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Wood Drying and Processing > Kilns

Moisture meter

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Crusarius:
What is everyone using? I just started looking at getting one so I can decide when to dead stack my lumber and save space.


I see $10 ones and up well over $1000. I don't need anything crazy. I see on the other forum everyone badmouthing cheap meters.


What I want to know is since moisture meters use resistance between 2 fixed points how can a more expensive one be more accurate than a cheap one. Resistance is resistance.


And why would I need to buy a really expensive one?

Stevem:
I use one I got from Harbor Freight.  Cheap for sure.  Rugged it is not.  Accurate I doubt (but I don't need that).  But it does what I want it to do.  If it breaks I'll buy a new one.  If I need  a close answer it's OK.
Accuracy and ruggedness in test equipment costs. 

Kojba:
For finished projects, most of my friends (the woodworkers), weigh their lumber green, then weigh it until the weight stabilizes.  Once stable, the theory is the wood has dried as far as it can.  They all complain about he inaccuracy of moisture meters, so I'm guessing it is only a "iffy" situation when using one.   Mine was purchased off of e-bay a few years ago, and still works okay. 

Crusarius:
I still can't grasp how measuring resistance across 2 pins in wet wood could vary so much from a $10 gauge to a $600 one. I could do the same thing with my multi-meter. I just need to know what resistance equals what moisture. Unfortunately I would think each species would be a difference resistance.

I wonder if I can find a cross reference chart online somewhere?

Or maybe I should just try my luck with one of the cheap ones. I wonder if having a cheap one that is not totally reliable is better than not having one at all?

Ox:
I don't have a moisture meter.  I'll saw out what I think I need for the next project and hopefully it gets to sit, stickered and covered, for around a year.  Porches and decks don't need to be perfect moisture wise building in my style and where I live.  I'm not doing a $20,000 deck or porch for some rich dude up on snob's knob, it's just little old me and mine here on the mountain.

If you aren't doing high end cabinetry or anything, why worry about a moisture meter?  K.I.S.S.  principles might apply here.  The way I see it, chasing around every little thing different individuals worry or obsess about will drive you up the wall, so I keep it very simple and everything just always works out nice and slow and calm like.  ^-^

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