# *CLOSED* Hey All Need Help with an Experiment and you get free Mahogany



## MarksCaribbeanWoodworks (Jan 11, 2019)

Hey Friends.

I need someone who can help with an experiment to find out how much my wood shrinks and I will send you a free chunk of my mahogany from St. Thomas that would be 1" x 12" x 12" .

Here is the experiment:
Since I live in the Caribbean all of my Mahogany has high moisture content even after I properly stick it and let it air dry for 12 months. We are talking a moisture content that can be as high as 15-16% depending on the thickness of the slab (like 4"). So I need to find out how much my wood will shrink went sent to the states and keep in your nice warm dry shop. Like in Arizona or Maine or Utah. Anywhere really.

So I figure that if I cut a perfect 1" x 12" x 12" piece, measure it to at least 1/64th and send it to you then you can measure it on receipt and then measure it for me again every month for a few months to see what happens.

Anyone interested?

Reactions: Like 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Jan 11, 2019)

Everyone here is up for free wood!!!


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## Casey Botts (Jan 11, 2019)

I am interested in Chattanooga, Tennessee


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## Schroedc (Jan 11, 2019)

My shop is crazy dry here in Minnesota, can measure to .001 if you need that precision.


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## kweinert (Jan 11, 2019)

If you're interested in finding out how it behaves at elevation (just over 5280 ft) keep me in mind :)

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Mike1950 (Jan 11, 2019)

@barry richardson is in driest location would be my guess

Reactions: Agree 1


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## ripjack13 (Jan 11, 2019)

I'm in. I'm on the east coast....


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## ripjack13 (Jan 11, 2019)

maybe another crazy islander would like to participate also?
@Don Ratcliff

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## barry richardson (Jan 11, 2019)

If it's any help to ya Mark, I got a chunk mahogany from you a couple of years ago in a trade. The piece split pretty bad in several places, in fact it was already cracking when I received it, never checked the MC, but you said it was dry.....


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## Nature Man (Jan 11, 2019)

What type of moisture meter will you want people to use? I currently do not have one. Chuck


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## Arn213 (Jan 11, 2019)

Mark, you know you are dealing with a bunch of “wood hoarders and wood addicts” in this forum- right? Who doesn’t want free wood for a test! 

Anyway, this is an interesting proposition and the only test condition that would be to your advantage (since you want to see how your wood builds would fair out with swings of humidity and temperature) is to have folks in this forum participate that lives in the Caribbean, vicinity of the Gulf of Mexico or South East- adjacent to or close to where you are in the Virgin Islands where the climate conditions are similar. Point is anything you build with the lumber, it would probably stay local due to freight cost on a finish piece of furniture.......not unless you just want to find out how the lumber would fair around the US mainland....oops and Hawaii and Alaska.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Steve in VA (Jan 11, 2019)

Hey Mark,

I'd be happy to do this and would like to see the results myself. I'm in Virginia, so its cold in the winter and hot / humid in the summer. Might be interesting to see the changes during the seasons. 

I could keep an Excel sheet to calculate the actual changes and also the percentage changes over time. 

Steve

Reactions: Like 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Jan 11, 2019)

Mark, Steve and I are both in Virginia. I'll step aside and let him go with it. No use to have two close together doing the same thing.


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## Herb G. (Jan 11, 2019)

I'd be interested. I have a moisture meter and I know how to read a tape measure.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## MarksCaribbeanWoodworks (Jan 11, 2019)

OMG I forgot we are all woodslaves .

Ok I will cut up about 4 or 5 and send em out to some folks.


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## MarksCaribbeanWoodworks (Jan 11, 2019)

Arn213 said:


> Mark, you know you are dealing with a bunch of “wood hoarders and wood addicts” in this forum- right? Who doesn’t want free wood for a test!
> 
> Anyway, this is an interesting proposition and the only test condition that would be to your advantage (since you want to see how your wood builds would fair out with swings of humidity and temperature) is to have folks in this forum participate that lives in the Caribbean, vicinity of the Gulf of Mexico or South East- adjacent to or close to where you are in the Virgin Islands where the climate conditions are similar. Point is anything you build with the lumber, it would probably stay local due to freight cost on a finish piece of furniture.......not unless you just want to find out how the lumber would fair around the US mainland....oops and Hawaii and Alaska.


This is an excellent idea. I love it and will find some folks here.


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## MarksCaribbeanWoodworks (Jan 11, 2019)

barry richardson said:


> If it's any help to ya Mark, I got a chunk mahogany from you a couple of years ago in a trade. The piece split pretty bad in several places, in fact it was already cracking when I received it, never checked the MC, but you said it was dry.....


OMG brother, I am so sorry.

I will replace it for you. That was a bowl blank yea.

I do recall that wood and it came from the root system of a very large mahagony that had been sitting in a lot for several years by the time I obtained it. I sent that piece to you about 3 months after milling the tree. That same wood have been sitting in my shop now for the last couple of years and I have been working it will very little shrinkage but of course it has stayed local (except the duck call and knife blanks).

Again, let me know how I can make it up to you. Maybe I can send you a couple of smaller pieces rather than one large piece.


