Do You Need A Moisture Meter?

[Tom Kelley]

Do you really need a moisture meter? If so how much would I have to spend? I have seen them from $39.95 to well over $200. I have never used one but I am beginning a big project with quarter sawn red oak and don't want warping, cracking etc.. (then again who does?) The wood came from a local woodworking dealer and seems dry but I don't want any surprises. If you have suggestions or have any help I would appreciate it!
Thanks!
Tom

[David DeCristoforo]

Having been working wood for over 35 years now and having never owned a moisture meter I would have to say no, you don't need one. But I think it's not a bad idea to have one.....

[Eric Larsen]

I absolutely do not need one. The humidity here is usually in the 3-10% range. So I just leave the wood in my shop for a year and watch the inevitable checking as the moisture is quickly sucked out.

[Frank Drew]

In general, I think having and using one is a good idea, particularly if you're inclined to work up stock shortly after buying it.

[Andy Casiello]

In Chris Schwartz's (editor: Popular Woodworking) excellent book on Workbench design and construction he recommends using a moisture meter. He even indicates in what part of the construction of a table or chair to use the damper wood (the sections such as legs with a mortise).

That book is so good I'm inclined to do what he says..

[Michael Sobik]

I just bought one, actually. Here in Houston, the humidity varies greatly between the summer and winter months. So it's nice to be able to check the lumber before I start working with it. Also, I can harvest local wood and deadfall and be able to check the moisture content before I do anything with it. You can pick up a pretty nice/accurate meter for under $150. For the kind of money some folks spend on power or hand tools, it seems like a good investment to me.

[Fyrman Dave]

It seems that those that really push the meters are those that live in high humidity areas. I have never used one, maybe I need to learn more about the topic. We are typically a dry area here.
Assuming I buy one - I'm not sure how it would change my procedures. If I place the wood inside to stabilize the moisture, I probably won't do much more than that...even if I bought a meter.
Would I??

[John Thompson]

Do you really need one as in "must have"? No... Would it pay for itself by having one and learning to use it properly? I think so as I have two. I use a $69 (when I purchased it) Timber-check and it stays in my pick-up as it see's action at my lumber supplier. The digital I have gets the call after I have brought stock home and let it acclimate on my wood rack.

Do I find them a great aid? A much better aid than my educated guess!

Good luck with your decision....

Sarge..

[Jim Becker]

"Need"?? No. But they can be handy.

I do feel that I "need" one as I air dry some of my own lumber and "rules of thumb" are just that...good for estimates on drying time, but I prefer to know when the wood has stabilized at my local MC.

[Mike Wilkins]

I would say it depends. Where do you purchase your lumber??
I mostly buy from a local sawyer who owns a Woodmizer, and his lumber is stored in a barn with open access to the elements. If you purchase your materials from someone like this, you need a moisture meter. If your supplier has access to a kiln or it comes from a known source that kiln-dries its stock, you may be OK without checking to see how dry your lumber may be.
Just remember to let the lumber get used to its surroundings before cutting it into the next heirloom project on your list.
This means moving it to the inside of your shop for a month or so prior to machining it to dimension.

[Michael Hammers]

I would say it depends. Where do you purchase your lumber
Mikes right....If you buy you rlumber from a yard, chances are they are getting kiln dried material, and you can always ask the yard to pop a meter in it to see where you stand. Then your biggest concern would be shop acclimation.
I have a rail saw mill and barn dry alot of the wood I use. I also buy from local sawyers who store their fresh cut lumber outside plus I tend to work in thicker solid wood so for myself it has an application.
That said if your working in typical 4/4 lumber from a reputable lumber yard I would sy no, you do not need it. If you find yourself gravitating to different wood sources where the wood is processed as I described above or you start working in thicker material and maybe if your shop humidity is like when I was in Thailand then yes...
MSH

[Tom Kelley]

Thanks to everone for your input. I am going to get a meter to be on the safe side. The humidity in Delaware does fluctuate quite a bit due to the Chesapeake Bay on one side and the Atlantic on the other.

[John Schreiber]

. . .If I place the wood inside to stabilize the moisture, I probably won't do much more than that...even if I bought a meter.
Would I??

If you had a moisture meter, you could tell when it has stabilized. Otherwise, the best you can do is figure that it's probably been long enough, or maybe it hasn't.

I don't have one. I try to buy my lumber a project ahead (sometimes that's two years) so that it has time to stabilize. If I had one, I could make more informed decisions about my purchases and when I can work my lumber.

[Jesse Cloud]

You can probably do just fine without one, especially if you can work the wood quickly and get it glued up and fastened down quickly or if you buy all the wood you need in one batch from a reliable supplier who has had the wood around for a while.

What gets most of us in trouble is when the yard has a mix of stock that as been around a while and some that just came off the truck. Those two types will go through different things to reach stable moisture content.

I have a mid priced one and use it pretty often, but I know lots of folks who build great furniture without a moisture meter.