You need to get the humidity up to 55% if you value the new bench. That is what museums recommend for their collections of wooden objects. Just around the bench would be better than no humidifier at all. Let it blow onto the bench(or under it).
Member
You need to get the humidity up to 55% if you value the new bench. That is what museums recommend for their collections of wooden objects. Just around the bench would be better than no humidifier at all. Let it blow onto the bench(or under it).
[OP]
Member
OK will give it a try.Originally Posted by george wilson
Thanks again for the information!
"Your beliefs don't make you a better person...your behavior does."
Just wondering, but would putting some sort of finish on the bench, which might reduce moisture changes in the wood, help? Maybe BLO on a regular basis....Assuming a concrete floor in a garage, it could be wet down regularly...There may be ways to cool and humidify in addition to a humidifier.
Where there is a will there is a way...good luck with the new one.
Member
If humidity were the culprit it would be hard to find a sound piece of furniture anywhere in the Intermountain West. Given how stifling hot even an insulated building gets after baking in the desert sun for a while, it seems more likely that at some point the bench has been exposed to extremely high temperatures that compromised the lamination.
Of course, if LN has a low percentage of complaints from desert-dwelling customers, it's also possible that the bench got thoroughly baked in a parked truck or a warehouse on its way to you, and that it just took a while for the damage to show up. There are a whole lot of things I won't have shipped to me during the summer. Just a thought...
How about moving the garage under a tree? ;-)
Member
He has BOTH low humidity and high temperatures. They ARE the culprits. But he says he can't air condition the garage.
That alone would NOT raise the humidity to an acceptable level. So,my only suggestion can be to raise the humidity.
No,oiling the bench will not stop the excessive dryness. Even the Smithsonian,who I used to deal with on humidity problems when I was Master Toolmaker in Williamsburg,has not yet come up with a suitable coating to protect wooden objects from extremely low humidity.
The fact that the bench is made of THICK,laminated wood makes it much more liable to damage than ordinary furniture. And when it shrinks on the surfaces and pops open,it will never go back to normal,even if taken to a wet state.
Contributor
My bench stayed in a metal building for years where I was employed. Was not air conditioned or shaded. Bench was made of air dried beech which was actually wet from rain when I bought it. I just let it dry over a winter near one of the heaters. Before I glued the top I hand scraped a slight hollow on all the pieces. I have to say I'm now impressed with how well it has held up compared to the commercial product made of kiln dried stuff. The commercial wood tops I've been most impressed with are the Bally and such things are sometimes available used from restaurant suppliers. I neglected to give finished top thickness,it is 3 and 1/8 inches.
Last edited by Mel Fulks; 06-05-2016 at 12:05 PM.
Contributor
Jim, an evaporative cooler, "swamp cooler", would be my suggestion. It would provide cooling and humidification. My son is in Springerville/Eager...much the same problem but not as extreme.
Member
Good suggestion,Tom.
I have bought maple tops from the RAND CO.
Member
That's actually the best option. I didn't offer it because there's a lot of trash talk about swamp coolers, but I'd take one over A/C any day of the week. The right kind of ventilation (cracked windows at the furthest ends of the living space and in bedrooms at night) keeps things from getting 'swampy', as it were, and in desert climes the cooling is phenomenal unless it's actually raining. And talk about cheap! If only I had access to an external water source in my apartment...
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