Moisture meter *opinion*

[Alie Barnes]

Hello

Was thinking of getting this moisture meter and wanted to know if anyone had any experience with one? and what they thought of it or could suggest an alternative for about teh same sort of money?

http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.asp?pf_id=22800&name=moisture+meter&user_search=1&sfile=1&jump=0

Thanks all

 

[Doug B]

Alie.

There`s quite a good write up & review of moisture meters in the latest Woodworker magazine.

 

[Alie Barnes]

Alie.

There`s quite a good write up & review of moisture meters in the latest Woodworker magazine.

Its unlikely ill be able to read it but thank you.

 

[Turn It In]

HI Alie,
I think the price is way too high, shop around and you can pick a reasonable one up with a bar graph read out for less than £20 which will be accurate enough for a guide.
Regards,
Ian

 

[promhandicam]

I have this one which is about the same price although I only paid £50 for it last year. I'm very happy with it as I also wanted a meter that could measure relative moisture in other materials. The company I bought this from seem reputable and the meter arrived quickly. They also have cheaper ones on their website.

Steve

 

[Bodrighy]

I've been using this one and found it accurate enough for my needs

Pete

 

[NikNak]

Hi Ali


I remember using this same model a few years ago when i worked for a company that did the pattern work for wind turbine blades.

It's a two handed affair.... hold/push the gauge against the timber then twiddle the rotary knob on the base (with the other hand) until the red light comes on, then read off on the scale where the pointer (on the knob) has ended up.

From what i can remember it was rather vague and somewhat inaccurate for what we were doing.

See this item on Amazon.... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Handheld-Wood-M ... 928&sr=8-3 it has a good review, plus i've seen same item on ebay for roughly half the price, i.e. around £15 delivered.

In fact you've now prompted me to buy one..... been meaning to get one for a while now. I'm gonna get the one from ebay and post back here in a week or so and let you know how i've got on.... hows that..?



Nick

p.s. i work with a lot of PhD engineers, so i'll find out in the meantime if we have a calibrated moisture meter at work, so when the new one arrives i can then check it to see just how good it is.

 

[Alie Barnes]

Hi Ali


I remember using this same model a few years ago when i worked for a company that did the pattern work for wind turbine blades.

It's a two handed affair.... hold/push the gauge against the timber then twiddle the rotary knob on the base (with the other hand) until the red light comes on, then read off on the scale where the pointer (on the knob) has ended up.

From what i can remember it was rather vague and somewhat inaccurate for what we were doing.

See this item on Amazon.... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Handheld-Wood-M ... 928&sr=8-3 it has a good review, plus i've seen same item on ebay for roughly half the price, i.e. around £15 delivered.

In fact you've now prompted me to buy one..... been meaning to get one for a while now. I'm gonna get the one from ebay and post back here in a week or so and let you know how i've got on.... hows that..?



Nick

p.s. i work with a lot of PhD engineers, so i'll find out in the meantime if we have a calibrated moisture meter at work, so when the new one arrives i can then check it to see just how good it is.

Hello

yeah that would be great, ive seen them on bay but wasnt sure how good they would be.

 

[user 5053]

For most genres of turning I don't think they are necesary and any experienced lathe worker will instinctive know how wet a piece of wood is. The free spirit of green turning is is where the craft is these days.

 

[NikNak]

Hi Soulfly


Totally agree........ however... it's a 'gadget', and i'm a bloke and it was only 15 squids (and have since seen similar for £8.20 delivered..!)


Plus, i bought a nice piece of spalted beech the other week which i thought was 'dry' (bare in mind i've only been turning for 9 months, so not that much experience), left it for 4 days to acclimatise in the shed, turned a nice looking fruit bowl (250mm dia 50mm deep), and within 48 hours it had splits, cracks, out of shape etc..... gutted..!

I put it all down to part of the learning process, plus i didn't want to get caught out again.....


Nick


p.s. i'm not suggesting that cos it's a gadget that makes Alie a bloke...


