Walnut-How dry

[Bobby Nicks]

I have about 150 bd ft. of Walnut that I'm air drying. It's 5/4 and has been drying for about 9 months now. Checked a couple of the boards yesterday with my mositure meter and they read 14%. How dry do they have to be to be safe to use? I used a hand plane on the surface of one of the boards and the wood is beautiful.
The wood is going to be use for a chest of drawers and dresser for the wife.

Is 14% dry enough or do I need to wait a while longer?

Bob

[Mark Marzluf]

Where do you have it drying? outside or in ?

14% is higher than I like. 9-10% would be much better but you may never get it there depending on where you have it.

[Jim Becker]

Typical MC around here is about 10-12% and that's what my air-dried walnut from the property stays at after several years. Although black walnut is relatively stable no matter what, I'd suggest you wait a little longer. Consider re-stacking and insuring your air flow is good through the pile, too.

[Marci Anderson]

I see from a government publication that Raleigh, NC varies from 11% in the spring to 14% moisture content in the summer. But it totally depends on what the climate is like where the furniture will reside. For example, I live in Western Oregon. Our moisture content varies from 11% in the summer to 17% in the winter. But we use wood heat, so our home actually fluctuates from 11% in the summer down to 8% in the winter. So whatever wood I use in the summer, I pull straight from the pile. In the winter I bring it inside to get it down to a closer moisture content that it will stay at. Here's a link for the publication with a table that lists moisture contents by region and month:
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fp...tr113/ch12.pdf

[Ian Abraham]

Is 14% dry enough or do I need to wait a while longer?

Measure some wood thats been in your house for years. Thats the MC you want to aim for. Exactly what that is depends on your local climate and house (heating and aircon etc)
14% would be near enough for my climate, but heated houses in a dryer climate you probably want to be below 10%
You may have to bring the wood inside for a while to reach that level, but the closer you get to it the less movement problems you will have

Cheers

Ian

[Bobby Nicks]

Where do you have it drying? outside or in ?

14% is higher than I like. 9-10% would be much better but you may never get it there depending on where you have it.

The wood is outside but is in a protected space, no rain etc. The wood is stack using 1" sq stickers so that air can flow between the boards.

Bob

[Ian Abraham]

The wood is outside but is in a protected space, no rain etc. The wood is stack using 1" sq stickers so that air can flow between the boards.

It's probably as dry as it's going to get out there. I would bring it inside (workshop / attic / spare room) and sticker it for another month or so then you should be good to go.

Cheers

Ian