WoodWorkers Guild of America » General Discussion

1. 

   Bill A.
   

   junior member
   Joined: Nov '09
   Posts: 6

   I have a stack of Blue Pine boards that were cut about 15 years ago from my Mom's ranch in southern Oregon. The boards were left in her upstair's workroom and appear to have a very low moisture content (no bugs). The grain is wonderful, but I'm wondering if I can use the wood to build some tables. Can wood be re-hydrated or its moisture content increased? I don't want to spend time working with this wood and find that it's unstable due to low moisture before I seal it.

   # Posted 1 year ago
2. 

   Paul Mayer
   

   preferred member
   Joined: Dec '09
   Posts: 101

   Hi Bill,

   if the upstairs workroom is an attic, then you may be right the moisture content may be pretty low. For about $30 you could buy a basic moisture meter and find out. Wood moisture content will fluctuate depending on the humidity where it is stored. If the moisture level is too low, I would try moving the wood to an area where it will encounter more normal humidity, sticker it, and test again in a couple weeks. I don't think it should take too long to get into an acceptable range. If these boards were properly dried, they should be a treat to work with.

   Good luck!

   Paul

   Paul http://www.vernswoodgoods.com

   # Posted 1 year ago
3. 

   Bill A.
   

   junior member
   Joined: Nov '09
   Posts: 6

   Paul,

   Thanks for the tip. I bought a moisture meter and the wood is around 4 percent. The completed furniture pieces in the house are in the 6 to 7 percent range. I'm wondering if the 2 to 3 percent range difference is acceptable? Any thoughts.

   # Posted 1 year ago
4. 

   George Vondriska
   

   preferred member
   Joined: Sep '08
   Posts: 132

   Bill

   I suspect your project is going to be fine with the material as it stands. The first step is to get the material to your shop, and let it acclimate to that environment. If you need to plane any boards, make sure you remove the same amount of material from each face, working toward the core of the board. That'll help keep the wood stable.

   If you're making tables, I'm assuming you'll be gluing up tops. Keep in mind that any wood needs to be able to "float." All boards expand and contract seasonally. You've got to build your tables in a way that allows that to happen. Don't rigidly fasten the top to the base. A good solution is table top fasteners, available from places like Rockler and Woodcraft. Leg and rail assemblies don't need much special consideration.

   Good luck with your project.

   G

   # Posted 1 year ago

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