HUMIDITY

[JBJ]

See Table 4-2 in the following: https://www.fpl.fs.usda.gov/documnts/fplgtr/fpl_gtr190.pdf  (Wood handbook—Wood as an engineering material. General Technical Report FPL-GTR-190. Madison, Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory.
508 p.)
Given the relative humidity and temperature, you can quickly determine the equilibrium moisture content of wood. With this publication at your finger tips, you can answer most of the questions you ever had or are likely to encounter re wood and wood properties. The next time someone poses a question about species X as a stock wood here on the Forum, here's the "go to" source.

J.B.



Moderator's Note: I corrected the URL so the link would lead directly to the Wood Handbook.

[JBJ]

Thanks, Moderator!
J.B.

[cornbread]

Having read this thread, it peaked my interest! I discovered fairly recently I had a gg-uncle who built rifles and sold them in and around Searcy County, Arkansas which has humidity to rival any tropical island!

Knowing my gg-uncle was a first and foremost a farmer who ploughed with animals (and all that demands!) it leaves little time to do other things. The old armories of Springfield and Harpers Ferry had to contend with humidity the same way the Hawken bro’s of Missouri did - but they aren’t managing farms too as a way to sustain themselves.

So, I ponder if other “home” gunsmiths worked on various things at different times of the year to take humidity into account while maintaining priorities like harvests, slaughtering hogs, etc? It’s something I would take into account when I start to build mine. If only he was alive so I could ask! 

James (in non-humid and somewhat dry for the moment Washington state)