Greg Dahl at Fusion Flatworks Doesn’t Go Without a Moisture Meter

“This thing saved me thousands and thousands of dollars!”

That’s what Greg Dahl had to say as he pointed at his pinless wood moisture meter. It’s an essential item in his tool belt.

Greg owns Dahl Corp, which consists of two wood businesses: Oregon Burls and Fusion Flatworks.

Oregon Burls focuses on raw wood sales to woodworkers and is known as the “prime lumber hotspot” in Grants Pass, Oregon.

Fusion Flatworks is Greg’s business for creating high-quality finished products using burl wood and epoxy. He and his team make custom countertops, tables, and other heirlooms, all of which he terms “functional artwork.”

Because of his passion for burl wood, Greg grew a reputation as the “Burl Hunter” and was even featured on the National Geographic series “Filthy Riches.”

But above all, Greg is known for top-notch work and high-quality products. He puts 110% into everything he does—and it pays off in the final products and his reputation as a woodworker.

And that’s where moisture measurement is key.

Here’s why moisture testing matters so much to Greg’s work—and why Wagner’s Orion 950 is his meter of choice.

Why Moisture Testing Matters at Fusion Flatworks

In Greg’s work, knowing the moisture content of wood is crucial in preventing damage to the finished product. Epoxy is a major component of the products he and his team create, but excess moisture is the nemesis of epoxy.

Greg explains that “if there’s any kind of humidity to a certain level, epoxy doesn’t work. It foams up. It doesn’t adhere.”

Ultimately, putting epoxy on wood with excess moisture is a major waste of money.

So, his goal is to get his wood under 10% moisture content—ideally at 6%.

After all, customers are investing a lot of money in his products, and he wants to be able to stand behind everything he produces.

“We lifetime warranty each one of our products, and if we sell something that’s not up to par, [we] really can’t stay in business.”

Not only is it a loss of money for the business, but it can also lead to a loss in reputation.

He adds,

“First of all, people are going to talk, whether it be good or whether it be bad. We can’t let a piece of that go along with our reputation. … But also, when we send pieces out, we want to make sure that 300 years down the road, it’s going to look just as beautiful as the day we created it.”

Greg’s moisture meter—Wagner Meters’ Orion 950—is a major player in reaching that goal.

What Greg Loves About the Orion 950

Greg loves the Orion 950 for its accuracy, species settings, range, and depth of measurement.

“I love this thing because I can dial in whatever species I’m monitoring, so when it reads under 10%, I know that I can pour my epoxy,” he shares.

Being able to trust that it’s reading accurately is another aspect of that. When it reads 4%, he knows for sure it’s at 4%. This is one way the Orion 950 stands out—many other moisture meters don’t measure accurately below 6%.

Working with fairly thick slabs or burl wood, Greg typically uses the ¾-inch setting on his Orion 950.

His reason?

“I don’t want to know what the surface moisture is. I want to get down far into the wood.”

Doing so may be the difference between protecting his work and losing thousands. Here’s one story:

Greg had acquired some African Bubinga wood from China. The wood had a coating on it and looked ready to sell, so he was getting ready to do just that. But he decided to test the moisture content of the wood first. He set his Orion 950 to the setting for African Bubinga (0.74) and then tested the slab.

It was reading 32% moisture content!

Selling it would’ve been a disaster:

“Now, if I were to sell this piece as is because it looks finished (I got it like this from China)… I would’ve been buying it back two years later. Because it would warp, it would move [as] the moisture is trying to escape. So this thing [the moisture meter] saved me thousands and thousands of dollars, just by seeing that number up there.”

For Greg, there’s no question as to whether a wood moisture meter is essential. The investment in an Orion 950 is nothing compared to the amount of money it has saved him in his work.

And it could do the same for you, too.

How Could a Moisture Meter Make a Difference in Your Woodworking Business?

Whether you work with epoxy or not, a moisture meter is essential for checking if your wood has reached the target moisture content for its environment.

Otherwise, you risk wood movement that could damage—or even destroy—the project.

And it doesn’t end there.

When woodworking is your business, your customers count on you for the highest-quality results. Like Greg, you want to be sure they continue to do so.

Protect your work and your reputation with the Orion 950 wood moisture meter today.

And be sure to watch our video with Greg Dahl.

Jason Wright

Jason Wright, Business Development Specialist for New Products, joined Wagner Meters in 2019. He comes to Wagner with over 35 years of experience in the flooring industry.

Last updated on March 14th, 2025