Moisture Meters - The Secrets of Choosing and Using
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- Опубликовано: 28 сен 2024
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Moisture meters are a critical part of a woodworker's tool kit. Wood is constantly moving by taking on and releasing moisture as it exists and fluctuates in the air. In this video we look at the different types of moisture meters and how best to use them.
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Getting it right the first time eliminates the chances of repeating the process over and over again. Thanks for uploading this video, I’m sure a lot of your viewers were able to choose the correct moisture meters they specifically need.
Yeah, the calibration is the real problem, but there are some good moisture meters on the market for a very reasonable price. Great to have you with us
Colin
Hi Gerald, thanks for the info. There is not a huge amount of information on drying wood so any contributions of knowledge are very welcome.
Thanks for taking the time :)
Colin
Great question, The pins don't need to go in too far, 1/4 inch should be sufficient. The main thing to watch for for any moisture meter is surface moisture on the piece you are measuring, which can give a false reading.
Thanks for asking ... great to have you with us
Colin
Sir, I am very new in woodworking... truly speaking its hobby at present.. I was searching for a wood moisture meter in amazon but thought it better to know how professionals are using this electronic tool and got your this RUclips video which is utmost educative. Thank you, Sir.
Will you please suggest on optimum level of moisture in different types of wood, both naturally dried or kiln dried, for various woodworking projects.
Finally I watched a video on a product which somebody explain thoroughly how it works and when to use it etc. 👍
lol ... thanks for the heads up
Great to have you with us ... Colin
I have a lot of respect for your knowledge. But this video seemed to ramble on more than what I expected. I haven't bought a moisture meter yet and am considering one, but your video didn't help me decide beyond the difference between measuring moisture in firewood versus furniture purposed wood. Nevertheless, your video is definitely accurate in what you state. I've been an electronics engineer for close to 25 years and can attest you know what you're talking about. I'm retired now and beginning to make custom wood furniture and cabinets. Big box stores are notorious for selling beautifully straight wood but then in a few days they're as warped as an indigenous native hunting bow. Useless for anything more than very short pieces where the warp is negligible.
Still respect you.
This is the best informational video on Moisture Meters I've seen.. thank you
Kell Davis Thanks Kell, appreciate your feedback
Thanks for commenting ...
Colin
great video, clearified a lot for me about moister meters. You convince me about getting one, now to look into a couple of what you mentioned, maybe the one that is a combination. Keep up the good work!!
Thank you. Exactly the information I was looking for. I always enjoy your videos.
Excellent video, I always watch them. I recently bought a pin moisture meter because I am resawing logs. I always assumed that you should measure from the end grain, I'm glad that you clarified that for me. My question is, how far do you need to push the pins in to get an accurate reading? Currently I am measuring Birch and Maple. I resawed them into 1.25" thick and they have been drying outside for 8 months and then in the garage for another 7 months, now I can move them into the house.
A very good book on the details of lumber drying is the Dry Kiln Operator's Manual and can be downloaded online or purchased as a hard copy.
Many thanks for the very useful information.
I think in the case of moisture measuring, the conductivity is measured, something called dielectric, not the resistance? Even if some resistance is involved in the process.
Excellent vid on moisture meters!
I wish I had seen this video before I recently glued some pine panel, to see it bend like barrel surface in a few weeks... What is the recommended moisture level for pine, to assure its stability in room climate? Does it depend specifically on the type of wood being used, or is there an applicable rule of thumb that applies generally for all wood types? Do you have a routine of drying lumber in a particular way before you start demanding projects with it? - Thank you for an informative video again, cheers!
What is your desired MC for your wood? I have wood over here that I cut in march of this year that has air dried to 13-14%. I also have wood that I’ve had for about 3 years that shows the same. I also use reclaimed construction grade wood from shipping crates, it too pins the same. Note that I live in middle Georgia and we have some hot summers. I have been using the reclaimed wood for years with no issues. Ive built and sold items built with this wood and have had no complaints. I use a Harbor Freight pin type moisture meter that costs about $13 bucks. Any advice? Have a good thanksgiving.
