Humidity question

[goodmund]

After I moved here a few years ago and experienced summer humidity for the first time, I swore I'd never build anything in August. But here I am, building kitchen and bath cabinets in August. I was supposed to be done by now, but the customer kept making changes and adding delays. Now I'm faced with making 25 rail and stile doors with plywood panels in this wicked heat and humidity.

Everything has been in the garage (no A/C or anything) for a while, stickered and getting used to the weather. I'm wondering if the doors are going to pull apart when it cools off. I'm working early and late to avoid the worst of it, but I can't shake the feeling I'm heading for trouble. I'm on a deadline and have to keep moving. I will be doing the finishing in a walk-up attic that has A/C, so that won't be a problem.

Any thoughts from the natives?

Thanks!

 

[scsmith42]

Can you stick a dehumidifyier in the garage to keep the humidity lower - especially when you're not working in there?

 

[cpowell]

Yellow glue works fine in higher temps, just have to deal with short working times. Bigger concern is moisture related problems. If you are using good quality ply and have let all the solid stock sit long enough to equilibrate before working you should be fine.

I always sticker the wood I'm working with on a project while in construction, ensuring all sides of all stock will be exposed to the same temp/RH conditions. I rough dimension oversized, sticker for a day or so, then final dimension and build. If the stock moves after a day when stickered there is nothing I did wrong, it was going to happen.

Leaving an air gap around stock and ply has eliminated 99 percent of wood movement problems for me...this assuming the stock/ply is equilibrated when I start. I don't even bother with BORG ply anymore after countless problems with warp/bend/voids, etc. Not worth the aggravation.

The doors will be just fine, they won't pull apart. If the ply is sized for a close enough fit in the rail/stile grooves then you can glue the ply panels in and that door will NEVER come apart.

Post pics along the way! We love pics.


Chuck

 

[goodmund]

That's good to know. I glue the ply panels in tight, so I guess that won't be a problem. Maybe I'll put the glue bottle in the fridge for a while before I start putting them together.

Okay, I have so work to do! I'll try to post pictures at some point.

Thanks!

 

[dkeller_nc]

That's good to know. I glue the ply panels in tight, so I guess that won't be a problem. Maybe I'll put the glue bottle in the fridge for a while before I start putting them together.

Okay, I have so work to do! I'll try to post pictures at some point.

Thanks!

Your ply panels will be absolutely fine. Where you might run into difficulties is if you're using solid wood drawer fronts dovetailed or otherwise glued to plywood drawer sides. There will be a great deal of shrinkage by the time winter comes around, and even 1/8" shrinkage across the width of a 6" drawer may split the front if it's glued to the more stable plywood.

If this is the case, you might want to strongly consider using a solid wood for the drawer sides, like poplar.

 

[Tarhead]

I'm keeping my garage comfortable with a 12K dual hose portable AC and a big fan. Relative Humidity stays at ~40-50% at 78 degrees. Worth triple the money I spent.