Imagine this: You have a tabletop that measures 10% moisture content on the moisture meter. Now, what if the meter was inaccurate? What if it was actually 14%?

Months later, a deep crack forms in that tabletop, extending along the length of the table. The table looks unsightly now, and you begin to seriously wonder if it will collapse under the weight of a Thanksgiving dinner.

Eventually, the owner of the table buys a new one and tosses the old table. All because the moisture measurement wasn’t accurate. Had it been, that table could have lasted decades, even centuries. It would have sat as the crowning glory of the dining room, proudly serving Thanksgiving dinners for years to come.

This is what proper moisture measurement does for furniture. It allows it to live longer with enhanced quality. And that’s exactly what your clients want: Good quality furniture for the long term.

Importance of moisture meters
Moisture meters play a significant role in helping you determine whether the wood is dry enough to build a long-lasting product. Otherwise, excess moisture could ruin the wood and hurt your project.

With furniture making especially, the tolerance is thin. Wood needs to have a moisture content between 6 and 8 percent before you begin working with it. If it’s too wet, the wood may warp as it releases moisture and contracts. Joints may break, drawers may stick, or doors might not close properly. Those are just a few of many ways in which the durability of furniture can be compromised by too much moisture.

A wood moisture meter will allow you to get your wood to the right moisture content so that it’s stable before you build.

There are two types of wood moisture meters: pin and pinless. Pin moisture meters use two metal probes that are pushed into the wood. When the meter is turned on, an electrical current flows between the pins. The amount of resistance determines the amount of moisture present (because moisture conducts electricity).

Pinless meters use a flat sensor on the bottom of the meter. When the meter is turned on, the sensor sends an electromagnetic wave into the wood, collecting the moisture content measurement, which doesn’t require any physical penetration into the wood.

Pinless vs pin
Pinless meters take measurements much quicker. In a few seconds, you can scan an entire board without missing any wet spots. This is helpful when you’re purchasing a large number of boards. In just a minute or two, you can read the whole stack.

Pin meters can’t scan boards nearly as quickly. The pins have to be inserted at the proper depth into the wood. That measurement only covers that inch or two of space between the pins instead of the bigger sphere a pinless meter covers. A pin meter may also be more difficult to use than a pinless. Not only do you have to double-check that the pins are inserted deep enough to be accurate, but you also need to keep them from breaking or snapping.

Pinless meters have none of that. Simply scan, and you’re done. No pins to worry about. At most, you may have to verify the calibration of the pinless meter occasionally, particularly if it’s been dropped. Some pinless meters can be calibrated on-site,

Pinless meters are also non-destructive – no holes in the wood. Pin meters leave little holes in every place you check because of the pins. This can be unsightly on a high-end piece of furniture.

However, there are some instances where a pin meter might work better.

Pin meters might be a better option in a couple of situations: When the wood doesn’t cover the whole surface plate of a pinless sensor pad and when the wood surface isn’t even.

If the entire surface of the pinless meter sensor isn’t touching the wood, you’re jeopardizing an accurate reading. An example of this might be a thin arm of a chair. Here, a pin meter, that can fit onto thinner spaces, may be a more suitable option.

Likewise, a pin meter might be better if the surface of the wood isn’t even. A pinless meter must be entirely flush with the surface to measure accurately. If the wood is ridged or curved, a pin meter is a better choice (think turned table legs or other decorative elements).

Case study: Furniture maker’s insights
Brian Boggs is an expert chairmaker who owns Brian Boggs Chairmakers in Asheville, North Carolina. “I think of the design process and the making process as integrated efforts at taking a tree apart and putting it back together in a more useful form. My job is to make it as useful as possible, as beautiful as possible, and as durable as possible in honor of the tree that had to die to get there.”

Doing that requires precision. Chairs withstand a lot of stress, and even one joint with an improper fitting can cause a failure. Strict moisture control is the key. The wood must be dried properly before it’s shaped into the chair pieces, or else it could shrink.

“If you put a tenon in a mortise, and that tenon was at 10 percent [moisture content], there’s a strong likelihood that the joint will come loose down the road,” Boggs said.

His process involves frequent moisture checking to squelch any room for error. First, he lets the wood air dry until it’s 12-15 percent. Then, he stores it on a shelf before using it, giving it further drying time.

Before using, he always checks the wood with a moisture meter to be sure it’s at an appropriate moisture level. For him, this necessary level is 10 percent or greater because the wood is more pliable. The wood undergoes steam-bending and then is kiln-dried to about 8 percent, perhaps lower if the chair is being shipped to drier regions of the country.

Boggs has used a pinless meter for more than 25 years to ensure the wood has been dried to the proper moisture content, and so he doesn’t mar the beauty of the wood. “We use our moisture meters all day, every day, to monitor whatever [wood] we’re pulling off the shelf,” he added.

Source: The Business Development Specialist for Wagner Meters Jason Wright brings a wealth of experience, from starting new companies to supporting the hardwood flooring industry within the wholesale and retail sectors. Contact him at [email protected]. For more information call Wagner Meters at 800-505-1406 or visit WagnerMeters.com.