Moisture meter reading

[Drewster]

If you do it that way, you come out with a negative number.

[Bkingston216]

Actually Drew if I do 8w-10d=-2n
-2÷8=-.25
-.25×100=-25. The way you described first is the way I get the negative number.
But both still reach 25% either negative or positive it doesn't matter.

[Bkingston216]

But, I can use a piece from anywhere on the stave? Like the pieces that come off with the draw knife from the belly or sides?

[bradsmith2010]

I dont  use mine that much, but if i want to know about a stave,, then when I first cut it out or shape it and fresh wood is exposed,, I will get a pretty good reading,, usually at the handle,, if you are roughing it out and the moisture is high, you can bet it is higher deeper in the wood,,, so you know you better coat it again around the handle and fades or it will check,,  as Badger suggested, when a stave comes in,, its a good time to check it,, to see where your at,,
I live in the high desert now,, and bow making is alot easier than when I lived in the high humidity of Texas and Tenn,,

[Drewster]

It's difficult to always get a cross section cut from a stave unless it's extra long, so I do use cuts from the belly or around the handle area.  A cross section cut will give you the most accurate average reading though.   The moisture content is almost always higher in the center as compared to the surfaces, so if you test a slice off the surface, you won't get a true reading of the core of the wood.  Just keep that in mind.