Official Luthiers Forum!

[QUOTE=Hesh1956] Sen great question and it's also great to see you asking it
[/QUOTE]
Thanks Hesh, I just thought that this is something that we can definitely learn from the great master Torres and something that might solve my problem

However from the replies, I can see that the answer involved profound experience and knowledge, something that is beyond me at this moment.
I guess it will be back to a search for dehumidifier for me .

But it's amazing that the great masters, though did not have any scientific equipments to aid them, were very observant and aware of their environment.
They knew exactly how their environment will affect their work and how to live with and excel (in their work) amidst the constraint imposed by their environment.
I have nothing except awe and respect for the great masters.

_________________
-----
Sen CL Goh
http://senguitar.blogspot.com

The simple device Carleen had was a strip cut off a sheet of plywood. One of the three plys was milled off, leaving a cross grain strip glued to a long grain strip. This was screwed to a block which was then mounted on the wall with the strip, iirc, horizontal. The cross grain side would expand and contract much more than the long grain side with changes in humidity. This would cuase the strip to bend up or down, and it was a simple matter to mark where the end was on the wall when the weather report gave a humidity reading. The arc or marks on the wall was pretty wide. I would not call this 'lab grade' or anything, but it was sure accurate enough for lutherie. It's been a while since I read Romanillos' book, but it seems to me what he described was similar.   

Come to think of it, Carleen had a sling psychrometer as well, and may have used that to calibrate the wood strip.

I knocked this up a couple of years ago using 3 strands of my daughters hair . Same as Ron's horse hair one I guess

It lives next to my digital hygrometer and is just as accurate .

The strands of hair are about 9 inches long. Apparently this is all scientists used a hundred years ago. As to how long they have been around , I have no idea.

Cheers Craig

_________________
CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
_____________________________________________

Blows me away that people think that because they didn't have our technology. People back then are thought to have been up a well known creek, sans paddle.

The same type of minds that were responsible for putting a man on the moon, built the pyramids. The only thing that separates us all is time.

Give you lot the brief of building a pyramid, and I bet you'd all come up with something a hell of a lot more efficient than rolling big stones over logs.

Ya work with what ya got.

So monitoring humidity can't have been that much of a challenge.

Controlling it is another matter

[QUOTE=PaulB] Blows me away that people think that because they didn't have our technology. People back then are thought to have been up a well known creek, sans paddle.

The same type of minds that were responsible for putting a man on the moon, built the pyramids. The only thing that separates us all is time.

The Egyptians put a man on the moon? Where was I?

      
Give you lot the brief of building a pyramid, and I bet you'd all come up with something a hell of a lot more efficient than rolling big stones over logs.

We all know the stones were moved by the "Mother Ship"..the one that hides behind the comet. The one Elvis is on!




Ya work with what ya got.[/QUOTE]

_________________
Hank Mauel

[QUOTE=Hank Mauel]
The Egyptians put a man on the moon? Where was I?

We all know the stones were moved by the "Mother Ship"..the one that hides behind the comet. The one Elvis is on!
/QUOTE]

How the hell did you come up with that from what I said?

Read more slowly

Let`s get real.He Didn`t.
                    James

_________________
James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

Craig has got a great and very accurate device there. Here is an excerpt from the Johnson control unit (W2AA)that I use for my humidifier in the winter time.

"The humidistat’s sensing
element consists of
approximately 150 strands of
carefully selected and
processed human hair -- proven
to be the most sensitive and
stable material known for
humidity control. An exclusive
tension release device keeps
the hair strands from being
damaged by extreme humidity or
mechanical strain. The sensing
element is mounted vertically to
minimize surface contamination
by dust or foreign material."

Here's the link
http://cgproducts.johnsoncontrols.com/MET_PDF/125710.PDF

I got this because the cheap humidistat that came with the humidifier wasn't accurate enough. Recently I think they have developed polyamide sensors that are a little more accurate, but they are wicked expensive.

Not to hijack the thread, I thought you guys might be interested in my humidifier setup. I use an Aprilaire 350 whole house humidifier. This unit does not hook up to the furnace, but is a stand alone unit with a permanent water hookup, similar to an ice maker hookup, and a hose running to a drain. It's meant to have ductwork attached but I have it mounted to the ceiling joists of my basement shop and just let it blow into the shop. The beauty of this unit is that I don't have to fill it and while it is running the water flows through the wick to minimize mineral build up (the reason for the drain line). Thus, one wick lasts a whole season.

Here's the link to the humidifier
http://www.aprilaire.com/index.php?znfAction=ProductDetails& category=5&item=350

_________________
Randy Muth
RS Muth Guitars Website
RS Muth Guitars Blog
Facebook Fan Page

[QUOTE=PaulB] [QUOTE=Hank Mauel]
The Egyptians put a man on the moon? Where was I?

We all know the stones were moved by the "Mother Ship"..the one that hides behind the comet. The one Elvis is on!
/QUOTE]

How the hell did you come up with that from what I said?

Read more slowly[/QUOTE]

_________________
Hank Mauel

I would have to wonder how much economics factored into everything. I imagine that if he wanted to make a few extra bucks that he would push the envelope. Case in point...Martin..?

_________________
http://www.PeakeGuitars.com