Workshop hygrometer

[AlexS]

Just a quick idea that I have in my workshop to give an idea of ambient humidity while I'm working. It's a strip of jarrah (cut along the grain) laminated to a strip cut across the end of a wide piece of myrtle.
When the humidity is low, the myrtle contracts more than the jarrah and the strip bends up. When it's high, the myrtle expands much more, and the strip bends the other way.

[Wood Butcher]

Great idea Alex and so simple too. Do you have any plans to try and calibrate it at all?

[AlexS]

No plans to calibrate it WB, but I may make another one working on the same principal that I can calibrate.

[Termite]

Calibrate it like the Aussie weather station, which is a bit of string hanging from a nail. It reads.... When the string is wet it is raining, when it is dry it is fine, when it is hanging at an angle it is windy, when the string is rigid it is bloody cold, when you can't see the string it's night time.:rolleyes:

[Ashore]

Calibrate it like the Aussie weather station, which is a bit of string hanging from a nail. It reads.... When the string is wet it is raining, when it is dry it is fine, when it is hanging at an angle it is windy, when the string is rigid it is bloody cold, when you can't see the string it's night time.:rolleyes:

And if the string is bouncing up and down you are experiencing an earthquake :rolleyes:

[NeroBass]

and if the string is missing it has been stolen

[Clinton1]

Thats a great idea/tool Alex - and can serve as a sly little "in the know" comment to other woodies on the material you work with.

A great learning tool or project for school kids as well.... incorporates some science and practicality. The kids could plot the position of the 'pointer' against a humidity reading for a month or two, or until the gloss wears off.

[jow104]

One of those could come in handy in the bedroom, someone warming up might send out some signals. ;)

[Termite]

One of those could come in handy in the bedroom, someone warming up might send out some signals. ;)
Mate, it's a hygrometer not a forkometer. :rolleyes:

[kiwigeo]

This is an old spanish luthiers trick. Its also used by more than one well known current day luthier.

[urban-wombat]

I guess it's the woody version of bimetallic strips

[Harry72]

Could we use it as a prediction tool for the expansion and contraction of wood during seasons, too make seasonal allowances for things like mitred frames and raised panels?

[Hickory]

No plans to calibrate it WB, but I may make another one working on the same principal that I can calibrate.Just a quick thought that popped into my ridgid mind. would not the Ambiant moisture content of the wood when it is laminated effect how it reacts to the different changes in moisture? IE: If you were to laminate a dry piece to a more moist piece would not the curvature already be set? Also... I am interested in making one of these on my own, Sense your loverly woods are not common to my pleasure, what characteristics of these species can I relate to our common woods IE: maple, oak, ash, poplar, walnut, etc.

[jow104]

I have one of those Sweedish type chalet designed sheds in the garden (T&G) during dry weather the door opening area is shorter and in the wet weather the door aperature height expands nearly half an inch".

I wonder what was the weather condition when they sized the timbers.?

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

From the behaviour of some of my recent objets d'art, it looks like red-gum & pittosperum are viable alternative timbers for the hygrometer.

Damn, damn, DAMN!! :(

(Can you guess who's been laminating 'em lately?)