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What moisture meter

Started by welderskelter, November 18, 2020, 07:20:25 PM

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welderskelter

What kind of moisture meter do I need?I am not kiln drying, just air.  I dont have lots of money to spend.  In other words I need one thats cheap but works. If ya know what I mean.

Southside

You can have moisture meters that are cheap, fast, and accurate. Just need to pick two of those three traits, because nobody makes one with all three. 

I put my Lignomat pinless up against a top end pin style at the sawing event last year and we consistently read within 1/10 or 2/10 point of each other, so I am very confident with it. 
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GeneWengert-WoodDoc

In air drying, you will have a gradient from shell to core.  The pinless cannot handle this well.  So, a pin meter with insulated needles is needed, with needles driven 20% to 25% of the thickness to get an estimate of the average MC.  How accurate do you need to be?  No meter works well over 30% MC, so I am curious why you need a meter at all.  What will you do with the moisture readings?
Gene - Author of articles in Sawmill & Woodlot and books: Drying Hardwood Lumber; VA Tech Solar Kiln; Sawing Edging & Trimming Hardwood Lumber. And more

welderskelter

Well GW, you might have just saved me some money. I dont know why I need one. Just heard a lot about guys talking about their moisture readings and just got caught up in it I guess.I dont own a kiln and probably never will. Thanks.

doc henderson

if you want to measure directly, you can with a small digital scale and a microwave, and poss. a calculator/phone.  at 12% the air drying is about done, and you can move the wood inside, or use it for outside projects.
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I have a lignomat pin type that I think is fairly accurate, but pins are only 3/16" long, so not measuring deep like Gene mentions.  I recommend the unit to monitor the wood as it dries.  If you really want to see what a thicker piece of wood is doing at the core, cut a piece off the end and measure the core.
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Carabnr

I'm looking at Moisture meters as well, done some research here and there.

I'm interested in getting the best meter I can, probably $3-500.  Been thinking about Delmhorst J2000X pinned and the Wagner Orion not pinned 940 or 950.

I do green woodwork with riven legs spoons and bowls, but also will buy dried slabs to do benches and chairs.

I read @GeneWengert-WoodDoc 's comment and though it would be worth asking for more opinions.

I am also doing some timber framing, and hope to do more and perhaps solar kiln drying in the future.

I have seen the Delmhorst used at a small mill nearby. I just don't like the idea of poking holes in nearly finished pieces.

Thanks in advanced.
Have really enjoyed this site.
Appreciate all the knowledge I find here.

doc henderson

I have an older Wagner that was just over 100 bucks.  I also have the new Orion, and it will give an average over many reading, so good for a kiln.  I like the old one as the new is worn off, and it gets me in the ball park.  if I do solar, I am fine with these, if i get a nyle I would add a pin delmhorst.  cannot buy the old Wagner any more, or I would recommend that for a start.  Gene once said, any meter that is good will now be about 500 bucks.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

YellowHammer

I have bought several and had other customers bring theirs in to play with, and in my mind, as closed as it is, the Delhmhorst J-2000 series, with the short pins for 4/4 and longer insulated slide hammer pins for 8/4 is the only one I use now and it closely matches my oven dry readings.  I've also had issues with some of the pinless ones where they work well on planed wood, but are erratic on rough sawn wood.

Don't worry about the holes, you only have to pin a few and most times I do it on part of a board that will be trimmed off later.  

YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

GeneWengert-WoodDoc

The J2000 is excellent choice.

Gene - Author of articles in Sawmill & Woodlot and books: Drying Hardwood Lumber; VA Tech Solar Kiln; Sawing Edging & Trimming Hardwood Lumber. And more

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