13-14% for air drying in most parts of North America is about right. For furniture making I like to be around 9% depending on where it is going. If going to Texas or Arizona, better to be around 6% which gets hard to do.
Most often wood can be dried outside to get it down to, as you say 14%, then needs to come inside or kiln the rest to get it down to 9ish.
Not sure what your Relative Humidity is in mid Georgia, but I am guessing it's 60-70+ ?? probably not really dry like Arizona??
Hey .... if you are getting good results and no complaints, I can't offer you any better advice :)
.... sounds like you have it worked out pretty well for where you live, which is great. Always love to hear other peoples experiences from around the states, thanks for commenting ... happy turkey dinner ...
Colin
Thanks for the video, what moisture content should I look for working with epoxy or other finishing work?
Thanks - that's interesting. I may well read up a bit more on using a multimeter; I use a multimeter for other things too and my current one's somewhat broken, so this is a good excuse to get a decent one. The installer has put the fear of God into me about using damp wood in our new woodburner! ;-)
+Creative Media My woodburner installer tells me 18% or less, and a lot of that has to do with energy. Takes much more energy to burn a wetter wood which means it's not giving off the same heat. I picked up a $25 moisture meter for my firewood ... then found out it works just as well as my more expensive one.
Thanks my friend !
Hi Colin. Thanks for the info. I live in Jamaica and the humidity is consistently higher through the year than say Midwest in the states Wood I’ve had drying for 2 years still says 16%. I can only guess this means our range of acceptable usable moisture content is higher. Question is, if I build a piece of furniture or whatever and the piece travels to an area of lower humidity, is there anything that can be done to maintain its misfire content so the piece doesn’t start splitting and moving all about? Does a sealer or some sort of finish help or just forget about sending pieces across the world to different environments?
Thanks for a great video.
Great info. Thanks
Looking for one made in America. Any suggestion?
The video needs to be edited; from about 11:50 to 12:50 it repeats a segment.
I hadn't thought about using a voltmeter to measure moisture content. Clever. Do you have recommendations for measuring the moisture in fiberglass? I've got a sailboat and wouldn't mind skipping the $400 "purpose-built" meter.
+Estreka Ouch ... $400 for a moisture meter?, yeah I would want to skip that too. I have 2 moisture meters the expensive one was $100 and cheap one was $35 and they both give near identical readings. I would check around, there may be something else ... I can't imagine checking moisture in fibreglass is much different than checking moisture in wood. Maybe you need a surface reader, they are a bit more money than the pin type.
I had suspicious low readings, so I thought about a reference test. Held the 2 electrodes in regular tap water, and the reading was 37 % That should be 100 % ? Or do the salts in the sap of the tree do some additional work and is this not the way to go ? It is a Power,fix IAN 278296 model HG01701C.
I am very uninformed about this sort of work. I have a pin meter that I have used but found that the very slightest movement of my hand holding the meter, gives me a huge difference in the reading. It will read from 15% to 8% by just the normal movement of hand holding the meter to the wood.
Please, how do I know what is the correct reading? What can I do to prevent this? I am reading the meter in various locations in this redone basement I am reading the ceiling, the exposed supporting beams, the concrete floor, trying to understand why our flooring above, in the living room the area, is buckling.
Many thanks to you for creating this very valuable video!
Your readings can change when your hand "moves" That's because you are NOT keeping the steady pressure ( required ) in holding the meter down and tight. As far as your "floor-problem and buckling go. STOP trying to figure out why. Get on the phone ASAP and call a good carpenter/contractor. Don't wait.
Good info Colin. Have to get one of those. I have a multimeter but would need to know what the resistance would equal what moisture level.
Thanks again great job.
Kya is meter ki reading perfect hoti hai?
There's a glitch in the matrix, Neo
Great and informative video. You mentioned air drying rough cut wood and this piqued my interest. I have a 2" thick x 9"wide x 23" long slab of cedar that was cut (with a chainsaw) from a cedar tree over 6 years ago. It's been in my closet ever since. Would I be safe in assuming it's as dry as it's going to get (considering ambient humidity), or would you suggest I still get a meter to test it?
