In accordance to Lloyd's Register, R.I.N.A. and other Registers, wood humidity is either equal or lower than 12 or 15% (=<12 - 15%). By higher values, endurance loss and lower ultimate tensile stress may occur: the latest decreases by higher humidity rates. Higher humidity rates lead to dry rot, fungosity, butt rot, bluing and breaking. Wood volume increase means humidty absorption; wood volume decrease means humidity loss: it also means to reveal the jointings of the boards, the screw amd riveting plugs. For its effect, riveting, bolts and screw become rutsty, oxideize and corrode.
Thanks to the modern chemical techniques (C-Systems 10 10 cfs, Nautilus Epoxy HB etc), wood, which is 3-times more resistant than steel by the same weight, turns into a light, resistant, dynamic, cheap and extremly long-lasting material requiring seldom servicing: that is possible with proper projects (like the shipwrights'ones) combining design functionality and the humidity rates Registers contemplate.
Any repairs and/or restorations must be accomplished in full respect of the above criteria.

Humidity in fiberglass means starting of osmosis or potential osmosis and as it occurs with wood as well, loss of fatigue strenght and dicreasing ultimate tensile stress.
The highest humidity rate in fiberglass is 0 (zero).
Fiberglass has replaced many materials for it is malleable, cheap and of seldom servicing: indeed, it has lead to a worldwide yachting. To obtain such pecularities, technical criteria are to bear in mind(professionalism, good projects, correct restorations, respect of mixing and lamination phases and temperatures); it must contain no humidity.
Humidity is the cause of osmosis: throught the gelcoat, it dissolves the defective residues of a non-good polyester catalysis (or of a polyester that is not adequate to that purpose) and creates a viscous liquid with a strong acetic scent, which sea water and especially fresh water further dilutes to the same density. Volume increases and triggers off the wellknown swells on the hull - someone considers this an endless circle - .

Be sure the surfaces are clean, dry and without any greasiness. Temperature survey is recommended higher than 10° C. Lower temperatures record slightly decreased values (the instrument registers a more optimistic temperature). For a more reliable reading of heartwood surfaces, lay the instrument parallel to the wood grain (replacing the transversal position). It does not occur with plywood or it may be impercetible since wood grains are crossed.How to use SkinderIt is extremly simple; results and reading are immediate; data are complete. Lay Skinder - humidity detector - on the board area to be explored: it takes the current humidity percentage of the board. It is also easy to find out areas with a bigger humidity percentage (close to sea plugs, jettisons, log, portholes): it might even means that when those openings were carved the surrounding areas were not properly treated.
Measuring many parts and writing the values taken on the hull, we can draw a “geographical map” of the humidity. It is important to mark the bearing point and lay the Skinder on the same position in order to have a correct reading of the surface.
Skinder - humidity detector - plays a meaningfull role both during the craft sale (you are more confident of what your are going to buy and you are reliable when you are selling) and the estimate of their servicing (it points out where a harder work is necessary)
.Skinder has two switches “soft touch”, the first one on the right for ignition (ON/automatic off), the second on the left for choosing the function to use (circle with circular arrow).

It is extremly simple; results and reading are immediate; data are complete. Lay Skinder - humidity detector - on the board area to be explored: it takes the current humidity percentage of the board. It is also easy to find out areas with a bigger humidity percentage (close to sea plugs, jettisons, log, portholes): it might even means that when those openings were carved the surrounding areas were not properly treated.
Measuring many parts and writing the values taken on the hull, we can draw a “geographical map” of the humidity. It is important to mark the bearing point and lay the Skinder on the same position in order to have a correct reading of the surface.
Skinder - humidity detector - plays a meaningfull role both during the craft sale (you are more confident of what your are going to buy and you are reliable when you are selling) and the estimate of their servicing (it points out where a harder work is necessary).

Skinder has two switches “soft touch”, the first one on the right for ignition (ON/automatic off), the second on the left for choosing the function to use (circle with circular arrow).

