24 Foot Frozen Food Body

[Ga_Boy]

Hello to all,

I have a lead on a 24' frozen food body with a roll up door on the back and a single side door for $1500.

Is there anyone out there using a body with a rool up door as a kiln chamber?  If so please let meknow how it is working.  

I am wondering how to seal around the door tracks.

Any help is appreciated.




Mark

[DanG]

I'm a'thinkin if that door seals good enough to keep food frozen, it's probably good enough to dry boards.  You probbly oughta jump on it, while you can. If you can't use it, I can.

[ToddC]

Not trying to change the subject, but how many board feet can you dry in the 24 foot bed.  

[Ga_Boy]

Todd,

I've been told I could do 3-4 Mbf per charge.  The plan is to use the Nyle l-200 and the truck body.  I was talken with Joe at Nyle a few weeks ago, he suggested the 24' body as a good option.


DanG

I also found a 42' insulated shipping container if'n your insterested, not sure how much for this one.  I aint laid eyes on either box yet but the one that cost the less will end up in my woods.



Mark

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Dan, there was an ad in the Trader  not long ago, for several 24' reefer boxes, for $350.00 each. They were on the left coast of Fl, near St. Pete. If ya want, I could dig up the phone number. We almost went for 1 till the "Vac" kiln idea came up.

[Don_Lewis]

A 24' body will hold closer to 2500 BF when drying. The lumber is on sticks and the space for air circulation uses up room. If the seals worked as a freezer, they will probably work as a kiln but often the hardware is galvanized steel and that corrodes quickly in a kiln.

[DanG]

Don, this may be a good spot to ask this question.  What is the importance of insulation in a kiln, other than the obvious reason of energy efficiency?

A number of us like to throw stuff together ourselves, rather than paying big bucks for commercially built equipment, such as kiln chambers. The cost of insulation is a big part of such a project. I'd like to know what the minimum R-value would be, considering that I can generate any heat I need for free.

[Don_Lewis]

Actually the big reason for insulation is to make sure that no inside surfaces are below the dewpoint. Energy saving is important but, if you are burning wood residue, it not such a big deal. However, condensation causes you to lose control of the humidity and ruin lumber. Also condensation is pretty fatal as far as corrosion goes. R20 is the minimum that should be used to prevent condensation and humidity problems. Energy saving means R30 may make more sense. I frequently have people say, "I'm down South so I don't need as much insulation as you guys up there in Maine." WRONG

[Tom]

This doesn't even deserve comment so I don't expect anyone to reply.  But, when I read the title of this thread the other day, "24 Foot Frozen Food Body", all I could picture in my mind was the chilled carcass of a huge steer hanging in a cooling house.  Like the jingle that you whistle all day, I can't get it out of my head.

Now that I said it, maybe it will go away.

[OneWithWood]

There you go CK.  The answer to your nagging question!

[DanG]

Thanks, Don. I knew there must be more to it.  The question had been bugging me for some time. I started to post a new topic for it a while back, but my connection went away and I had to reboot before I could get back on. :-/

[rerednaw]

R20 is the minimum that should be used to prevent condensation and humidity problems. Energy saving means R30 may make more sense.

What exactly mean R20 or R30  

[Ga_Boy]

R= The rate at which heat is conducted through a material divided by the thermal conductivity of that material.

Now, the insulation used in most homes exterior walls is a R-14, that assumes we are talking about a 2X4 wall.

Stated another way the R value is a measure of how much insulation you have.  The higher the R number the more insulation you have.



Mark

[WH_Conley]

Don't even try to seal around tracks. Split the tracks, inside and outside, make a small section that can bolted in place when loading and unloading.

[pep]

FDH

How about alittle more info on the vacuum kiln idea.  I too am interested in building a kiln.  I have access to 42" N. gas pipe, upto 40-50 ft.  Is that big enough for a vessel.  How does a vacuum kiln set the pitch?  I have a few vacuum pumps, what size do you need?

Any info will be greatly appreciated.


Pep

[Frank_Pender]

Ga-Boy, that is the size of unit that I use for drying.  I have been drying with this unit for 7 years.   I removed the old insulation and replaced it with batting and placed psaper covered chipboard over the top.   That was the end of actual materials other than putting ten electric plugs on one side of the unit.  I sealed over the side door.  the door on my refer unit are swing hinge doors.  I did not replace the seal material at all.  Iuse a Taylor hot water furnace for primarely heat along with an Ebac 800 to remove the moisture.  I have not had any deteriation of the aluminum or steel on the inside of the unit.  The floor and the ceiling were not reinsulated.  the floor has diamond plate and works well for the railroad type wheels on the two 9' x 54' dollies used to roll the lumber in and out of the kiln.   The temps begin a 75/80 and go to 165 over a 30 day period.  I paid $1000 for the unit with the rear axel and the landing gear all intact.   Both are still attatched.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Pep, have ya read ALL the posts on this drying board ??  There is a LOT of info available. Only thing I would think you might have a problem with, is building a domed door and getting the edge near perfectly flat. I have looked at large PVC Pipe for the chamber, but, the door design always comes to mind.

