We have all been there. We sticker and air dry our rough cut or buy it kiln dried. We use moisture meters to ensure the wood is ready to be used. We mill it and build it and still we have problems sometimes. I made a keepsake Toy Chest for my nephew last spring out of Cherry that had been air dried for more than ten years and had a moisture content of 8% when I started the project. (8% is the best I can get in my shop here in Western NY). It has been in my Nephew's home, out of direct sunlight, away from any heat source and no spillage since he took possession of it. 11 month's later, the lid twisted and cracked. Obviously there was an issue with moisture content likely caused by humidity change but I'm at a loss why it happened after 11 month's. Up until then nothing was wrong with the lid. It was in perfect condition. So why did this happen and why can you buy a store bought piece of furniture that is made in a completely different climate under different humidity levels, made in a different part of the country, sold in a store that also has a different humidity level than your home and when you put the store bought piece in your home, nothing happens to it. We all use the explanation that wood will do what it wants to do but this is baffling to me. Please help me to understand this.