moisture meter

[Dragon]

Rockler is having a sale on a moisture meter for $24.99
ON SALE! - Moisture Meter - Rockler Woodworking Tools
Any good?
Diane

[workin for wood]

Sorry Diane..I vote Nay on all pin meters. The fact that it leaves puncture wounds in the wood is only a small part of the reason. The meter reads how fast electrical current travels through the wood. The more moisture, the faster and more conductive the wood is. On that basic principle, you would have to push the pins all the way down into the center of the wood to get a true reading, but if you do that, the "minor" puncture wounds aren't so minor! If you stick the pins in the end of the board, you will get the driest results, because moisture leaves the ends the fastest, so the wood could contain 30% moisture, but the ends only have 10% and so you think it's good. Wood on top or the sides is the second exit point, so they will also be drier than the center, but not as drastic as the ends. A good moisture meter is the magneto type. It measures bounce patterns that travel all the way through the wood. They are very accurate, but you need to be sure the wood isn't sitting on a metal table. It is best nothing is under the board at all, so you just stand up the board on end and set the meter right in the center of the board and turn it on.

[Dragon]

Ok thanks Jeff. I will not be buying it then.
Diane