  Once the wood is dried, you have to take the heat up to 160° for 12 hours?, and that would require an extra heat source. No big deal to me.

[pep]

FDH

I've read alot of posts by sergei, but I have a hard time with his english.  What size of vacuum pump are you going to use?  I don't have a problem with heat,  plan on fabricating an outdoor wood furnace out of a piece of gas pipe, 42" and build a fire box inside with a 36" piece, with the water jacket in between.  How much vacuum are you pulling. 28#?

If your interested in some gas pipe, it can be arranged.   

Pep

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Pep, look for the threads about Discontinuous Vacuum, and "I got me one".

  I do not have a kiln working, or even started , yet. Den Socling is the vacuum Guru here. He has offered lots of info in those 2 threads.

  Serg's info is more for a continuous vacuum kiln. I had trouble with his dialogue at first. The more you read, after reading the threads I mentioned, the more you will grasp Serg's info.

[pep]

Thanks Harold!!!!!


Pep

[rerednaw]

Pep, i was build vac kiln like serg design. You can ask me about his design if you want. for my kiln (27m3 volume, 8m3 of load) i (by serg recomendation) use liquid ring vac pump (2m3/min or 120m3/hour). it take near 50-70 minut to pull from atmospheric to 76 torr (100mbar)

[Doc]

This doesn't even deserve comment so I don't expect anyone to reply.  But, when I read the title of this thread the other day, "24 Foot Frozen Food Body", all I could picture in my mind was the chilled carcass of a huge steer hanging in a cooling house.  Like the jingle that you whistle all day, I can't get it out of my head.

Now that I said it, maybe it will go away.

I was thinking the same thing....or someone dug up a giant or something....hahahaha

{{{{{{I wonder if it came back into Tom's head}}}}}}}

Doc

[Tom]

Yep! 

[Patty]

Yep the title put visions of a huge frozen guy into my head.  Now THAT is a mental picture!

Electric Al is now using one of these reefer containers as a kiln. You may want to ask him his opinion before you run out and buy this one.

[Doc]

I am certainly no expert, but I woudl think loading/unloading the thing would be a pain unless you cut the long side out of it, and that ruins the whole idea somehow.

Doc

[Ga_Boy]

Since I posted this I have found 20' insulated shipping containers for $2k each.  These units are aluminum exterior with stainless steel interior.   I got me two of these units on order. 

Now, if I can just get the excevator contractor to come on out and prep my saw mill pad and kiln site for me I will be in buisness.  I should be picking up my outdoor furnance in a few weeks; just in time for summer.

[ronwood]

Ga_Boy

What type of outdoor furnance are you planning to get. Will you be using it only the kiln?

Thanks
Ron

[Ga_Boy]

Ronwood,

I have decided on a Heatmor.  I will use it to fire the kiln, heat my shop and house. 

No more Propane bills in the winter.




Mark

[oakiemac]

Ga boy, that is exactly what I want to do. I am saving for an outdoor wood boiler to heat kiln, shop, house. I think it will more then pay for itself.

Where do you look to find your chamber? I have called a few places but haven't got an answer yet. My first kiln I used a insulated shipping container that is 48' long. for my second kiln I want to use a frozen food body or reefer because I won't have to have the spray on insulation guy come out again. To insulate the 1st kiln cost about $1200.

[hawby]

Oakie,

I am using a 28' reefer for my chamber. It has the roll up rear door and the small side door. I paid $800 for it out of Holland, MI. The guy delivereed for that price as well. ***Be sure to check your County ordinances. I have been notified that semi-trailers are NOT to be used for accessory buildings.*** I need to disable it from ever being used as a trailer again, and cover it. Now, if they would only issue the permit. So, in the meantime they have said I need to paint it... (camoflage it as a red barn)

Anyway, I am going to build swing doors on the back. I notice a loss of steam during the really cold days. The chamber ussually takes only a couple of hours to reach 80 degrees on a cold day. (That's a 4kw heater) When I get the Central Boiler installed, I am going to install a heat exchanger to keep the temp above 80. That way I will only use compressor electricity which is fairly efficient./

Mine will hold 2500-2800 fairly easily. The next goal is to build the carts. I plan on building two 14' carts. I plan on finding some accordian doors to expand/contract between the ends of the carts and shorter lumber. Most of my lumber is 8'6" to 10'6". Now if only the DanG Chinese would stop driving up the cost of steel . I looked at the recyclers last week and it is $90 per ton. I took up 1440 # of scrap instead    My back still hurts.

[Ga_Boy]

Steve,

I am getting my shipping containers from K&K International, their contact info is:

800-714-5550
410-741-5550

The lady I am dealing with is Fanny; real nice and willing to help.

Regarding the my furnance, ny neighbor is a distributor for outdoor grills, tables and such.  He is getting my furnance at distributor cost and saving me a lot of coin.  When he need a fork lift or front end loader I let him use my tractor. 




Hawby,

The shipping containers use the swing out doors with gaskets and should not loose as much heat as the truck bodies.

This is one of the reasons I elected to use shipping containers over the truck bodies with the roll up style door.  I sure would like to have a side door for an entrance but that will have to wait, no $$$ for that in the budget.






Mark