"coat please......."

 

[duncanh]

Where did you see one for £8.20 delivered?

I don't want it just because it's a new gadget, but because I actually need one. I recently acquired some wet-ish timber that I want to use for pepper grinders and I need to know when it's dry enough to use - the design that I make requires that I turn several matched pieces that will not warp once turned (and therefore requires dry, or at least seasoned timber)

Duncan

 

[NikNak]

Hi Duncan

ebay again....


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Digital-Wood-Mois ... 1|294%3A50


just do a search on 'moisture meter, -soil' (the comma space -soil eliminates garden type meters...)


If you've never bought things (via ebay) from Hong Kong before, have no worries, i've bought at least half a doz items some around the £100 mark and all have arrived ok. BUT.... bear in mind the more costly the item you may get charged for VAT & import duties. Only happended to me once, bought a Very nice Seiko watch, another passion (from ebay in Singapore) for £57(ish) plus delivery of £14(ish).... was then hit with duties of around £25 cant remember exactly.... so all in it was just under the £100 mark. But still cheap.... same model over here was over £200.


Hope this helps.

Nick

 

[duncanh]

Thanks

I have bought from Hong Kong before and it was the only time I've ever had any problem - won the auction at a very cheap price, item never arrived, he said it was in the post and then ignored all my communications. I won a PayPal dispute against him which he never contested. I left him the negative feedback which he obviously deserved and he left me negative as well :evil:

Despite this, I've just ordered a meter, so thanks again.

 

[big soft moose]

I recently acquired some wet-ish timber that I want to use for pepper grinders and I need to know when it's dry enough to use - the design that I make requires that I turn several matched pieces that will not warp once turned (and therefore requires dry, or at least seasoned timber)

Duncan

the easy way to do that without a moisture meter is to weigh it monthly , when the weight doesnt change its at the same moisture content as the workshop air - then move it into the house and do the same until the weight doesnt change , et voila it is dry enough to use for household items.

 

[Bodrighy]

If you are turning tbings that are to a fairly accurate measurement then you need to know how dry / wet the wood is. I have wood that was measuring 12 on my little meter and yet when I made a bax from it there was enouh distortion to throw it off centre. Duncans mills would be the same I guess, basically they are boxes and as such need to be as dry as possible. Especially when you think of where they are going to live.

Pete

 

[duncanh]

the easy way to do that without a moisture meter is to weigh it monthly , when the weight doesnt change its at the same moisture content as the workshop air - then move it into the house and do the same until the weight doesnt change , et voila it is dry enough to use for household items.

I know about that and am using this method on a few cored blanks at the moment. It would be a bit of a pain though to have to do it regularly with the 20+ pieces which I have waiting for grinders.

 

[NikNak]

Hi all.....


here it is, delivered on Weds....

wrapped inside a plastic bag, inside a blue soft case, inside bubble wrap, inside a box, inside a jiffy-bag....!

The instructions are a bit 'Chi-wan-eese'.... but its simple enough to use.

it says it measures from 5% to 40% moisture content, so went and stuck it in an Alder growing in the garden...

assume its reached its max of 40% (showing 39%) and stopped there....


The very last bit of the 'instructions' on use goes on to say.....

"It has a large impact on wood moisture in some conditions, such as Special wood, different temperature, the wood growing up in deferent place. The simple moisture meter is just based on one kind of wood, and it has not the correction function on Special wood, different temperature, the wood growing up in deferent place. So the different meter will have the different measuring value" (typed and spelt as per the leaflet)

I think what that means is... its set up to test only one type of wood i.e. unable to calibrate for different timber types and densities. But doesn't tell you what type of wood it has been calibrated for.....

I have asked at work if we have a calibrated moisture meter that it can be checked against..... but, as we make lasers 8) there is nothing to be tested for moisture content i have asked my missus if she can ask at work (Southampton Uni) if they may have something in their Surveying classes that might be able to check its accuracy. I'll keep you informed.


Nick