Official Luthiers Forum!

Hesh, same here but in my case, it's for my face!

It just so happens that in planning for my shop (ever planning, never doing), this was a concern of mine. So your bringing up the topic help further my plans to vent mine out of the assembly room, that is, if I ever build it! So, thanks for bringing it up!Darin Spayd38919.967662037

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DES - Shepherd, MI

Someday I'd like to venture out (road trip) and visit this miracle shop of yours. You inspire this "over-thinker" whose waiting for all the pieces to fall into place. Not to mention the money to fall into my lap!! Good thing I'm a patient man. Hopefully, so are my future customers.

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DES - Shepherd, MI

Well, not to sideline the thread, but since you mentioned the MGL, and since no one is responding on that forum, when's the next meeting........Lance,.......Bryan,.....Mark, anyone know?!

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DES - Shepherd, MI

[QUOTE=Darin Spayd] ...this "over-thinker" whose waiting for all the pieces to fall into place. Not to mention the money to fall into my lap!! [/QUOTE]
Hey! I have a twin!!!

[QUOTE=Larry Davis] EMC chart

Temerature and RH are equally important to achieving equilbrium moisture content which is the primary goal for controlling storage and building conditions. Change one factor and you change all of it.

Wood density and moisture content play a big part of the time line achieving EMC after shop conditions are set.[/QUOTE]

Larry, thanks for the link to that chart. Interesting. I picked a couple of RH figures on the chart (e.g. 44%) and looked at the corresponding EMC percentages at various temperatures. The EMC (equilibrium moisture content: what the moisture content of the wood will be when it reaches equilibrium with the environment it's in) percentages vary little no matter what the temperature. For example, according to the chart, 44% RH at 50* yields an EMC of 8.5%; 44% RH at 95* yields an EMC of 7.9% - not a difference I would worry about. Looking at temperatures within a more reasonable range, say 65*-80*, shows that the effect of temperature on the EMC is negligible, whereas the effect of RH is big.

Widely ranging temperatures in the shop will make it harder to control RH, of course, because the temp has a direct effect on the RH -- that's why it's called relative humidity. But if you can get a reasonably accurate reading on the RH and keep that fairly steady in a safe range (personally, I figure 38%-46%), regardless of temperature, the wood should be fine.

The point is well taken that it's the wood's moisture content that matters. And yes, that does change much more slowly than the RH of the air. If you know your wood is already at a moisture content close to your goal (7.5%-9%, I'd say), it might not have to acclimate to your humidity conrolled shop for very long before you build with it. But if the wood is very far off, I would let it acclimate much longer than a few days, esp if it's thick stock like neck material. I use a moisture meter on neck stock. Generally, though, I have all the wood I'm going to build with for at least the next year in my humidity controlled assembly room.

If I'm mistaken in anything I've said here, someone please correct me. I'm here to learn, not to be right.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/