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I'm also interested to hear which meter gets the best recommendations
I'm also interested to hear which meter gets the best recommendations
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Winter Build Off 2022 - Get Ready
- Thread starter Beej
- Start date
Based on that and based on the map, then I would assume that it's safe to work wood to it's final shape when it's anywhere between 4-13% MC.
Potentially, assuming you didn't know where the bass was going to end up. However, to minimize movement you would target the middle of that range (~8%). Things might end badly if you built a bass in a Florida summer and then moved it to Nevada for the winter.
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There are charts that will tell you what EMC is for a specific humidity and temperature. Then you can target a number based on knowing what conditions you're storing it in. Honestly, I don't look for a specific reading as much as I look for stability, i.e. the reading stops changing.
Yes, its pinless. I have no complaints, but I also havent compared it to a pin-style. I do like that it doesnt leave any marks.
It's a General brand from the Home Depot ( ot affiliated with either company) and ran about $35
We keep the humidity around 35% in the summer (bass is stored in the basement) and about 40-45% in the winter. AC and heat are ran since I live in Ohio and the weather here always sucks.
I secured an old, damaged oven for out in the garage specifically for baking out lumber. I guess its about time I run 220 out there and hook it up, get that number down towards 8%.
Then I can start drying these monsters out as well...
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Humidity in the 30s-40s will probably result in wood being in the 5-7% range before it's stable I'd bet. Air drying green wood from 12% down that far is probably at least months to a year depending on thickness.
I'm not sure how effective or what the timeframe would be, but the setup that pops into my head for smaller pieces of lumber would be to frame out a section of the garage or basement, plastic it off and run a basic portable dehumidifier with a drain hose hooked up so the bin doesn't have to be emptied. Just seal the end grain.
It would take longer than a kiln/oven, but that has to be quicker than just air drying.
It would take longer than a kiln/oven, but that has to be quicker than just air drying.
Awesome, thanks. This is info I cant seem to get reading articles online.
Operation POS Oven is underway! Good thing too, I have approximately 330lbs of maple air drying in the rafters of the basement. (The overall humidity is closely watched down there)
I saw a setup like that online once. I dont really have the space for that. I'll keep it in mind though.
All the ends are sealed, slabs are wrapped in craft paper. So far there doesnt seem to be much splitting/cracking on the ash that's been down there for 13 months.
That's good, no one likes an ash crack.
I consider 6 string basses my specialty but like anyone else it's just my opinion. I've built mostly 6 strings and a couple of 7 strings as well with a single truss rod and two 1/8" x 3/8" carbon fiber support rods and that's been enough for me in every case. Two truss rods add extra weight to the neck which is the bane of six string basses. It also forces you to carve a more square neck profile so you have enough wood supporting the back of the truss rods. I like a slim profile and a neck that balances well with the body and two truss rods make that less likely.
It's also a potential problem if a customer doesn't understand how truss rods work and that's a lot of customers. If you don't adjust them properly you can unintentionally create a twist in the neck and if you leave it long enough could warp the neck permanently.
No. No one likes a show off.
While an oven in the shop could be useful for many things, I wouldn't count drying wood as one of them. Slow and steady is the way to go, with old air-dried lumber being the most stable. Drying too fast and too warm can result in many problems, such as case-hardening where the outside dries much faster than the centre, locking in stresses that can cause the wood to warp when cut. I found this article on small-scale kilns which is quite good, if maybe a bit larger scale than most of us would be using. Using a Small Scale Dehumidification Kiln The temperatures are not very high - in the 120-140F range - and good airflow is very important, as well as a way to exhaust or dehumidify the moist air.
I'm okay with waiting until the start date to do any cutting whatsoever, but just wanna make sure I'm clear. And I probably already asked this twice, but,
is it okay to resaw boards before the start date and get all the parts down to rough final thickness? (No shaping).
In a rare occurrence, I actually have pickups prior to the start of the build
Yes, you can get them down to the final dimensioned size needed for glue up, but just no gluing or cutting out shapes. So, for example, if your design calls for a 3/4" thick body core with 1/4" thick top and back plates, you can cut them to length, plane them to final thickness and have them completely ready for glue-up in time for the start. Just please don't glue them up until after the go on the 21st.
Not that we'll all easily be able to tell if anyone cheated, but you will know. And we will be disappointed. So much tarring and feathering will ensue. And of course no one wants to feel the negative assessment of... the internet... 
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