It's not a "dial", it's a "needle".
The "dial" in this case, is the big black switch which you adjust to select the VOM's functions. "VOM" meaning volt-ohmmeter.
Thanks for the correction Mykel.
You're welcome.
It's impossible to be versed in ALL things. I had some background in electronics so I thought I'd trade knowledge with you.
Which would be the best moisture metre for concrete.
Narendra Mangat That is a very good question, I know that concrete can vary in moisture content at different depths, but you would never pins into it, so there are a couple of choices. You could use a surface reader, or, if you have a pin reader you could drive nails into the concrete at exactly the same spacing as is on your pin reader, then jump the connections. This would give you a reading deeper into the concrete, I'm just not sure how accurate it would be ... but we use the same method for wood, so it should be pretty close.
what is the best moisture meter for bark, like cinnamon bark? thank you
denny s. arfans Oh my goodness ... now there is a question I have not been asked before :)
The only cinnamon bark I have ever seen is dried, rolled up in plastic or a jar and very thin, so I am not sure I am qualified to give the best answer, but off hand, I would say a surface reader might be best, but to be honest, a pin type should work equally well.
What meter do I use for a wood mantle 3" to 4" thick?.
renato a Definitely a pin meter, with reading at several spots.
Initiating moisture
I like the video but there's a bad cut between 11 and 13 minutes thanks
You need more light for video shooting.
Thanks for sharing this information Colin.
As a manufacturer of wooden sports equipment, I would like to check the moisture content of cricket stumps (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stump_%28cricket%29) and cricket bats (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket_bat).
The purpose is to ensure that they are dry and therefore do not catch/develop fungus due to moisture. Would you recommend a pin-type or a pin-less moisture meter for this purpose?
Thank you!
surya mahajan Thanks Surya for sharing that link with me, I have watched cricket but don't know as much about the game as I would like.
In your situation, I think I would be using a bin type meter. My only comment would be to make sure you wipe of any moisture on the outside of bat or stump (if there is any) then take a reading. That should give you a very accurate reading.
Best of luck with the games :)
great video for an inexperienced single female trying to care for a house after losing main beam...thank you
Sorry to hear of the misfortune, but delighted that you are seeking solutions :)
👍🏻💯
repeats a clip from 12:21
Too bad you didn't recommend a few.
he never zoom in on that
I think it's more accurate to say a moisture meter is a like an ohmmeter, not a voltmeter.
What can't I just hammer two nails into a board of wood to use as electrodes, then attach a simple ten dollar voltmeter, take readings of resistance, voltage, whatever, and then extrapolate from that, what sort of moisture level is present?
You are a lucky woodworker to get some walnut :)
Thanks for taking the time to comment, maybe you could post some pics of some of your projects from that wood in the future? It would be great to see what you have done with the wood.
Colin
Wow, I had a groundhog day experience after the 12:30 mark. lol
Yes, mine got a lot of extra work when I first got it, needed to see what all the wood I had laying around, was contented at. Thanks for commenting
Colin
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for taking the time to comment about it :)
Colin
What is normal % range for subfloor in a home?
Can i use pin moisture meter on green plants?
Mr Collin, I'd like to ask as specialist you are: A friend of mine, brought a humidity meter with one very fat point because my apartments interior fat brick-cement walls, shows humidity between 20-25 and in one wall showed 38. I'm on third floor and block of flats is old: 1967.
I suspect that there are leaks from above apartments in the walls!
The reason i let him do it is, that i have 30..000 books in which sometimes have found mould!! I'm afraid for my books.
And if is is dry as he says to me.. how is it possible desiccants hooks to be full in one month time?
He told me that either way desiccants would be full even if was not humidity around!!! I start thinking to buy my humidity tool like extech,trotec,flir...in 100euros!
