Wood and moisture content

[Mark W Pugh]

I had a couple of cherry logs cut in to 1"+ slabs about 8 years ago. The slabs have been racked and stacked in my work shop since then. Climate control in the shop is not the best. So, I'm sure the wood has acclimated to the shop. Now, I want to use this wood for kitchen cabinets, and of course, it is much dryer in my house. How should I proceed? Do I need to have it kiln dried? Should I bring it inside for a few months, then work it? I have not tested it's moisture content. Where does it really need to be? Thanks.

[Scott T Smith]

I had a couple of cherry logs cut in to 1"+ slabs about 8 years ago. The slabs have been racked and stacked in my work shop since then. Climate control in the shop is not the best. So, I'm sure the wood has acclimated to the shop. Now, I want to use this wood for kitchen cabinets, and of course, it is much dryer in my house. How should I proceed? Do I need to have it kiln dried? Should I bring it inside for a few months, then work it? I have not tested it's moisture content. Where does it really need to be? Thanks.


Mark, if there are not signs of insect damage in the cherry, then no need to kiln dry. Depending upon the humidity inside your shop, the cherry is proably in the 8% - 10% range, which would be acceptable for building with.

If you're starting with 4/4 material and joint/planing it down to 3/4, you can probably proceed pretty rapidly. If you're taking a 4" thick slab and resawing it into thinner boards, due to the potential delta between the shell and core MC%, you'll need to allocate more time for the wood to acclimate after resawing - probably a couple of weeks stacked and stickered in the shop.

Your best bet is to invest in a moisture meter, and dry the wood if needed. You can get some good quality units for less than $100.00 (such as a Mini-Ligno), and many woodworkers have expressed satisfaction with the inexpensive units from Horror Freight.