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I have something like this
I have that for about 3 years. It works surprisingly well considering the price.
Does that one not do what you need for your kiln?
The problem is I don’t know if I trust it. Lol from reviews I have read on it. States that it deteriorates over time and becomes unreliable.
@r-ice,
Ask @smallerstick to see what his buddy uses for a moisture meter? Hey Peter, unless you have an idea what type of meter he is using?He is using a pin type meter. Maybe a little higher end one. IMO his moisture was higher than he told us. My lumber has done some moving during its stay in my shop. I have had to do more sorting and more milling than I expected, but the price was right and all is coming together now.
I guess eventually i’ll just have to pick up another moisture meter and just take the difference between the two lol. I haven’t checked on the wood in a few weeks, will have to see if it have moved any.
Interested to see what the moisture is in the middle of the piece compared to the outside. I think I heard that in drying, moisture moves along the length of the lumber. If so, your short, thick pieces should dry relatively quickly.
BE the change you want to see.
Even if you can’t Be The Pro… Be The Poster you’d want to read.Going to have to ask the amish how they doe it. Bought approx , enough wood for 700 hive boxes, and only a few that were not up to par
I have something like this
I have that for about 3 years. It works surprisingly well considering the price.
Does that one not do what you need for your kiln?
The problem is I don’t know if I trust it. Lol from reviews I have read on it. States that it deteriorates over time and becomes unreliable.
@r-ice,
Ask @smallerstick to see what his buddy uses for a moisture meter? Hey Peter, unless you have an idea what type of meter he is using?He is using a pin type meter. Maybe a little higher end one. IMO his moisture was higher than he told us. My lumber has done some moving during its stay in my shop. I have had to do more sorting and more milling than I expected, but the price was right and all is coming together now.
I guess eventually i’ll just have to pick up another moisture meter and just take the difference between the two lol. I haven’t checked on the wood in a few weeks, will have to see if it have moved any.
Interested to see what the moisture is in the middle of the piece compared to the outside. I think I heard that in drying, moisture moves along the length of the lumber. If so, your short, thick pieces should dry relatively quickly.
once i figure out where i put my moisture meter, i’ll go out and check and make a record of it every week to see how fast it dries.
Going to have to ask the amish how they doe it. Bought approx , enough wood for 700 hive boxes, and only a few that were not up to par
that is a very good question, i actually don’t know how people checked back in the day before moisture meters.
I have something like this
I have that for about 3 years. It works surprisingly well considering the price.
Does that one not do what you need for your kiln?
The problem is I don’t know if I trust it. Lol from reviews I have read on it. States that it deteriorates over time and becomes unreliable.
@r-ice,
Ask @smallerstick to see what his buddy uses for a moisture meter? Hey Peter, unless you have an idea what type of meter he is using?He is using a pin type meter. Maybe a little higher end one. IMO his moisture was higher than he told us. My lumber has done some moving during its stay in my shop. I have had to do more sorting and more milling than I expected, but the price was right and all is coming together now.
I guess eventually i’ll just have to pick up another moisture meter and just take the difference between the two lol. I haven’t checked on the wood in a few weeks, will have to see if it have moved any.
Interested to see what the moisture is in the middle of the piece compared to the outside. I think I heard that in drying, moisture moves along the length of the lumber. If so, your short, thick pieces should dry relatively quickly.
once i figure out where i put my moisture meter, i’ll go out and check and make a record of it every week to see how fast it dries.
Going to have to ask the amish how they doe it. Bought approx , enough wood for 700 hive boxes, and only a few that were not up to par
that is a very good question, i actually don’t know how people checked back in the day before moisture meters.
The Amish family I get some of my lumber from runs a kiln as well for custom work they do. I would imagine they trust experience more than anything but I will make a point of asking when I am there next.
BE the change you want to see.
Even if you can’t Be The Pro… Be The Poster you’d want to read.Be interested to learn how they judged when a piece of lumber was dry.
Automotive Pro
Fayetteville, NCBe interesting to see if the little fan is enough and how it does with the kiln.
During max sunlight the fan goes crazy and puts out a decent amount of air but I feel it could do with another fan to boost drying. I was hoping to find a remote temperature probe to see how efficient it is.
Be interesting to see if the little fan is enough and how it does with the kiln.
During max sunlight the fan goes crazy and puts out a decent amount of air but I feel it could do with another fan to boost drying. I was hoping to find a remote temperature probe to see how efficient it is.
Circulating hot air gives the drying effect a boost and decreases the amount of time needed to dry the wood out. Kinda like a reverse wind chill effect.
Automotive Pro
Fayetteville, NCBe interesting to see if the little fan is enough and how it does with the kiln.
During max sunlight the fan goes crazy and puts out a decent amount of air but I feel it could do with another fan to boost drying. I was hoping to find a remote temperature probe to see how efficient it is.
Circulating hot air gives the drying effect a boost and decreases the amount of time needed to dry the wood out. Kinda like a reverse wind chill effect.
yah i don’t think it is exactly pushing all the moisture out of the wood but circulating it to the ends of the wood. However i am not 100% on the science of drying wood, there is more to read and experiment on.
actually don’t know how people checked back in the day before moisture meters
By weight change was one way. Drill a hole and feel the sawdust would be another. Or simply time itself. Leave wood protected from the rain for X amount of time, it’ll be dry.
yah i don’t think it is exactly pushing all the moisture out of the wood but circulating it to the ends of the wood. However i am not 100% on the science of drying wood, there is more to read and experiment on.
