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Moisture meter for firewood

Started by Mark M, December 18, 2004, 09:55:59 PM

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Mark M

Can anyone recommend an inexpensive moisture meter suitable for firewood?

Don_Lewis

No inexpensive one. Plan to spend about $400 for one that will do you any good. You need "ram-in" electrodes. The two most reliable companies, in my experience, are Lignomat in Portland OR and Delmhorst in NJ. The pinless meters are almost useless for firewood (unless you want to fool people) so I would stick with a pin meter. There are other companies that have come on the scene selling meters. A company from China gave me one at the IWF show and we tested it. It broke the first day. It was cheap but the amortization period was short.

Don_Lewis

One more point. You could make your own meter. Just drive finish nails in the wood, attach a ohm meter and compare the readings to the ohm values given in the Dry Kiln Operators Manual which is available by link here. I usually forget about nails because most people in the lumber business would not drive nails in wood and leave them. It is okay in firewood, though.

Tom

I haven't tried burning a moisture meter before.  I doubt that one would provide much heat for any extended period of time.  ;D

My mini ligno is handy and accurate enough in the 10 to 20 percent range.  

I don't know what the desired  MC is expected to be.   It's not measured down here.  Bar-b-cue wood is green. It is sold right off of the stump for 3 months.  After that it becomes fire-place fodder.  The best fire-place wood, here, has been "seasoned" for 6 months or greater.  that includes Pine as well as hardwoods.  'Course pine hasn't as good a reputation as hardwood....... especially oak (the bulk of which is water or laurel oak.

My mini-ligno was selling for $110 when I purchased it from an ad in a woodworking magazine for $80, back about '96 or 97.


Jeff

QuoteCan anyone recommend an inexpensive moisture meter suitable for firewood?

I get it now Tom! :D

HAr HAr
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Mark M

Well that's why I need a cheap one Tom, if I had to heat my house on expensive meters it would be pretty cold.

I am hoping to measure 20-30 % range or so.

Thanks for the replies.


Don_Lewis

The less expensive meters usually don't read over 30%. So you don't know if it is 30% or 60%. That is why I suggested a better meter. You can check the higher MC's and get a better handle on how long it takes to dry. Also the less expensive meters usually only have short pins on the side of a plastic case.

beenthere

Don
I didn't think there were any meters, regardless of price, that would measure moisture content of wood over 'fiber saturation' which is about 30%.  On what basis do they operate, to do that?
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Mark M

I like the idea of using an ohm-meter since I already have one. Now I just have to find that book.

Tom

The book will probably give up more BTU"s than the ohm meter, Mark. ;D

DanG

Tom, you're just totally out of hand. I like that. ;D :D :D :D
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

Stump Jumper

You could make your own meter. Just drive finish nails in the wood, attach a ohm meter and compare the readings to the ohm values given in the Dry Kiln Operators Manual which is available by link here

ok where do i find this link :-[ :P
Jeff
May God Bless.
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DanG

Hey, Don.  Since we're talkin' firewood here, couldn't ya just lop a chunk of it in half and use a pinless meter in the center?
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

rbarshaw

Harbor Freight has a meter by CEN-TECH mdl.#2757, it has two scales 7 to 15 and 16 to 35 Uses 2 force in  pins and costs about $30.00. I've got one, it works fine for me!
Been doing so much with so little for so long I can now do anything with nothing, except help from y'all!
By the way rbarshaw is short for Robert Barshaw.
My Second Mill Is Shopbuilt 64HP,37" wheels, still a work in progress.

Duke_Whitehouse

I found a message that recommends a meter for firewood it is at firewoodcenterforum.com  .Its called a mini ligno super moisture meter. The post was made by Lynn Gardner on 11/27/04 about building a kiln.I found a web site that will sell it and it is
 Mini LIgno Meter Link

beenthere

Duke
Welcome to the forum, and Merry Christmas
Going to that site, I found the short pin Ligno meter. I was of the understanding that firewood would require a long pin meter. That is, unless making a split down the center of a 'dried' piece, to stick the pins into a 'fresh' surface to find out what the moisture is in there.

I couldn't connect to the ""firewoodcenterforum.com""  site.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Mark M

How about the mini-Ligno DX/C? It is a little more than I wanted to spend but it does have the provision for external probes and it does read up to 60 or 65%. I found a place that has then for about $165.00


Duke_Whitehouse

Its firewoodcenter.com   then go to disscusion page lots of stuff they talk about there,to do with wood anyways.

beenthere

south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

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