Soaking Kiln Dried Wood

[Scott Felicetti]

What happens to the moisture content of kiln dried wood after it is used to make furniture or any other final product? I always hear that the wood will become acclimated to its environment regarding moisture. If Kiln Dried wood is 6%-7% Moisture Content, what is the moisture content of the wood after it is used to make a chair and is sitting in my living room in Long Island for 5 years?

Similarly, what happens when I soak thin boards of Kiln Dried Maple prior to bending? Is there any benefit remaining to starting with Kiln Dried wood if I'm going to soak it or steam it with very moist water prior to bending. :)

What's up with that? Thanks for any info.
Scott

[Rob Cohen]

Scott
First off, regarding bending, kiln dried material is a poor choice as it tends to crack and split. Green material is best and air dried is second choice.
As far a MC goes wood will always change with
relative humidity. Thats why it tends to move with seasonal change. There are several books and websites that will list this factor for different woods. Maple, which you mention has one of the highest rates of movement. In the area you live in wood tends can get up to about 10%+ if its exposed to summer humidity and it can get very low in heated interiors in the winter. (hence the importance of letting wood "rest" in your shop)
the following is a link to a MC calculator
http://www.csgnetwork.com/emctablecalc.html
I can't speak for its accuracy, but it shows that a lot of cool damp weather can really boost MC
Note that this is for unfinished wood

Rob

[Howard Acheson]

5-6% EMC is equal to about 25% relative humidity
9-10% EMC is equal to about 50% RH
12-13% EMC is equal to about 75-80% RH.

So just look up what the relative humidity is for Long Island in the summer and in the winter and that will tell you what the EMC of the wood is in the summer and in the winter. Age of the furniture has nothing to do with it.

[Eddie Darby]

I have myself never run into Kiln Dried Wood that is as low as you state. Usually it is 12 - 14% minimum. The goal is to get the wood as close to this side of the finish moisture content as possible, without spending a lot of time tying up the kiln.

Wood looses moisture fast, and gains it slowly.

[Scott Felicetti]

If you take 1/16" Maple or 1/8" Poplar that has been kiln dried, then soak it for just a 5-10 minute period what happens to the moisture content after it dries? It seems to take only a day or two to appear completely dry through and through to the touch and with cutting. I guess I should just by a moisture meter with the 2 or 4 prongs or needles to figure it all out. Will air dried wood respond differently to being soaked? React differently to being soaked? Thanks again.