What’s a moisture meter? What exactly is a caliper? If you’re interested in woodworking, you should definitely familiarize yourself with these tools. In this article, you’ll discover what they are and how you can use them.
Moisture Meter
A moisture meter is a measuring tool to determine the percentage of water in a material. So, a wood moisture meter actually helps determine the moisture content of wood.
It’s important to know a piece of wood’s moisture content because if it’s too wet or too dry it may be difficult to shape. Aside from that, it might not be strong enough to be used on certain projects. Wood moisture meters come in two categories: non-destructive and destructive.
The non-destructive wood moisture meter, also called pinless, just needs to be placed on the surface of wood to give an average reading. A destructive wood moisture meter (aka the pin type) has pins or needles that are pushed into the surface to get a reading.
Caliper
Caliper is also a measuring instrument that measures the distance between two objects. It comes in various types, such as the inside caliper, the outside caliper, the odd-leg caliper, the vernier caliper, the compass caliper, the digital caliper, the dial caliper, and the micrometer caliper.
The inside caliper measures the internal size of an object, while the outside caliper measures the outside.
The odd-leg caliper has one leg bent while the other leg is straight with a sharp point. It’s used to scribe or measure the distance from an edge. It is also known as odd-leg jennys.
The compass or divider caliper, like the odd-leg, can be used inscribing. Often used in drawing a perfect arc or circle and measuring the distance of places on maps.
A vernier caliper is a straight measuring tool that uses a sliding scale to measure an object put in between two jaws. It can measure the width of an object and diameter.
The digital caliper and dial caliper look like a vernier caliper, although the dial clipper has a simple dial attached on it that looks like a small clock. The digital caliper is more modern, with an electronic digital display making for more accurate measurements.
A micrometer caliper also measures the thickness of an object but unlike the three mentioned above, it has a curve frame instead of jaws. It has a graduated cylindrical part instead of a slide scale that shows the measurement of an object.
How to use them intelligently in your wood crafting hobby
Wood Moisture Meter
If you don’t mind getting a two-pin hole on your wood project and patching it up after, a pin-type meter can give you highly accurate measurements.
The pin type has two pins attached to it, which you will need to stick into the wood. If you want to use a pinless type, make sure that you’re measuring a flat surface to have a more precise result.
Turn on and place the pin less meter flat on the surface to be tested. Make sure there’s no space or gap between the meter and the surface. Note the results, you can move the meter to have more readings.
Caliper
In using a vernier caliper, make sure that the object you’re about to measure is clean, without grease or oil, so that it can be held properly, and the result will be accurate.
Loosen the locking screw of the caliper and close the jaws, making sure that it is lined up to zero. Open the jaws and place the object to be measured in between, sliding one jaw against it.
Tighten the lock screw and measure. Read the main scale, the vernier scale, then add. Take note of the units shown on the label.
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