What do you think for all this;
Many thanks,
I've been doing a lot of demo and pulling up carpet only to find out there's a soft concrete beneath it known as Gypcrete. I've noticed it cracks, and seen people put radiant heating tubes beneath it, which shoudn't be helping the gypcrete. I'm not sure, but it feels like moisture hits the gypcrete, which might lead to molding for the framing it sits on. Is gypcrete susceptible to absorbing and leaking moisture?
+Mike Iervolino Whew ... you've got me stumped on that question. I really have no knowledge of gypcrete ... sorry Mike
So far I can notice it is a nasty and cheap soft concrete, that cracks easily over time. I guess if it's getting cracks underneath the carpet, the moisture has to be leaking through it, and finding it's way to the framing, and maybe even turning the Gypcrete into a clay which seeps further into the framing. It's always been concerning when pulling up the carpet and having to see what looks like a jigsaw puzzle of soft concrete.
+Mike Iervolino Interesting ... I am sure there are people out there with experience on this, probably one of the DIY folks could be of help Mike
Gypsum containing products are known to absorb moisture and can swell up and fall apart. It's sometimes a bad choice for floor use (but commonly used in many types of underlayments). You can read alot of information if you search "gypsum underlayment"
I appreciate the description of the similarity to a resistance meter . . . But you shouldn’t ever use an external battery on the resistance setting of a meter. This is not how you check resistance!
Years ago I used to have a moisture meter, as I remember the directions, the pins aligned with the grain in the wood. The pins went with the green not across the green. I just watched your whole video to answer that question but was left hanging. The reason I watch was because I was watching Firewood guys and how they were sticking the moisture meter in the end grain or sideways or any which way guess I’ll have to go find directions and see for myself
Does anyone know of a thorough independent moisture meter testing of various models/manufacturers ? Thx
Wich one should I buy for a 3 1/2" inch wood beam. Thanks, RA
renato a Do you mean which brand?? ... there are many many brands and to be honest, they all seem to work fine. I have one that I paid $100 for and it reads the same as the one I purchased for $30
Best advice I've ever had!
can you use moisture meter for checking to see if freeze dried food is dry enough to put into jars??
Recently harvested some standing walnut which felt extraordinarily dry for having been outside. Your video was very helpful in selecting a moisture meter that will be used to more accurately gauge that wood's readiness for use. Thank you!
Nice Video and great explanation of how a moisture meter works.
You say the measurement should be taken 1 foot from the end grain. What happens if I need to measure the moisture content in small pieces? I typically get the wood I need to make knife handles in pieces no longer than 5-6" long. Thicknesses are not much more than 2". How should those pieces be measured?
Marc329 The good news for you is you can get very accurate reading for the wood you are going to be checking because it smaller. For what you are doing, the best is to just take a reading in the thickest part and that should give you a highly accurate reading. Would like to see some pics of you knives some time, maybe you will post some on woodworkweb ... not a lot of knife makers around, be nice to see some.
1:42 it measures resistance between two point ... but what about deeper in the wood? the values could be TOTALLY different. it just measures the moisture of the surface?
The DEEPER into the wood you get the pins, it will normally show a 'higher moisture reading". Wood dries from the outside to inside.
Hi, I really enjoyed seeing your video. You explained very well. I learned a lot from your video. I'm in the market of buying one or two to use at work and home.
dvdvija Thanks for commenting, glad this was of some help to you
Thank you very much, your video is great !
Great video, clear explanation.
Is this meter can used for checking the moisture content of charcoal?
Any suggestions?
thank you
anas badr I have not tried to test the moisture content of charcoal, but it would be easy to check if you have a meter. Simply get 2 pieces of charcoal the same size and shape, spray one with water or soak it in water for a few minutes and let them both stand for 30 minutes or so then check both with the moisture meter. The one that water was applied to should have a higher reading, then you will know it works :)
WoodWorkWeb thank you very much.
can you suggest me the suitable meter type please?
anas badr You would need a moisture meter with pins, not a surface reading moisture meter. Any moisture meter with pins should work.
Who is your audience 2 year olds? Get to the point. Your dragging out a 2 minute video to 12.