# Ideal Moisture Content?



## JohnGreco (May 28, 2012)

Following up with an earlier question I had with CA ghosting, I'd love to hear what people consider to be the ideal moisture percentage for pens (I hope this is in the right place).

Does it vary by wood? By geographical region? Do you try to control it or let nature take its course? Do you use a moisture meter or do you just 'know' when you're turning it?

Thanks in advance!


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## leehljp (May 28, 2012)

In the past, most of the old users here dried their blanks or made sure that they were fairly dry. There was little talk of specific moisture content but they were measured by their dry weight vs wet weight. I would guess that 5% moisture content would be ideal, if you have a moisture meter.

Wet Blanks can be dried by ovens on low temp, microwaves on low for short periods of time, or in the attic for a few weeks.

Most wet woods will shrink when drying and that doesn't do well on a finished pen. Cross cut blanks that are wet have been known to split. 

Oily woods are a somewhat different matter.


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## 1080Wayne (May 29, 2012)

Probably the best investment you could make would be $10 for a small digital scale with 0.1 gm increments . If the weight of a blank stays constant within +- 0.1 gm for a week or so , you can be sure that it is dry at the current temp/RH conditions that you have . It will change as ambient temp and humidity change with the seasons . Dry for you will not be dry enough for me . The pen with the blush in the finish would almost certainly crack in my winter conditions . (We can prove/disprove that if you want .) If you are shipping pens across the continent it wouldn`t be a bad idea to pre-condition the blanks to an approximation of what the local conditions will be . 
Sealing the tube ends with thin CA should also slow down wood movement with temp/humidity changes .

I would be happier with moisture being the cause of the blush if it were spread around a bit more , and not localized into rings . I can`t explain that . Something else is also going on .


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## Wildman (May 29, 2012)

The "ideal" moisture content (MC) depends upon the use of the wood and the annual average relative humidity at the place where the wood used.  It is critical that the wood you work with is dry down to an MC within 2 percentage points of the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of the in-use location. Whether wood will be used indoors or outside also determines how dry wood should be. 

Wood will seek equilibrium moisture content (EMC) in relation to the relative humidity (RH) and temperature of its surroundings.  Wood species, density, open, closed grain also factor into how soon wood dries.   Weighing blanks probably the best way to tell if pen blank has reached EMC 

If you dip a pen blank into wax or tar sealing all four sides, this will stop moisture transfer. Wood will always gain and lose MC throughout useful life due to relative humidity.  Finish will slow down this gain or lose of moisture but not stop it.  

So when you buy pen blanks completely sealed in wax, scrap off wax from sides and let blank hang out couple of weeks or months before use. If buy pen blanks not sealed let them hang out couple of weeks before turning.  If cutting your own blanks cut slightly over sized and seal ends with wax or end sealer again let hang out for couple of months.


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