Jake Seidel, SUNY ESF, Syracuse, NY
Samples left in oven for short vs long period of
time ?
Samples at a temperature higher then 103 C ?
Samples % MC at temperature below 103 C ?
Accepted oven dry method:
Oven temp 101-105C
Samples cut at least 20in from end of board
Samples 1” in length, thickness & width of board
Should be clear of knots, pitch pockets
Dry for 12-48 hours, weighing until no loss in mass
when weighing every 4 hours (Aussies say no more than 0.1g loss
every 2 hours is equivalent to oven dry)
Test Samples:
- Using matched samples roughly ~ 1”x 1”x 6”.
- Cut from the center of 4 different 1”x 6” boards of
random moisture content.
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1”x 6” boards: Maple, Ash, Red Oak.
Samples were immediately cut and weighed.
Samples placed in three different ovens
Samples 1&2: Oven #1 130° C
Samples 3&4: Oven #2 85° C
Samples 5&6: Oven #3 103° C

Weights of the different samples were taken
after hour 1, 3, 6, 10, 12,24,48, 72,150,
318,414.
Hour:
0
1
3
6
10
12
24
48
72
150
318
414
1 Maple
85.060
72.305
69.590
69.562
69.550
69.558
2 Maple
88.491
75.145
72.517
72.488
72.480
72.482
69.508
69.48
72.435
72.400
69.453
69.35
69.269
69.259
72.374
72.271
72.190
72.177
3 Maple
91.598
83.447
77.330
75.456
75.328
75.303
75.223
75.204
75.207
75.239
75.193
75.193
4 Maple
95.328
86.968
80.604
78.544
5 Maple
96.499
84.336
79.566
79.097
78.385
78.356
79.069
79.053
78.273
78.248
78.253
78.289
78.243
78.240
78.999
78.985
78.993
79.012
78.954
78.941
6 Maple
95.112
83.404
78.207
77.673
77.635
77.612
77.558
77.548
77.558
77.574
77.519
77.515
1 Ash
64.075
60.500
60.122
60.102
60.089
60.092
60.049
60.160
59.992
59.869
59.791
59.774
2 Ash
70.605
3 Ash
65.479
66.727
66.266
63.099
61.979
66.220
66.222
66.226
66.171
66.129
66.093
65.947
65.849
65.824
61.662
61.612
61.594
61.526
61.506
61.513
61.540
61.501
61.515
4 Ash
64.878
62.471
61.382
61.090
61.042
61.029
60.957
60.932
60.933
60.962
60.922
60.928
5 Ash
70.868
6 Ash
65.568
67.614
66.750
66.609
66.583
66.565
66.520
66.502
66.510
66.517
66.484
66.479
62.485
61.751
61.635
61.615
61.595
61.555
61.537
61.544
61.551
61.522
61.521
1 Ashb
77.221
68.692
65.955
65.827
65.824
65.819
65.768
65.750
65.718
65.641
65.559
65.549
2 Ashb
80.449
71.882
68.760
68.569
68.562
68.564
68.513
68.485
68.467
68.371
68.290
68.280
3 Ashb
80.969
75.287
71.136
69.540
69.275
69.210
69.100
69.074
69.076
69.104
69.044
69.034
4 Ashb
83.449
77.632
73.483
71.728
71.420
71.352
71.236
71.211
71.207
71.227
71.180
71.183
5 Ashb
79.347
71.589
68.456
67.912
67.850
67.827
67.781
67.765
67.773
67.784
67.745
67.739
6 Ashb
84.033
76.143
72.621
71.897
71.809
71.778
71.725
71.704
71.711
71.723
71.679
71.681
1 Oak
85.668
68.906
58.299
58.010
58.002
58.006
57.966
57.936
57.915
57.832
57.760
57.741
2 Oak
88.405
70.775
60.376
59.973
59.962
59.964
59.925
59.896
59.875
59.789
59.716
