How accurate are moisture meters in firewood? I'm trying to figure out a schedule for drying firewood in a kin. Some the last batch of hedge i dried averaged 23% but seems a little on the wet side. I think the split wood not being very smooth throws off the meter.
Does anyone make a meter that hast two probes instead of the pads?
Theory
Quality in measuring (or shooting with a scope rifle) is a matter of both PRECISION and ACCURACY....
PRECISION is good when you get the same result (all shoots almost i the same hole), when measuring (shooting) multiple times
ACCURACY is good when the AVERAGE of multiple measurements (Shoots) is on "TARGET".
Good PRECISION do not necessary mean that all results is on TARGET, but if TARGET is known, we can COMPENSATE or maybe even CALIBRATE (adjust the scope)
Good ACCURACY do mean that the average of resluts is on TARGET, but results can be spread around a bit
Example
If you measure lenght with a tape that are being repaired after being cut. After the repair, the tape is 2" shorter from the zero...
this tape is always going to measure 2" short....I would call that a SYSTEMATIC ERROR....and that it is easy to calibrate....
If you have a measure tape that is ok, but there are uncertaintees in operating the tape,
like is the zero exact at right point every time? is the tape streched the same every time? Etc etc.
I would call that a RANDOM ERROR, which are hard to CALIBRATE for...if not impossible
A good meassuring tool (moisture gauge)...
It is not spreading the results around a lot...
The average of many measuring results is close to the expected right result (TARGET)....
It is not sensitive to how it is operated, like probe pressure etc....
It can be CALIBRATED and COMPENSATED for temperature etc...
Measuring moisture in wood is very difficult (expensive) if you want to hit TARGET in "one shoot"
The only way to do it in one shoot is to take many SAMPLES, so all wood is fairly represented.
Measure the weight (wood and moist together)
Dry the wood slowly in a special dryer for a long time
Measure the weight od the wood
Calculate the moist-%
If you buy a moisture gauge, you can expect good, fair or poor PRECISION, depending on how you operate (quality of SAMPLES) depending on price (quality)
You can expect good, fair or poor ACCURACY, depending on how you operate (quality of SAMPLES), and how it is CALIBRATED and depending on price (quality)
You have to take many samples and concider following to get a fair measurement
Wood have more moist in the SAPWOOD
Wood have more moist in the center of a piece than at the ends
Wood dries much faster out of the ends
The HEARTWOOD is dead fiber and dries naturally when the tree is growing
About SAPWOOD and HEARTWOOD structure, it depends on spieces, most conifers are usually the same
Measure many times, and use average...
Get you gauge checked and CALIBRATED. If it can't be CALIBRATED, you will have to adjust your result.
Check your gauge with a more precise "good" gauge, at a wood shop or a sawmill ("drying superviser").
Bring your samples and gauge so the comparison with the "good" gauge gets fair
Per A
aw come on....
