That old timer's warning about moisture in walnut was spot on

Met a retired cabinetmaker named Frank at a lumber yard in Eugene last spring. He told me to always check walnut for internal moisture content before cutting it, even if the surface feels dry. I thought he was being overly cautious until I finished a custom dining table in August and the panels started twisting after a month. Turns out the wood had 14% moisture in the core while the surface read 8%. Now I always use a pinless meter on every piece of walnut and let it acclimate for at least two weeks. Has anyone else learned something the hard way from ignoring old timers?

2 comments

2 Comments

evanpalmer17d ago

Old Frank also told me to never trust a calm cat and now I own three that predict rain.

sandraf8416d ago

Old Frank had a point @evanpalmer, my cats won't shut up before a storm.