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What is the humidity range people try to build at? I live in New York State. I know some people don't build in the summer but I would like to get input on a safe range. Thanks

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40-50% is generally the safe range. I'd rather build on the dry side versus the wet side mind you.

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I prefer to build at 40% RH. I do that because winters in the midwest get a bit dry with the furnace running. I would rather have a somewhat swollen guitar in the summer than a shrunken and crack-prone guitar in the winter.

The $160 I spent on a 60 pint dehumidifier was the best money I have spent on my shop. It keeps the rest of the house bearable during the soggy summer months too!

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Me too. I just bought a 60 pint dehumidifier (GE: AHR65LM from HomeEverything.com) for just over $200 at the beginning of this summer - it is GREAT having stable humidity. I keep mine at 45%. If you get one make sure it has a drain connection and plan on hooking it up; mine filled up the water pan in less than 10 hours the first night I had it. The next day I drilled a hole in the wall so it could drain outside. As an added bonus the shop is more comfortable at a higher temp so I don't run the AC as hard.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Greenman -

I'm also in New York.

My problem is more dryness in the winter than humidity in the summer, since I keep
an air conditioner running in the shop during the summer. But my shop is in the basement, not far from the gas fired steam furnace - and man does it get dry. So I need a humidification system to keep it in the 40% - 50% range. I use two small reservoir humidifiers and they aren't near sufficient. Let me know if you find a solution. Thanks!

GE: AHR65LM from HomeEverything.com.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I try to keep my shop at 42-43%, but consider 38% - 47% acceptable.

I recently got a new Danby dehumidifier, and it works great. My old one, even when new, had a hard time getting the RH below the upper 40s, so I often used the air conditioner. Now, I only use the A/C on the rare occasions when it gets too warm in the shop. So, I'm saving a lot of electricity. The dehumidifier keeps the RH right where I want it very reliably.

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Thanks for the info. Corky we met at the A.S.I.A. symposium you ought to try to make the Woodstock Guitar show in October. It is not terribly far from Mount Kisco. Best Regards Bill Sterling-Greenman

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Mistakes are mandatory-learning from them is optional. http://www.opensourceluthiersupply.com

Hey, Bill! Of course. Ah - so, you're Greenman. How's it going? As for the Woodstock show, I'm not sure I'll make it. We're deep in Fall Sports season for the kids. Trying to stay in the building game through OLF, though. Keep in touch.

I TRY to keep my woodworking shop at 35-45%.....and temp between 55-70. Nearly impossible with the huge humidity and temperate changes daily. Rarely do I need a Dehumidifier at altitude in Colorado, but I have one. I sometimes put a pot of water on my hotplate to keep humidity up if necessary for luthier projects. My small shop has me opening and closing doors all day....not good for a perfect controlled environment. I do really try to stabilize the shop, allowing those thinner luthier wood products climatize, 3-4 days before and after doing critical gluing or during finishing. This takes some organization (keeping the shop closed up) since I have numerous wood projects (not guitars) in the works at all times that don't need careful control. It is truly glorious when outside humidity is in the GOOD range and I can open up the dungeon.
Kent Bailey

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Martin uses 45% / 55% . I think as long as you are close to the 50% you are safe. I won't work on gluing braces above 60% . Much depends on the guitar and where it will end up. Florida can build in the higher end of the scale and Arizona lower so it may be more relative one area from another. I personally would rather the 45% side for my area.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
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Here in the foothills of Colorado the ambient humidity is typically in the 20's into the 30's. I haven't done anything to modify it in my shop and the half dozen classicals I have built seem happy. Michael Thames, who has built over 700 instruments (mostly in New Mexico), believes that building at low humidity is the best way to do it. Works for me.
Cheers,
Chris

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Filippo, the dehumidifier I referenced runs about 10 minutes every hour in my 12' x 22' shop to keep the RH at 45%. I measure humidity with an Abbeon and I haven't seen it change more than a percent or 2 from the setpoint. This is during the last month where we have had rain more days than not so the outside humidity has been quite high. My shop is insulated and drywalled so it is reasonably well sealed.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

What you want is the Thermastor Santa Fe. It pulls 100pts/day and draws as much current as the 50pt units typically available at Lowes or Home Despot. Be sure to get the condensate pump. I've had one for six years with no problems whatsoever. The advantage is that it is able to draw more moisture at lower temperatures and it generates less heat. Part of your problem with getting moisture down is going to be how well sealed your space is, i.e., vapor barriers etc.

I run a pair of 60 pinters up near the ceiling in my shop that keeps them out of my way and they are more efficent
up in the warmer air. By having two I can set them to cycle mode so neither will run continuously. My shop has a 12 ft ceiling and the dehumidifers are 8 ft off the floor and discharge into a wall drain.
So far I hardly know they are there and my shop sits between 39% and 43% here in soggy Florida.

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Keith MacKenzie
Location: Florida
"To err is human to really screw up you need tools"