How to Dry wet Wood Fast using a Microwave
Step 1
Weigh your wood samples using a postal scale. Electronic postal or pocket scales can be purchased from office suppliers and big-box stores. Set it to measure grams, place your wood onto it, and take note of your wood's weight. If you'd like to keep your scale clean, place a container onto the scale, hit "Tare," and then place the wood in.
Use a scale that has an accuracy within 0.1% for the best results. Otherwise, accuracy should be at least within 0.035 ounces (0.99 g).
Step 2
Measure the moisture content (MC) with a moisture meter. For pin-type moisture meters, press the 2 tips into the wood and activate it for the moisture reading. For pinless meters, press the base of its scanning plate against the wood and turn the meter on. Record the moisture content, which will be a percentage between 0 and 100.
Purchase moisture meters from home hardware stores and online suppliers.
Step 3
Microwave 15% to 25% MC wood at the lowest setting for 45 to 60 seconds. Place 3 to 5 paper towels onto the microwave oven's plate and place your wood on top. Most ovens come with a "Low" setting and a "Defrost" setting that is slightly higher. Set it to "Low" and look out for smoke—this is a sign that you have burnt away some of the wood weight and volume and any moisture measurements will be inaccurate.
Never let wood pieces touch if you're heating multiple samples or they can light on fire.
Step 4
Heat 30% MC or above wood for 1.5 to 3 minutes at the second-lowest heat level. For most microwaves, the next heat level above "Low" is "Defrost." Layer 5 paper towels onto the microwave oven's plate, place your wood on top, and set your microwave to "Defrost." If you don't mind waiting, you can set it to the lowest setting, and wait about 4 minutes instead.
If you smell smoke or burning on "Defrost," switch to the "Low" heat setting.
Step 5
Weigh your samples after the first round of heating. Following the first round of heating, weigh your samples on the scale and record the weights. When drying wood, you will notice each piece loses weight, which is a sign that moisture is leaving. The goal is to continue heating your wood pieces until there is no weight change and each of their moisture contents is stable.
Remember that different types of wood dry at different rates. Don't be surprised if some pieces lose moisture slower or faster than others.
Step 6
Continue heating your wood and weighing it until there are no weight changes. Heat the wood in intervals of 45 to 60 seconds with a 1-minute rest in between each. For highly accurate scales, you shouldn't be able to detect variation more than 0.1 gram once the drying process is done. For gram scales, stop when you get about 5 or 6 readings that are the same.
Moisture meters can also detect moisture content, but the weight method is the most accurate.
Calculate the moisture content following the final heating by using the following formula: (Wet Weight – Oven Dry Weight / Over Dry Weight) x 100.
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