Which Moisture Meter???

[Martin Penning]

I want to buy a moisture meter, but don’t know which one to buy. If anyone has a recommendation, I would appreciate it!

Thanks
Martin

[Sid Matheny]

I got a General at Lowe's a few years ago for about $15 but think it is around $30 now. It is a pin meter and reads within 1 or 2 percent of my neighbors $400 meter.

[Martin Penning]

Thanks, Sid!

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

I have a Wagner pinless one, I can't remember the model # but I really like it.

[Martin Penning]

Thanks, Joe!

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I got a General also. Couldn't pass up the sale. It has more range than my Mini-Lignomat, which costs a lot more. Mine is the old LED type. That alone is the reason I got the General. Thinking I could use that for the really wet wood. (I do wonder why I even care if the wood is 32% now that I can read that). It always reads the same as the mini Ligno. My $0.02.

[Bill Blasic]

Like Joe above I have a Wagner pinless and it works very well.

[Dean S Walker]

Martin, it really depends on what your measuring and how accurate you need it to be. I have been using one called a timber check. It is based on red oak and comes with a chart how to disseminate what "maple" for instance would be. If you measure maple and it reads6% it might be 8% but the chart will get you there. This was just an example. I researched these when I purchased this one several years ago and at that time this was the only one that was made for hardwoods that was in an acceptable price range for me. Most of the ones at the local hardware like Lowes etc are for softwood and I have no ideal if they come with a chart. Anyway, I have had very good luck with mine and I certainly would recommend it. If you haven't ever used one of these read the instructions, they are useful. Measure your wood in several places and take an average. I feel mine is accurate and much less math that using a multi meter. I think I purchased it a highland wood working.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

If your looking to determine moisture on thick blanks, I find it makes more sense to use weight as a measure than meter readings. Meters typically don’t read deep enough, and you’re going to turn most of that away in the second turn. An inexpensive digital scale does a great job and is used for other jobs in the shop like mixing the right volume of epoxy, etc. I do have an inexpensive pin type moisture meter that I got several years ago - it does match the readings of a friends more expensive meter, but its seldom used. Works great as a stud finder though...

[Martin Penning]

Thanks, Kyle!

[Martin Penning]

Thanks, Dean. I will read the instructions !

[Martin Penning]

Thanks, Jeffrey. I did planned to use it with thick blanks, but my immediate use was to measure the MC of wood that I want to turn to make peppermills. I want to give them as gifts for Christmas and don’t want them to move after they’re done!

[Dean S Walker]

I make several mills a year. I turn them true an divide them, then drill them. I generally turn a tenon on the knob end I then check the moisture on the tenon. If it’s too high I stack it back together and put it in a paper bag with the shavings and seal the end grain. It generally will go ahead and dry in a couple months. This happens more than not on exotic pieces that have been in wax.
It is true that the meter only goes so deep but that is why you measure it in several places.

[Reed Gray]

I just bought a new wood stove, and they included a moisture meter in the bag of goodies I get for free with the purchase... As near as I can tell, the brand name is 'Moisture Meter'.....

robo hippy

[John K Jordan]

I want to buy a moisture meter, but don’t know which one to buy. If anyone has a recommendation, I would appreciate it!

Thanks
Martin

Two basic types, pin and pinless. I use a Wagner pinless. Google will show the differences, here is one link: https://www.wagnermeters.com/moisture-meters/wood-info/pin-moisture-meter/, or some short notes from my understanding:

Pin type: measures the moisture between two sharp pins pushed or driven into the wood. Advantages: quick, cheaper (usually), can work with irregularly shaped wood. Disadvantages: features at the surface can affect the accuracy; doesn't measure very deeply in the wood.

Pinless: uses an electric field to measure the moisture further under the surface (mine claims 3/4"). Disadvantage: needs flat area on the surface. Advantages: can be much more expensive and potentially more accurate.

Both types are good for rough approximation of the moisture in wood at the surface or slightly below the surface but not in the middle of a thick blank. Fortunately, when wood has been drying for a long time the internal moisture gets distributed all through the wood so the very middle is often not too far off from the reading at the surface. As with many things, you generally get what you pay for.

