Moisture meter

[Ivan Stancioff]

What should I get for a moisture meter? Is a $30 moisture meter adequate for checking bowls or should I get a $60 one?
New to turning-Ivan

 

[Brian Gustin]

Honestly, I don't think a MM will do a whole lot for bowl turning - You'd find superior results going by weight over time. I weigh my rough outs in grams , and when they stop losing weight , generally means the wood has stabilized to environment, once you have that, there isn't much point in checking MC% as it will change as the environment changes. I have a MM, but only really use it to check slabs that have been cut out of a log (Too big to fit on scale) and the like, so it sees very little use otherwise.

*Edit to clarify:* Weights checked about once a month until there's very little change in weight, then checked once a week for a couple or 3 more weeks, and if weight fluctuates (goes up and down, which it sometimes never does) during that time, it's pretty much seen as dry and stabilized.

 

[hockenbery]

Weight is the most accurate and time consuming.
I do mostly hollow forms and NE bowls so I don’t dry many bowls. I have used a two pin mini-lingo for 30 years.
I test the peak on the rim and tenon. If I get readings less than 9.5 I will return the bowl. Works for me,

When air drying wood the first step is find the humidity and temperature of your drying area.
My drying room has a dehumidifier suet at 50% and average temp of 70+
My bowls will dry to 9.2 to 9.1 percent MC when they reach equilibrium. They never get any dryer.

 

[John Hicks]

I twice turn and use a lignomat pinless, it measures down to 3/4" Never used weight. Looks too dang complicated

 

[Odie]

Honestly, I don't think a MM will do a whole lot for bowl turning - You'd find superior results going by weight over time.

I agree with Brian.

However, I use my moisture meter on every bowl I turn.....but, only to get an initial idea of what to expect in the seasoning process. I could do exactly the same thing without the MM, but I'm glad I have it. The readout need not be extremely accurate....close is good enough for my purposes.

-o-

 

[Doug Freeman]

Checking weight works well for me, its quick and simple. Piece goes in a paper bag, taped closed with 2” painters tape, date, s/n, wt are written on the tape. Each time its weighed the date & wt are written on the tape. Never use my MM for turnings.

 

[Lou Jacobs]

Welcome to the forum Ivan! I purchased this one about a year ago, and use it occasionally. But like several folks have said, it is more just to give me a general idea of what I’m looking at then to use for a precise measurement. Therefore I don’t think any more expensive is necessary. My drying routine is all over the place. I’ve got a 55 gallon cardboard drum filled with drying bowls, lots of brown paper bags, a homemade drying box for pieces I want to get to pretty soon, and just open shelves for the general inventory that I’m not too concerned about. In most cases I weigh, as Brian said, and note the date and weight on the bowl. When it has stabilized (or at least is losing negligible weight) it’s ready to re-turn.

 

[Greg Bloemke]

Good question. I don’t have a moisture meter but feel I need to have one in with my “turning accessories“ drawer. Some wood is heavy when picked up, and is obviously wet, while others are heavy and dry as a bone. I don’t think you have to spend a lot, but I’m curious what others will say.

 

[Roger Wiegand]

I have a good pinless meter, but I've never used it on bowl blanks. I have a postage scale that goes up to like 50 kg on one of my benches, it's faster to weigh the blank than it is to find the meter. I write the weight on the blank with a carpenter's pencil. With a pin-type meter used on flat work I inevitably ended up with pinholes in my finished piece; usually not noticeable enough to be problem, but irritating nevertheless.

Mostly I'm so far behind that I'm final turning bowls that I roughed 3-5 years ago, they are either dry enough or they are never going to be dry! Once they are a couple years old I don't bother to check. There's a big pile of them up in the hayloft.

 

[Dan Blankenberg]

I have a Klein pin less MM. I don’t think I paid more than $30 for it. I tend to use it regularly, very nice to have.

 

[Russell Nugent]

I have a pin type from canadian tire. Probably not overly accurate but at t his point I have enough bowls drying that I'm returning bowls from a couple of years ago. I don't even weigh anymore.

 

[Tim Starliper]

I agree with Brian.

However, I use my moisture meter on every bowl I turn.....but, only to get an initial idea of what to expect in the seasoning process. I could do exactly the same thing without the MM, but I'm glad I have it. The readout need not be extremely accurate....close is good enough for my purposes.

-o-

Same here. I get a general idea of current content, and note that along with the initial weight. I check again with the meter when it appears to have stopped losing weight. In between, it gets regular weigh-ins.

 

[Darryl Fective]

This one was half price last month, so for $13.50, I grabbed one. (tried it out, not really used it yet)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0987S6R9T?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

 

[hughie]

Honestly, I don't think a MM will do a whole lot for bowl turning - You'd find superior results going by weight over time. I weigh my rough outs in grams , and when they stop losing weight , generally means the wood has stabilized to environment, once you have that, there isn't much point in checking MC% as it will change as the environment changes. I have a MM, but only really use it to check slabs that have been cut out of a log (Too big to fit on scale) and the like, so it sees very little use otherwise.

*Edit to clarify:* Weights checked about once a month until there's very little change in weight, then checked once a week for a couple or 3 more weeks, and if weight fluctuates (goes up and down, which it sometimes never does) during that time, it's pretty much seen as dry and stabilized.

yup I have one, thought I needed one. But in reality rarely use it, weight is a simple and effective way of sorting things out. The lighter it gets, the dryer it is then follow that with mass collection my favourite method eventually you will have a stockpile of wet, drying, and dried