Official Luthiers Forum!

Just curious where you all store your lumber. I'm not talking about sets or fingerboards, I'm talking 10-12' 8/4 mahoghany or Maple boards, etc. I was keeping it in my shop, but am looking at possibly storing it in my garage until a little while prior to using it. I know the temperature/humidity swings would be greater, but for the sake of room, it might make sense. Thoughts/ideas?

Thanks,
Scott

Hi Scott- Although I am just gearing up for my first build, I have been a custom furniture builder for over twenty years. If you are storing 8/4 stock in your garage, it will take quite a while to equilize the moisture once you bring it indoors.
When I buy 4/4 lumber for cabinetry in Spring/Summer months, I usually store it in my shop for about 14-28 days, checking the moisture content daily until it stays at 6-8% for a few days. Winter time it drops to about 7-14 days. 8/4 stock is going to take a fair bit longer.
When you bring the wood in, don't store it near a furnace or heat vent as this will cause uneven drying and possible twisting and cupping. Allow airflow on all sides of the wood, using stickers in between boards.
I hope this is of some help. Once I get started on my build, I think I will be very active, picking the brains of everyone else! I bought a book on guitar construction 37 years ago when I was 16. I had all the time in the world, but no tools. Now its the other way around!
Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

What to people use to determine moisture content in wood?

I keep mine stickered outside in a building that is not humidity controlled, so it gets as many humidity swings as it can which i feel is good for the ageing process. Just make sure it is dry and stable when you build. Keeping it in the garage won't hurt it at all. Just remember that the thicker the wood, the longer it will take to equalize.

I use an Electrophysics MT90 pin-type moisture meter. You either push the pins half way into the wood, parallel to the grain, or put two nails into the wood and connect to the pins on the meter with alligator clips. Depending on the type of wood, you must make some calculations to determine the moisture content. I've been using this meter for about 16 years, and replaced the battery about 6 weeks ago.

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Thanks! It looks like I'll have to invest in one eventually...

Most guitar woods are too thin for a moisture meter (they are not effective under 3/4" in most cases, although some will go to 3/8" but that is the thinnest I have heard of). I have one but seldom use it. A very good way to ensure that your wood has equalized to your environment is with a simple electronic postal scale. If you can measure the humidity in your work area and you have control of that (should be about 40% or so) then simply weigh your wood and record the weight and the date. In a week weigh it again and so on. Once the weight no longer changes for two or three weeks, it is as dry as it is going to get in your shop environment. Simple and effective!

Hope that helps (and saves you a couple of dollars!)

Shane

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Canada

I agree that a moisture meter isn't of much use in thinner woods. Where it is of value is in determining when 4/4, 8/4 or thicker stock is stable enough to rip or resaw, without much reaction.
If your wood has been air dried, it won't get much below 18% MC if stored outside [ in my Southern Ontario climate ]. It will take several months of indoor drying to get it to +-8% MC. Knowing when it gets to this point is valuable.
Wood with a higher moisture content that is subjected to many freeze/thaw cycles will degrade over time-kind of what happens to asphalt roads over the winter. I wouldn't store my prime lumber in a garage for very long for this reason.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Didn't know that, thanks!