SWITCH ON THE RIGHT - IGNITION
Switch on the Skinder pressing the right button “ON”. After about 4 minutes, if not pressed again in the meantime, Skinder automatically switch off. This automatic off avoids a useless consumption of the battery.

SWITCH ON THE LEFT - SCALE CHOICE
Press the button with the circular arrow to choose the scale you need.Depending on the surface where we want to make the measurement, we will choose one of the following surface (pressing reapetedly the button):

LEGNO in acqua salata “Wood S.W.” (wood saltwater)
LEGNO in acqua dolce “Wood F.W.“ (wood freshwater)
LEGNO alta sensibilità “High Sen.” (wood highsensibility)
VETRORESINA “Fiber GRP ” (Fiber Glass)
VETRORESINA alta sensibilità “Fiber GRP HS” (Fiber Glass HS)
TEMPERATURA aria C° “CENT. AIR” (DEG AIR C°)
PERCENTUALE umidità aria “% R.H.” (% R.H.)
TEMPERATURA superficie C° “CENT. BODY”

Once ignited the Skinder and chosen the function, we put it on the surface to measure. Make sure that the two black pads join well on the surface.At this point the Skinder shows the measurement on the digital screen.

“Wood S.W.” (wood saltwater)
Recommended for wooden crafts of sea water (salt water). For the naval register RINA and LLOYD's Register, the acceptable wood humidity must be between 12 and 15%. We read the percentage of umidity in the big number on the left. This percentage goes from 0 to 100. The little number on the right, instead, is the indication of average value in weight of water content per cubic meter in % of the material examined.

“Wood F.W.“ (wood freshwater)
Recommended for wooden crafts of fresh water and estimate of those kinds of wood (plywood, heartwood, wood boards) used for reparirs, contructions and changes. The value of the measurement must be below 12 and 15%.

“High Sensibility.” (wood highsensibility)
It amplifies the signal and it helps in finding out deep seepages. It is the most sensitive, it can measure over 15 - 20 mm deep..

“Fiber GRP” (Fiber Glass)
Reccomended for fiberglass crafts in fresh or salt water. The big number value on the left shows the umidity percentage in the fiberglass and must be about 18%. The little number on the right instead will be about 1% and indicates the medium content of water in fiberglass.

Fiber GRP HS” (Fiber Glass HS)
In this scale we measure fiberglass over 15-20 mm deep. This scale is used to check osmosis. The maximum value on the left in this scale must be 30%

AIR TEMPERATURE C° “CENT. AIR” (DEG AIR C°)
With SKINDER is possible to mesaure air temperature. For this vlue we have to connect the serial long probe to the SKINDER in the plug on the left side of the instrument. We can read the temperature of the air directly on the digital screen. It's the same probe used to reveal also air temperature.

Percentage of humidity in the air “% R.H.” (% R.H.)
Connecting the long probe in the plug on the left and chosing this scale we are able to measure the percentage of humidity in the air. This value is important when we are about to varnish wood or fiberglass surfaces to abtain the best result.

Surface temperature in C° “CENT BODY”
Skinder got also an optional laser probe for measuring immediately the surface temperature where we have to work of any kind of materil.

The two probes of the SKINDER: the long probe is sold with the Skinder and used to measure air temperature, relative air humidity and surface temperature in 2/3 minutes time. The laser probe (optional) is used for measuring surface temperature istantly.

Use only PP3 BATTERY ALCALINE 9 VOLTS

Technical features

Digital humidity detector (0 - 100 %)

Air temperature detector (0 - 100°C)

Relative humidity detector (0 - 100%)

Lenght - cm. 15,7

Width - cm. 8,5

Weight instrument - gr. 288

Weight SKINDER with serial probe - gr. 347

Weight probe serial - gr. 59

Weight probe laser - gr. 91

DAME - Design Award METS 2003

"The SKINDER moisture and humidity detector was appreciated for its convenience and price plus the usefulness of an optional laser probe for surface temperature measurement".