Knowing the temperature and humidity of your shoppe is far more important than you may think. Not only is it important to know the current temperature but to also know the lows and highs when you are not around. This information is especially important when it comes to milling lumber, finishing, gluing, and fitting parts.
I always recommend makers to be aware of where the item they are making or repairing will end up living. Some examples of concern is the spacing around drawers. This gap may need to be bigger or even smaller than you think. Surely the last thing you would want is a stuck drawer. Having too much moisture in the air can be an issue when finishing. Surely the last thing you would want is your furniture to turn a milky white color from moisture trapped. Than there is the adhesives that may gel or set up too quickly due to the temperature or wood being too cold. Ask me how I know that....
If this wasn't enough I also have a piece of cherry and eastern white pine in the shoppe that I will measure in width several times throughout the year to see how much the wood has moved in dimension. I even keep track of pass years measurements to visually see the difference over the years and establish an average of possible wood movement.
I know this sounds crazy but everything I have mentioned above has occurred once. It is frustrating but you need to understand why the issues have occurred. So keep accurate records and purchase a good monitor for temperature and humidity.
Happy woodworking!
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