Is it a different process once Fall and Winter arrive?
A Working Pro since 2004
Be interesting to see if the little fan is enough and how it does with the kiln.
I’ve seem slab wood on racks in warehouse and with just the trade winds going through and was told it was drying.
actually don’t know how people checked back in the day before moisture meters
By weight change was one way. Drill a hole and feel the sawdust would be another. Or simply time itself. Leave wood protected from the rain for X amount of time, it’ll be dry.
that makes alot of sense, didn’t think about that.
yah i don’t think it is exactly pushing all the moisture out of the wood but circulating it to the ends of the wood. However i am not 100% on the science of drying wood, there is more to read and experiment on.
Is it a different process once Fall and Winter arrive?
i don’t think the process is too much different, i know i’ll probably have to go brush off all the snow that will accumulate on top of the panel.
Is it a different process once Fall and Winter arrive?
I would think the solar portion would keep the temp up all year long kinda like a green house.
Automotive Pro
Fayetteville, NCBe interesting to see if the little fan is enough and how it does with the kiln.
I’ve seem slab wood on racks in warehouse and with just the trade winds going through and was told it was drying.
I have seen a bunch of air dried material. Air drying just takes a little longer.
Ron
A Working Pro since 1994!
Member since March 26, 2014.
air drying takes quite a bit longer, a few years more. Air dried is probably the best but it means you have to pre plan how much wood you will use in the coming years and you will also have to have a larger amount of space you can dedicate to the wood piles. If you have access to trade winds, that would be amazing, though i wonder with that much wind, would you have to pile it differently so it doesn’t dry too fast and cause checks.
air drying takes quite a bit longer, a few years more. Air dried is probably the best but it means you have to pre plan how much wood you will use in the coming years and you will also have to have a larger amount of space you can dedicate to the wood piles. If you have access to trade winds, that would be amazing, though i wonder with that much wind, would you have to pile it differently so it doesn’t dry too fast and cause checks.
One of my regular sources for oak and maple stacks his lumber in the barn for a year per inch of material. It’s not for sale until the year is up. Best he gets is maybe 10 – 14%; kiln dried is usually around 6%. I do like working with the air dried hardwood.
BE the change you want to see.
Even if you can’t Be The Pro… Be The Poster you’d want to read.actually don’t know how people checked back in the day before moisture meters
By weight change was one way. Drill a hole and feel the sawdust would be another. Or simply time itself. Leave wood protected from the rain for X amount of time, it’ll be dry.
that makes alot of sense, didn’t think about that.
yah i don’t think it is exactly pushing all the moisture out of the wood but circulating it to the ends of the wood. However i am not 100% on the science of drying wood, there is more to read and experiment on.
Is it a different process once Fall and Winter arrive?
i don’t think the process is too much different, i know i’ll probably have to go brush off all the snow that will accumulate on top of the panel.
Well you won’t have as much sunshine in the fall & the winter. So it will take longer to dry the wood. The temperature will drop in the kiln at night.
Greg
Do More of What Makes You Happyactually don’t know how people checked back in the day before moisture meters
By weight change was one way. Drill a hole and feel the sawdust would be another. Or simply time itself. Leave wood protected from the rain for X amount of time, it’ll be dry.
that makes alot of sense, didn’t think about that.
yah i don’t think it is exactly pushing all the moisture out of the wood but circulating it to the ends of the wood. However i am not 100% on the science of drying wood, there is more to read and experiment on.
Is it a different process once Fall and Winter arrive?
i don’t think the process is too much different, i know i’ll probably have to go brush off all the snow that will accumulate on top of the panel.
Well you won’t have as much sunshine in the fall & the winter. So it will take longer to dry the wood. The temperature will drop in the kiln at night.
I’m hoping with all the insulation that I put in the walls it would be able to build up and keep a decent amount of heat, @58chev says he has a temperature probe he can lend me to check the temperature through out the day.
actually don’t know how people checked back in the day before moisture meters
By weight change was one way. Drill a hole and feel the sawdust would be another. Or simply time itself. Leave wood protected from the rain for X amount of time, it’ll be dry.
that makes alot of sense, didn’t think about that.
yah i don’t think it is exactly pushing all the moisture out of the wood but circulating it to the ends of the wood. However i am not 100% on the science of drying wood, there is more to read and experiment on.
Is it a different process once Fall and Winter arrive?
i don’t think the process is too much different, i know i’ll probably have to go brush off all the snow that will accumulate on top of the panel.
Well you won’t have as much sunshine in the fall & the winter. So it will take longer to dry the wood. The temperature will drop in the kiln at night.
I’m hoping with all the insulation that I put in the walls it would be able to build up and keep a decent amount of heat, @58chev says he has a temperature probe he can lend me to check the temperature through out the day.
The unit will give you the temp in the kiln and also give you the outside temp. Plus with relative humidity just can’t remember if it will give the humidity of both out and inside probes.
“If you don’t pass on the knowledge you have to others, it dies with you”
— Glenn Botting
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