Wood expands when it absorbs moisture. Wood shrinks when it dries. Humidity causes the change. Temperature has little to do with the change other than cold air usually contains less moisture.
No. It could expand further if the final place for the piece has a higher humidity than your dehumidified basement.
See above.
OK... so, when I am plan doing the work that day, I just turn off the dehumidifier, open two little windows the day before and during the work day. That should give enough time for the wood to drink?
I am finally finish with school and have summer off! Time to study this topic. David, I will read that link you gave me SOON.
Chuck
You might consider staining door panels BEFORE assembling the door so that future shrinkage, if it occurs, will not result in a light band of unfinished wood, spoiling the appearance.
Dave
CNT wrote:
Incorrect. *Humid* air, the wood expands; *dry* air, the wood shrinks. If your house has central heat and central A/C, and in the spring and fall you run
*neither* but leave your windows open, the greatest expansion will occur during the spring, not the summer.I shouldn't think so, not with a dehumidifier.
-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)
Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt. And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?
NO. The last thing you want is for the wood to be absorbing and releasing humidity - thus changing size and shape - while you're still working on it.
Keep the dehumidifier running all the time. Or none of the time. Ideally, you want to work the work under approximately the same humidity conditions as it will be exposed to as a finished piece. In a centrally heated and air conditioned house, with a basement workshop, this means running the dehumidifier.
-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)
Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt. And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?
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