ISSUE ARCHIVES

MAR/ APR 2001
Volume 44 /  Issue 2

IN THIS ISSUE
Project Articles
Roll-Around Barbeque Cart
Patio/Deck Table
The Pecking Chikens

DEPARTMENTS
Ask Smitty
Owner’s Gallery
Letters from Owners
 
Academy Notes
Wood Storage Tips
 
Find A Shopsmith Woodworking Academy Near You

National Woodworking Academy in Dayton, OH
 
Service Pointers
Troubleshooting Worktable & Carriage Problems
 
Safety Tips
Do’s and Don’ts

SURF’S UP
The Shopsmith Hollow Chisel Mortising Attachment
Specials & Online Catalog
Links Worth Visiting
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MARK V Demo Near You

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Free Woodworking Tips
Request Accessory Catalog
Request MARK V Information Package

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Copyright 2001.
Shopsmith, Inc.
All Rights Reserved

From the Shopsmith
Woodworking Academy
10 Tips for Good Wood Storage

Once kiln dried lumber has reached it's equilibrium moisture content, it's as dry as it will ever be (unless you live in Phoenix AZ or other arid desert location).  If kiln dried wood sits in a damp environment (I.E. summer in the midwest), the wood will start to pick up moisture as it sits around. Shortly, the outside of the board will have a higher moisture content than the inside of the board. This will cause sawing problems. The wood will probably pinch the blade as it's cut and warp after the cut is complete. After a few months the wood will stabilize and again be usable.

So, the wood you plan to use “someday” (that has been in the loft of your garage in your basement for several years), is still wonderful, it just is no longer at 6% moisture content, but has reached its own equilibrium at more like 12% - 15%. This is still plenty dry for cabinet or furniture making (The early Philadelphia master craftsmen didn't have kilns), you just have to remember and plan for the fact that ALL wood will expand and contract every year through the seasons.

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