wood moisture content measurement

[steff]

Dear All,

I am currently looking for a way to measure wood moisture content correctly and non destructive.
I know the piercing method and it is well proven and widely applied.
So far so good - however if you want to measure wood at a mill or at a distributor, I can't cut the boards in half to get precise readings.

I came across the frequency measurement method, but I also heard about problems and inconsistency + those units are costly.

Can somebody recommend a unit for real life working experience?

thanks & regards,
Steff

[CatBuilder]

Steff,

Use a "piercing method" meter with very sharp and long probes. I had one that worked very well that I could stick about 1-2cm into the wood and get a nice accurate reading well into the wood.

If you are going to use the other "non-invasive" type meter, it will cost you more. That's just a matter of the cost of each technology.

[daiquiri]

If you want to know more on the state of the art of contact moisture meters, you could read this technical report:
http://www.vtt.fi/inf/pdf/publications/2000/P420.pdf
Lots of pages, but will make you comprehend the difficulties related to measuring wood moisture content and why the measurements are sometimes not very accurate. Will also help you to figure out which features to seek in your next device.
Cheers

[steff]

Thanks for the quick reply. I know the piercing method, good but only to a certain depth. 2 cm in hard will take some effort, I guess and solid needles...
Will need some time to digest the whole document, but form a first view, it seems to go to depth with the topic. Will tell you later my findings.

Fair winds. Cheers, Steff