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Mar 29th, 2024
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 502
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 502 |
Hi Gang:
How much loss of weight should one expect when drying a stock blank?
I have a stock blank that the seller assured me that it was dry when I bought it. I placed it in my attic for 365 days and itlost 3.21 lbs. It went from 13.74 lbs, to 10.21 lbs. during the past year.
My questions are: how much water loss is normal per year and how many more years must I wait until the wood is dry? I guess that when the wood no longer gets lighter it is dry. Is this a safe assumption?
Any though about this subject?
TIA,
Franchi
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 325
Member
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Member
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 325 |
It could not have been dry....that is a lot of weight.
An attic in PA can get pretty darned extreme in temps, others will know more and chime in.....but IMO I don't think that is a good place to season a piece of good wood.
Jeff
Jeff
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 221
Junior Member
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Junior Member
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 221 |
I prefer to season my blanks "in house" when the wood is finally finished and living on the gun, it will be in house. I like to see my blanks go through 5 seasons before they get chopped.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,574 Likes: 87
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,574 Likes: 87 |
An attic can get as hot as most kilns. It could have been dry enough before and is too dry now. The only way to tell is to check it with a moisture meter.
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,398 Likes: 16
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,398 Likes: 16 |
Moisture content has little importance if a stock blank is well aged in stable humidity. It is not a great idea to store them in extreme situations such as an attic or shed. I consider 5 years off the stump to be a minimun and prefer seven to ten.
The vast majority of free water will go out of the blank in the first six months.
Weighing them is a very good indicator if stored in a reasonable environment.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,961 Likes: 9
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,961 Likes: 9 |
a rule of thumb is a year an inch plus two to stablize.
bill
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,468
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,468 |
Moisture levels vary with location and time of year. Weight will also vary with a dry stock gaining weight if the weather turns wet for a time. Most areas of the country will find 12% dry with desert areas being 5-7% following a dry spell. That same wood will go closer to 20% if the wood is moved to a very wet area like the NW coast. Once it is dry, wood should be allowed to stabilize which will take at least a year depending on local humidity. Your stock obviously was not really dry. Accurate weighing over time is a good indicator of dryness.
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