thank you for the kind help, it is good to have people that are willing to share their information. Have a great day. Jerry On Thu, Oct 14, 2010 at 8:27 AM, Kazimierz Verkmastare <[email protected]> wrote:
> Like any instrument, you aim to keep it at around the humidity at which > it was built. A good builder stabilizes his wood for years around his > workshop, and all the fits and measurements are accurate at that humidity. > > Your instrument will usually tell you when it is not happy with the > humidity - the lighter and more delicately built the instrument usually the > more sensitive to small shifts. But sometimes the instrument will work well > in humidity levels that are not good for it in the long term, and that's > when it gets tricky. > > Best answer - write to your builder and ask them the typical humidity in > their area, or if they control it in their shop, what level they like. Or > better yet, what moisture content they like to work their woods at, > especially the woods they built your instrument from. If they don't really > have an answer, here's a little trick. You can buy a wood moisture meter at > most woodworkers stores for not a lot of money, or online at places like > this > > > http://www.virtualvillage.com/digital-wood-moisture-meter-tester-timber-new-4-pins-003910-012.html > > Get one and at the same time get a piece of the same type of wood that your > instrument is built from. Unless you want to spend a whole lot of money on > a pinless moisture meter, you don't want to go around pricking holes in your > instrument to check moisture directly on it. Set the sample wood somewhere > average (not right by the furnace, or on top of the dehumidifier) in your > house (or in your case if you want to check the level of humidity you need > in it) and measure the moisture content in the wood every couple of days for > two or three weeks, and see when the value stabilizes. This can happen in > as little as 3 to 4 days, or it can take longer. > > Most wood instrument makers like to see their wood at about 6%-8% moisture > content. When I cut my own wood, I use a little solar kiln room to take my > wood to about 10% - 12%, then let it get the rest of the way in my shop in > ambient conditions. In my area the average year-round humidity is in the > 60-65% range, so this last 4%-6% can take some time. When I buy I purchase > from a wood supplier that air-dries his wood and lives only about 20 miles > from me, so his woods are stabilized in the same environment as mine. > > But once you adjust the humidity to where the wood sample stays at the > level the builder used (or between 6% and 8% moisture if you don't have that > information), most likely you will be keeping your instrument happy. > > Just my little trick > > Chris > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "hurdygurdy" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<hurdygurdy%[email protected]> > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy > > The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be found at > http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm. To reduce spam, posts from > new subscribers are held pending approval by the webmaster. > -- The Bearded Blacksmith -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hurdygurdy" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be found at http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm. To reduce spam, posts from new subscribers are held pending approval by the webmaster.
