplier unsurfaced and dimensioning it myself. Maybe
learn how to resaw? I figured a MM would come in handy in case I got
some wood that wasn't dried long enough. I took it to a local borg just
for kicks (I think I need a life if this is my idea of kicks) and came
up with some fairly consistent readings. Most of the S4S
oak/cherry/walnut was reading around 8.5%. Except for the PTL, which can
be very wet anywhere you get it from. I like the fact you can set it
for different wood species. ANother satisfied purchase.
Now I lust after a DJ20.... But that's another story.
Questions for owners of moisture meters.
If the lumber in your workshop is all at twelve percent, do you just forego
woodworking?
Do you humidify in winter when its 4%?
I look at meters like I look at micrometers. They give great information,
but it's really not worth much.
"Mark L." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> As for the MM, it's not something I absolutely need. It's just
> something I absolutely wanted. I'm starting to take interest in buying
> lumber from a supplier unsurfaced and dimensioning it myself. Maybe
> learn how to resaw? I figured a MM would come in handy in case I got
> some wood that wasn't dried long enough. I took it to a local borg just
> for kicks (I think I need a life if this is my idea of kicks) and came
> up with some fairly consistent readings. Most of the S4S
> oak/cherry/walnut was reading around 8.5%. Except for the PTL, which can
> be very wet anywhere you get it from. I like the fact you can set it
> for different wood species. ANother satisfied purchase.
>
> Now I lust after a DJ20.... But that's another story.
>
Stored same place pretty much does that.
I take it you mix from several locations and use it to avoid acclimation?
"Alan Bierbaum" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have and use one and think that, for me, it is very useful. My
> primary use is to insure that all of the wood for a single project is
> at the same moisture level.
Yep, that requires prior knowledge of where it will go and what the
conditions will be there.
OK, enjoy your meter.
"Alan Bierbaum" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Only partly valid. Stored same place (for long enough) only gets
> everything to the same moisture level; it will not help in knowing
> which way the wood will move and how much in a different environment
> or at a different time.
I have and use one and think that, for me, it is very useful. My
primary use is to insure that all of the wood for a single project is
at the same moisture level. This way I know how to build to allow for
wood movement and about how much, and in which directions, the wood
will move over time. Since most of my work is furniture, I use dry
wood only; the absolute reading is not as important as the relative
reading.
I have posted before about the use of a "moisture stick" that I refer
to in my work. It is an off cut from a table top (flat sawn strip
about 26" long) that I use to check for current shop moisture levels
and movement predictions.
YMMV
On Thu, 29 Apr 2004 07:23:50 -0400, "George" <george@least> wrote:
>Questions for owners of moisture meters.
>
>If the lumber in your workshop is all at twelve percent, do you just forego
>woodworking?
>Do you humidify in winter when its 4%?
>
>I look at meters like I look at micrometers. They give great information,
>but it's really not worth much.
>
>"Mark L." <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> As for the MM, it's not something I absolutely need. It's just
>> something I absolutely wanted.
Alan Bierbaum
web site: http://www.calanb.com
Only partly valid. Stored same place (for long enough) only gets
everything to the same moisture level; it will not help in knowing
which way the wood will move and how much in a different environment
or at a different time.
On Thu, 29 Apr 2004 11:40:23 -0400, "George" <george@least> wrote:
>Stored same place pretty much does that.
>
>I take it you mix from several locations and use it to avoid acclimation?
>
>"Alan Bierbaum" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> I have and use one and think that, for me, it is very useful. My
>> primary use is to insure that all of the wood for a single project is
>> at the same moisture level.
>
Alan Bierbaum
web site: http://www.calanb.com