59.694
3 Oak
84.458
73.158
63.186
57.808
57.417
57.381
57.306
57.283
57.293
57.313
57.277
57.268
4 Oak
85.715
74.988
65.160
58.827
58.418
58.365
58.298
58.275
58.282
58.301
58.270
58.261
5 Oak
88.991
69.373
61.336
60.696
60.655
60.635
60.587
60.575
60.579
60.571
60.540
60.535
6 Oak
87.949
71.345
61.555
60.063
60.002
59.988
59.944
59.930
59.931
59.922
59.887
59.880
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% Moisture content of the sample calculated
By the Oven Dry Method:
Wet Weight - Dry Weight / Oven Dry weight
*100
The weight of the water equals the
original weight of the section minus its oven
dry weight
 Moisture content = percent moisture

Samples:
1&2 Oven #1
130° C
3&4 Oven #2
85° C
5&6 Oven #3
103° C
Hours:
1 Maple
2 Maple
1
17.6
17.8
3
22.2
22.0
6
22.3
22.1
10
22.3
22.1
12
22.3
22.1
24
22.4
22.1
48
22.4
22.2
72
22.5
22.3
150
22.7
22.4
318
22.8
22.6
414
22.8
22.6
3 Maple
4 Maple
5 Maple
6 Maple
9.8
9.6
14.4
14.0
18.5
18.3
21.3
21.6
21.4
21.4
22.0
22.5
21.6
21.6
22.0
22.5
21.6
21.7
22.1
22.5
21.4
21.4
22.0
22.5
21.8
21.8
22.2
22.6
21.8
21.8
22.2
22.6
21.7
21.8
22.1
22.6
21.8
21.8
22.2
22.7
21.8
21.8
22.2
22.7
1 Ash
2 Ash
3 Ash
4 Ash
5 Ash
6 Ash
5.9
5.8
3.8
3.9
4.8
4.9
6.6
6.5
5.6
5.7
6.2
6.2
6.6
6.6
6.2
6.2
6.4
6.4
6.6
6.6
6.3
6.3
6.4
6.4
6.6
6.6
6.3
6.3
6.5
6.5
6.6
6.6
6.2
6.2
6.4
6.4
6.5
6.8
6.5
6.5
6.6
6.6
6.8
6.8
6.4
6.5
6.6
6.5
7.0
7.1
6.4
6.4
6.5
6.5
7.2
7.2
6.5
6.5
6.6
6.6
7.2
7.3
6.4
6.5
6.6
6.6
1 Ashb
2 Ashb
3 Ashb
4 Ashb
5 Ashb
6 Ashb
12.4
11.9
7.5
7.5
10.8
10.4
17.1
17.0
13.8
13.6
15.9
15.7
17.3
17.3
16.4
16.3
16.8
16.9
17.3
17.3
16.9
16.8
16.9
17.0
17.3
17.3
17.0
17.0
17.0
17.1
17.3
17.3
16.4
16.3
16.8
16.9
17.4
17.5
17.2
17.2
17.1
17.2
17.5
17.5
17.2
17.2
17.1
17.2
17.6
17.7
17.2
17.2
17.1
17.2
17.8
17.8
17.3
17.2
17.1
17.2
17.8
17.8
17.3
17.2
17.1
17.2
1 Oak
2 Oak
3 Oak
4 Oak
5 Oak
6 Oak
24.3
24.9
15.4
14.3
28.3
23.3
46.9
46.4
33.7
31.5
45.1
42.9
47.7
47.4
46.1
45.7
46.6
46.4
47.7
47.4
47.1
46.7
46.7
46.6
47.7
47.4
47.2
46.9
46.8
46.6
47.7
47.4
46.1
45.7
46.6
46.4
47.9
47.6
47.4
47.1
46.9
46.8
47.9
47.6
47.4
47.1
46.9
46.8
48.1
47.9
47.4
47.0
46.9
46.8
48.3
48.0
47.5
47.1
47.0
46.9
48.4
48.1
47.5
47.1
47.0
46.9
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Samples in 85C oven consistently
underestimated moisture content compared
to accepted 103C oven
Samples in 130C and 103C oven were oven
dry between 12 and 48 hours
24 hours into experiment all samples in 130C
and 103C ovens were no longer losing
moisture
Maple Samples Calculated % MC
25.0
23.0
21.0
19.0
1 Maple
17.0
2 Maple
15.0
3 Maple
4 Maple
13.0
5 Maple
6 Maple
11.0
9.0
7.0
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
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Oven temperature set at 103° C gives you the
best results.
Accepted method of drying oven dry samples
at 103C for 24 hours is best