JBM Posted September 13, 2014 Report Share Posted September 13, 2014 How long do you let boards acclimate in your shops from the lumber yard before you start your projects? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted September 13, 2014 Report Share Posted September 13, 2014 What's the moisture content of the lumber? What's the average humidity in your shop? Where's the piece gonna end up and what's the humidity there? There's not a single answer to your question...it always depends on several factors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted September 14, 2014 Report Share Posted September 14, 2014 If you don't have a moisture meter cut a sample of the wood and weigh it on an accurate scale. Check the weight daily when the weight is stable the board has probably quit drying out. I got a digital scale that is good for kitchen use for about $30. Bathroom scales will not work ! If the wood is kiln dried locally and you are using it in your home , a few days to a week is kinda safe. Air dried, or wood brought in from out of state , outdoor storage, open air shop and many other variables should add much caution till you use it. Softwood and hardwood from the big box stores is not dried locally, use caution ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPCV_Woodworker Posted September 15, 2014 Report Share Posted September 15, 2014 I'm kind of a wood hoarder, so I tend to get wood as I encounter it and use it years down the road... However, If I'm taking wood from my outdoor storage to my shop, I always give it at least two days, since the shift isn't major. Anything where I'm taking it from rough to s4s gets flattened, then left for another 3 days before getting thicknessed, just in case it wants to move once the tension is released. After thicknessing, I give it another 24 hours, stickered, then cut the joinery. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted September 15, 2014 Report Share Posted September 15, 2014 I buy kiln-dried lumber from an indoor yard 5 minutes from my house, stored in exactly the same conditions as my shop. So I go right to work after I bring a load home. Just one more benefit to paying a little more for quality stock. If I didn't have the luxury of this scenario, then I'd buy a moisture meter and go on a case-by-case basis. There are too many variables to give a universal answer to the question...aside from, "it needs to acclimate until it's acclimated." Or at least pretty close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post wouldwurker Posted September 16, 2014 Popular Post Report Share Posted September 16, 2014 I buy kiln-dried lumber from an indoor yard 5 minutes from my house, stored in exactly the same conditions as my shop. They store their lumber next to several unfinished projects, unopened boxes of power tools, and piles of gently used sandpaper? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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