If you need to know the moisture content with accuracy, the Oven Dry method is the best. It requires cutting a small section out of the middle of the wood and heating with an oven, weighing precisely until the weight no longer changes. Not too useful for a big turning blank.

One method to check the air drying progress on a blank is to weigh it carefully with a precision scale. Over time (every month or so, depending on the size of the blank and the type of wood), repeat and write down the weight. When the weight quits changing the blank has reached equilibrium. This doesn't tell you the actual moisture content, just that it's as dry as it's ever going to get in that environment. In many parts of the country, that means between 10 and 15% moisture in unconditioned spaces, lower in air conditioning/heat.

You might describe your intended use - small spindle blanks, big bowl blanks? Blanks for end grain boxes? Boards from the sawmill, limbs or firewood?

JKJ

[Martin Penning]

Thanks, Dean!

[Martin Penning]

Thanks, Dean. Good advice.

[Martin Penning]

Thanks very much for the information, John. Very helpful! Although I’ve had a small Jet lathe for a while now, I’ve really just turned pens up to this point. I plan to turn peppermills for the kids this Christmas, so that is my immediate concern and don’t want them going out of round before Christmas! That said... I am just now starting a “wood pile” and am interested in building a supply of wood to turn! Thanks again!

[Martin Penning]

Thanks, Reed😀😀😀!

[John K Jordan]

... I am just now starting a “wood pile” and am interested in building a supply of wood to turn! Thanks again!

I started serious wood collecting about 15 years ago. I get free green wood, process it into turning blanks, wax the ends, and stack on wire shelves to air dry. Some of the dogwood, holly, persimmon, and others I'm turning now have been air drying for over 10 years.

I also buy exotics when the price is right, scrape the wax off the sides, and put them up to dry too. Last I checked there were over 125 species in my turning storage area.

Do you have a bandsaw? If you start now and process a little every few months, before long you'll have far more dry wood than you can use.

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JKJ

[Martin Penning]

John,

I do have a bandsaw. You’ve given me something to shoot for! Not sure I have enough years left to put something like that together, though!

Thanks for sending!

[Alex Zeller]

It's really hard to get into turning wood when you have to wait for the wood to dry before you can finish it and see the results. Those who have been doing it for years and now have an endless supply of roughed out bowls sitting on a shelf have moved past that phase. I have a General non-pin type meter but I haven't used it yet. I doubt it's that accurate. My best advise is to get a used microwave. Around here the dump has a free section that will have one or two. With it you can dry a few pieces to speed the process up to help balance the need to get stuff roughed out and drying and getting the satisfaction of seeing the finished project.

I have several dozen bowls drying on a rack. I bought a stainless steel scale off ebay for $25. I think the company is called Smart Weight. It was one of the larger scales I could find that would also measure lighter weight objects. After rough turning I write the date and weight on the bottom of the bowl. About once a month I weigh them to see if they are still loosing weight. Once one seams to stop loosing weight I'll use the moisture meter to see what it says the bowl is at.

[Martin Penning]

Thanks, Alex!

[Dean S Walker]

You would be surprised how fast you can load up shelves with blanks. I like some of the exotics and like john buy when on a good sale if funds are available. That being said, there are a lot of great woods here in the good ole USA and in a place near you. All you have to do is look for it. You can normally find arborist and most will let you take all you can haul off. I absolutely love milling up wood. I like to see what is inside. Wood that is not normally found in supply houses. A couple years ago a friend was taking out a ornamental type tree, not sure what it is but I got a couple chunks of it. I lost a few to cracks, free fire wood, the others made some pretty nice gouge handles. It was hard and nice to turn. great stuff. it stabilizes great and I use some of it in chuck and tooling type items. The point is, when someone is trimming trees or removing them all you really need is a chainsaw......................................that is until you get a little obsessed then you have 3 saws a chainsaw mill and need to build a 10x20 shed to store your wood in. I got a bunch of nice burl from a redbud tree, the wood is beautiful stuff. I learned that this stuff likes to ring crack I think it is called, so mill it up and get the ends sealed quickly. Point is it does not take much time at all to build up more than you can use but if you have a few friends that do the something you can get some trading going on and that's fun too. The Joplin area is full of great trees just look around.