Official Luthiers Forum!

Howdy!
I just received a nice set of wood from a reputable dealer. I showed it to a customer who immediately wanted to upgrade using it. I imagine the sides are good to go since I'm gonna blast them with heat and water anyway, but how long would you suggest leaving the back alone to acclimate before joining/bracing? I assume it was kept in a climate controlled environment by the vendor, put in a sealed box and shipped over about four days, then put back into climate control? What do you think?
Thanks

Assuming it is less than 3/16" thick, sticker it and put a fan on it for a few days. A surefire (but slower) way is to lay it flat and see if it curls. If it does, keep flipping it over until the curling stops. Then you know it is in equilibrium with your shop RH.
You can also 'hot box' it, which will drive the moisture below the EMC. In most circumstances, it is a good thing to do before bracing it.

_________________
John

What exactly is hot boxing? Driving the humidity low before bracing? What do you you use?

A hot box is a container with a heat source. Typically, it consists of a plywood box with light bulbs to raise the temperature 20 or 30 degrees F. That lowers the RH, which will lower the MC in the wood stored in it.

_________________
John

Hmmm...
it means something a little different round here... ask Padma, he'd know.

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498