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## MarksCaribbeanWoodworks (Jan 11, 2019)

barry richardson said:


> If it's any help to ya Mark, I got a chunk mahogany from you a couple of years ago in a trade. The piece split pretty bad in several places, in fact it was already cracking when I received it, never checked the MC, but you said it was dry.....


Also Barry, this is very sad to hear man. I feel really really bad buddy. I have sent knife blanks to the states with no problems but I think the guys quickly worked the wood and did what they do to make the handle indestructible - ?? I forgot that process but its on the tip of my tongue. 

I have had people send wood to me here from all over the world and have never had much problem except that I received some cherry wood that checked pretty bad which I thought was odd as it was sealed on the ends and we have so much moisture.


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## Texasstate (Jan 11, 2019)

I’m in Wimberly, TX and I’m in.
Pm if you are still interested


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## barry richardson (Jan 11, 2019)

MarksCaribbeanWoodworks said:


> Also Barry, this is very sad to hear man. I feel really really bad buddy. I have sent knife blanks to the states with no problems but I think the guys quickly worked the wood and did what they do to make the handle indestructible - ?? I forgot that process but its on the tip of my tongue.
> 
> I have had people send wood to me here from all over the world and have never had much problem except that I received some cherry wood that checked pretty bad which I thought was odd as it was sealed on the ends and we have so much moisture.


That's OK Mark, I used the wood for smaller things, it had the pith in it which was probably the main problem. Just sayin, the change in humidity really effected it.


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## DaveHawk (Jan 11, 2019)

I can just tell you I have customers who have bought in carved pieces furniture and carvings from these humid wet climates and they've asked me if I can stop the cracking and splitting. I 1st asked them how long they've had the pieces and the majority have had The peace less than a year and a 1/2. I tell them that The wood will keep cracking until it dries out.


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## Wildthings (Jan 11, 2019)

I'm within spitting distance of the Gulf here in Texas - I'm game!!


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## Strider (Jan 17, 2019)

Send it here, my way, and it will not only shrink, but also disappear!


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## Alex Beck (Feb 12, 2019)

MarksCaribbeanWoodworks said:


> Hey Friends.
> 
> I need someone who can help with an experiment to find out how much my wood shrinks and I will send you a free chunk of my mahogany from St. Thomas that would be 1" x 12" x 12" .
> 
> ...




I know the feeling of high moisture reading as I live in Florida and typically wood stabilizes at around 12% in the winter and potentially higher in the summer when it rains everyday w/ 100% humidity. In all honesty, our weather patterns and environment are fairly similar. Anyways, I wanted to point out that assuming you have 4in or 16/4 lumber of decent length, that potentially air drying could take between 2 & 4 years depending on a number of variables. Also, if the lumber is flatsawn it will shrink over the width/face of the board whereas if its quater or rift sawn, it will be shrink moreso in the thickness of the board. That being said, I know of a guy who uses a solar type kiln and a bunch of box fans to dry 2in thick slabs in about 6 months, it does cause increased cracking & checking but not nearly as much as a traditional kiln would create.


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## MarksCaribbeanWoodworks (Feb 12, 2019)

Alex Beck said:


> I know the feeling of high moisture reading as I live in Florida and typically wood stabilizes at around 12% in the winter and potentially higher in the summer when it rains everyday w/ 100% humidity. In all honesty, our weather patterns and environment are fairly similar. Anyways, I wanted to point out that assuming you have 4in or 16/4 lumber of decent length, that potentially air drying could take between 2 & 4 years depending on a number of variables. Also, if the lumber is flatsawn it will shrink over the width/face of the board whereas if its quater or rift sawn, it will be shrink moreso in the thickness of the board. That being said, I know of a guy who uses a solar type kiln and a bunch of box fans to dry 2in thick slabs in about 6 months, it does cause increased cracking & checking but not nearly as much as a traditional kiln would create.


Wow that’s great information. Thank you so much. I have found that if I let it air dry for 18 months it tends to be pretty stable. What I do is cut it in the mill and then after letting it sit for almost 2 years I mill I t to dimension. Then I will let it sit in my shop for a couple of weeks before I try to work it. This tends to allow it to take its natural course of cupping or bowing if it is going to. Then I can handplane it out to get it flat.

Usually but not always this works well


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## Alex Beck (Feb 12, 2019)

I agree with what your saying, I always let the wood acclimate to my shop before I start working it. On critical joints, depending on the stress in the wood, I will mill the wood to dimension and let it sit for a few days, if it moves, I'll mill it a second time.


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Apr 19, 2020)

Did this ever happen? I'd like to know the results if so.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Wildthings (Apr 20, 2020)

Not by me


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## William Tanner (Apr 20, 2020)

Looking forward to seeing the results.


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## Maverick (Apr 20, 2020)

Curious also. When I read the first post, I was all ready to jump in then I saw the date of the post....and then the follow up discussion....my hopes and dreams of free wood were quickly dashed....but still curious if the experiment went forward.


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## TXMoon (Apr 20, 2020)

I'm in San Antonio and with our humidity I doubt I'd be much help. Folks in Houston would be even worse, unless you're measuring how much wood would swell in a high humidity environment. I think you'd get dryer wood soaking in in a bucket of water.


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## wewgregn21 (May 10, 2020)

I’m in Seattle. Glad to do this


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## ripjack13 (May 10, 2020)

I locked this. Untill Mark shows up again, it's a moot subject.


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