Wood shrinkage issue

[Steve Demuth]

I have no explanation beyond your "wood is organic" but I feel your pain. Some years ago I built a corner hutch from kiln dried Red Oak, acclimated in a wood heated shop space, no less. I put tempered glass shelves in the top of the hutch - loose enough, mind you, that I could fit them into the pentagon shape of the corner easily. Midwinter a year later, and they were so tight in their space that I could not move them. I figure my kiln dried oak had to shrink a minimum of 1/8" over a 16" side to accomplish that. That's equivalent to what you'd expect from a 3% net moisture loss.

That's when I bought my first moisture meter.

[Mel Fulks]

But, was it kiln dried ? Or just air dried ? Some don’t like kiln dried because the color is not as good as air dried.

[Mel Fulks]

Seen a lot of drawers with wood strips on low side . I think they were scared to make the drawers too tight .

[Steve Demuth]

Mel,

This was before I began sawing and drying my own wood, and given where I bought it (at a big sawmill / millwork manufacturer and lumber distributor, I'm certain it was kiln dried. How well, of course, one can wonder. Nowadays, I check moisture on all my wood for furniture projects. Back then I didn't have the tools.

[Mel Fulks]

I have worked in big mills with a lot of stock ,some keep air dried because people ask for it.
Ask them if they are selling some air dried. They will certainly give you an answer.