Replacing a broken dehumidifier

ChuckBarnett

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 3, 2017
Messages
492
Reaction score
3
Location
Arlington, WA U.S.A.
I bought a not-too-used Kenmore Elite dehumidifier for my 250 sq ft garage bay shop as I am building my first instrument, a tenor ukulele. It lasted less than a year before it leaked all over. In taking it apart to search for a reason for the leak I realized that I #1 will likely not find the reason, and #2 I doubt I would be able to get it back together again.

So, now what? What are y'all doing for dehumidification? It seems this is something important that I should address before I continue with this build.

Thanks, again, for your help!
 
Easy answer: Just build the fricking ukulele and deal with the dehumidifier issue later. Don't over think this thing before you even get started. Just start. There is a lot to be said for Admiral Perry at the Battle of Montgomery Bay during the American Civil War where he famously said: "Damn the torpedoes! Full Speed ahead!". He had the crew tie him to the mast and they entered the bay dodging mines the whole way and then proceeded to blow every boat out the water. Be bold! Good luck! Send pictures!
 
It really depends on where you live, time of year etc. on whether it's absolutely necessary or not. First off, do you have a good Hygrometer and actually know what the relative humidity is? Even better using a sling psychrometer will tell you what it is, and allow you to check your Hygrometers. And the RH can and will change drastically through the day.

I run a dehumidifier 24/7 in a room that I store all instruments, and materials that i plan on working with for at least 6 months lead time. Parts come out into the workshop as required and go back into the dry room when I'm not working on them. But I live in the steamy tropic and need to pay very special attention to what the RH is, so probably much different than many builders.
 
I have a constant battle with humidity (here in UK). I've been waiting weeks for the right moment to glue up some bracing on my guitar tops and backs. My garage workshop is open fronted and there is no way to control RH without a complete rebuilding. At the moment it's about 80% and doesn't get below 60% very often at this time of year, so I've had to bring my go bar deck into the house where I have a dehumidifier. I don't glue anything above 50%, which I've learnt the hard way.
As Allen says above, make sure you know the RH and if you don't have a decent hygrometer, get one . I made one from strips of mahogany left over from backs, each strip with different grain direction. There are plenty of online tips on how to do this, but it's very simple. Of course you'll need a proper hygrometer to reference it. Something similar to this :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCiltGTHANc
 
You dont have to worry about Humidity for most building operations like bending sides, thickness sanding, resawing,roughing out necks, making linings..it's only when gluing up you have to watch it..at this time of the year I keep all the ready made parts in the house in cupboards or under the bed..And when I glue one up I take it the parts out into the work shop glue it together then bring it back indoors to cure... at the moment in the North East during the day RH is in the high 60's to 80's..If I have the dehumidifier running flat out all day I'm lucky if I can reduce it by 10%.
 
Last edited:
I have a constant battle with humidity (here in UK). I've been waiting weeks for the right moment to glue up some bracing on my guitar tops and backs. My garage workshop is open fronted and there is no way to control RH without a complete rebuilding. At the moment it's about 80% and doesn't get below 60% very often at this time of year, so I've had to bring my go bar deck into the house where I have a dehumidifier. I don't glue anything above 50%, which I've learnt the hard way.
As Allen says above, make sure you know the RH and if you don't have a decent hygrometer, get one . I made one from strips of mahogany left over from backs, each strip with different grain direction. There are plenty of online tips on how to do this, but it's very simple. Of course you'll need a proper hygrometer to reference it. Something similar to this :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCiltGTHANc
The main mistake I spotted in this video was after taking all the trouble to remove the moisture from the wood ..He then uses a water based adhesive to glue the strips together thus putting the moisture back in again ...If you are going to make one of these I suggest you use Epoxy not Titebond.
 
Easy answer: Just build the fricking ukulele and deal with the dehumidifier issue later. Don't over think this thing before you even get started. Just start. There is a lot to be said for Admiral Perry at the Battle of Montgomery Bay during the American Civil War where he famously said: "Damn the torpedoes! Full Speed ahead!". He had the crew tie him to the mast and they entered the bay dodging mines the whole way and then proceeded to blow every boat out the water. Be bold! Good luck! Send pictures!

Thank you for the encouragement! I could have guessed this would be your thinking! :)
I plan to resolve the DH issue as quickly as possible as I've finally resumed building after 3 1/2 months off dealing with other projects. Got the kerfing on the back recently. Made the kerfing for the top and discovered the leak.
 

Attachments

  • kerfing on back.jpg
    kerfing on back.jpg
    95.3 KB · Views: 34
The main mistake I spotted in this video was after taking all the trouble to remove the moisture from the wood ..He then uses a water based adhesive to glue the strips together thus putting the moisture back in again ...If you are going to make one of these I suggest you use Epoxy not Titebond.

it doesn't really matter Ken, so long as it's "calibrated" with a known reference and marked accordingly. I used titebond and mine works fine. There is a certain bend at the ideal humidity, as opposed to it being straight in the middle of the board but still works fine.
 
Thank you for the encouragement! I could have guessed this would be your thinking! :)
I plan to resolve the DH issue as quickly as possible as I've finally resumed building after 3 1/2 months off dealing with other projects. Got the kerfing on the back recently. Made the kerfing for the top and discovered the leak.

Looking very good in the picture. I like the idea of a spring acting as a spreader. Never thought of that... Oh, and it wasn't Admiral Peary at the Battle of Mobile Bay but Admiral Farragut. Picture below of what it sometimes seems like when I am trying to build an ukulele: Damn the humidity! Pass the glue!

600px-Bataille_de_la_baie_de_Mobile_par_Louis_Prang_(1824-1909).jpg
 
So I ended up buying a Hisense 70 pint dehumidifier from Lowe's on clearance for $183, regularly $229. Back to building. :)
I got the kerfing made and installed on the top side. Now figuring out how to do an end wedge. Apprehensive about the neck but that will have to wait. Think I'm going to do a bolt-on to keep life simple for Chuck. :)
And, for the record, I will never encourage anybody to make a set of spool clamps!!! If I am slow building this thing I am slower yet at making spool clamps! Not worth the time given that they're not that expensive.
 

Attachments

  • 20171102_164900.jpg
    20171102_164900.jpg
    85.1 KB · Views: 9
  • 20171103_103800.jpg
    20171103_103800.jpg
    93 KB · Views: 14
, for the record, I will never encourage anybody to make a set of spool clamps!!! If I am slow building this thing I am slower yet at making spool clamps! Not worth the time given that they're not that expensive.

Oh yeah. I've been there on the spool clamp production thing. Call me a sick wood worker, but I kind of enjoy making spool clamps. It's the repetition I like. But there are so many of them! Also I am cheap and it saves money which warms the cockles of this skin flint's heart so it galls me to pay good money for something so easily made.... I notice that your bolts seem way to long. You haven't experienced true boredom until you try to thread all those clamps on with a butterfly nut. Recommend you cut them down to just above level.
 
They can be used for guitars as well as ukes. I plan on tackling a kit guitar next. I've threaded them down fairly close to the height needed to set the top on, which I hope to do this coming week.
Curious, when you made your clamps, did you round the 'away' ends? If so, how did you do that? I started on a router table and ended up on a vertical belt sander. Not all that pretty but just as functional.
 
Sure you can round the ends which only takes seconds on a piece of sandpaper. In the end it really makes no difference. It is just cork. You did remember to put the cork pads on right?
 
Top Bottom