iDRY Vacuum Kilns

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kiln-direct.com

Started by TexasTimbers, July 03, 2005, 11:06:04 PM

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TexasTimbers

Has anyone ordered one of the "Build your Own" kiln packages from kiln-direct? I'm looking at the 2500bf package.

I bought the $50 Nyle manual and I gotta say I was very dissapointed.
The oil is all in Texas, but the dipsticks are in D.C.

Jeff

If they are as thorough with there kiln technology as they were throwing up a website, I would run like hell the other way. 




I would really suggest if you are disappointed in the Nyle manual for some reason, contacting Nyle in private about it. They are great forum sponsors and I am sure want to know why you are dissatisfied. Don Lewis has always made himself available to Nyle customers and forum members alike. He's a good guy and will help you out. :)

Maybe somebody ought go help out this kiln direct place before their menu system spontaneously cumbusts...
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

TexasTimbers

Yah i agree about their website. Of course I don't want that to be the litmus test. Was just wondering if anyone has used any of their manuals. To me that would be a better way to know.
Re: Nyle I know they have a good reputation, It's just that the manual itself gave me little if any info I didn't already have, and for $50 bucks I was expecting more, Forum sponsor  notwithstanding :)
The oil is all in Texas, but the dipsticks are in D.C.

beenthere

Kevjay
??
I don't think a good manual writer would assume the reader already knew a lot about drying, so they wouldn't leave out a lot of the basics about their kiln.
Also, how would the manual writer 'know' what you don't know? ;)
Trying to not be critical, but just trying to understand your dilema.
:)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

TexasTimbers

My post was mainly aimed at getting feed back on kiln-direct.com and not defending my opinion of the Nyle manual. I shouln't have said anything about it and should have merely asked about the kiln-direct materials, on which I am still hoping to get feedback ;D
The oil is all in Texas, but the dipsticks are in D.C.

Sawyerfortyish

I looked at kilns by kiln direct. I talked to a Niles Johanson by phone. He was there guy to talk to at that time. He was helpful but I didn't care to talk to him( I didn't like him). Don lewis on the other hand was a down to earth guy that you can talk to and very helpful. I bought a Nyle. If you need anything pickup the phone or just give Don a shout on line here he'll come back with an answer.

Ga_Boy

Kevjay,

I ordered my fans and heating element from Kiln-Direct.  It took five weeks and alot of phone calls to get them to ship my stuff.

Sorry I could not provide any information on the do it your self kiln book.  For me, I attended a four day kiln operators course.  IMO, a better bang for the buck.

As for the comments on the forum sponser I have called this company a few times and have not experienced the "response" that all the others speak of. 

The above is my experiences with these respective companies no more no less.



Mark

10 Acers in the Blue Ridge Mountains

TexasTimbers

Okay, thats what i was lloking for thanks for sharing your experiences.

I've been reading this thread (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=6048.0) and it's extremely informative. I've read in several places on the web that a compressor shoukld be 1 HP for every 1Kbf, and yet the Nyle is a 2HP. Evidently this is not a problem?
The oil is all in Texas, but the dipsticks are in D.C.

Don_Lewis

kevjay-

the 1HP/1MBF is a rule of thumb but not sacred. For example, Oak dries slowly and the water comes out slowly so 1/2 HP /1MBF is adequate. Other species dry faster and you need more HP/MBF, or at least can use more HP/MBF


TexasTimbers

Thanks Don.

I appreciate the honesty. So if I'm considering a Nyle 200, and I am, and I'll be drying woods which dry slow and woods which dry fast, and I will, will the 2HP be adequate in all situations, or will I come to find that the unit is underpowered to dry some woods efficiently?
KJ
The oil is all in Texas, but the dipsticks are in D.C.

Brad_S.

I'm sure Don will add to or clarify this if I'm misrepresenting this, but basically, you size the load to the compressor size. The example I saw for a Nyle was that you could dry about 4000 bdft of oak but only 2000 bdft of pine/poplar per charge. Other species would fall in between. That's why the L200 is rated for 2K to 4K bdft. When you build a chamber, you would size the chamber for the max load, but only run 1/2 loads for softwoods.
I air dry all my lumber first and then KD, so I pretty well stuff the thing full reguardless of species. Performs real well!
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." J. Lennon

Gunny

kevjay:

I ran the mid-90s equivalent of Nyle's L200 for years and dried loads of up to 4MBF of White Oak often, with no problems whatsoever.  And then I retired and sold the farm and the sawmill and the kiln and the store, etc.  A couple of months ago, I bought my 2nd Nyle L200 (once this drying thing gets in your blood, you're (as my kids say) "toast") and expect as high a quality production from it as from our previous unit. 

I speak from years of experience with Nyle and from a few personal conversations back in the day with Don.  No problems.  Ever.

Don_Lewis

Brad had it right. And thanks for the comments Gunny.

If lumber always goes into the kiln below 30%, the size of the load doesn't matter as to quality, just drying time. 


TexasTimbers

Okay. I'm getting closer to the big picture. And not trying to belabour the subject but just trying to understand more, then could it be said that a 4HP compressor would actually be more desirable? Does the smaller compressor somewhat limit my options i.e. I *could* start a charge that's green if I had the HP or is it simply a bad idea not to air dry below 30% no matter the compressor size?
I promise to shut up after this :-X
The oil is all in Texas, but the dipsticks are in D.C.

Gunny

kevjay:

For what it's worth:  It probably doesn't matter much what size unit your fires up, if drying "the mostest the fastest" is your goal.  I learned, over time, that I don't put anything frozen or over ~30%MC in my chamber.  My customers knew not to even bring their lumber to me unless it was in that narrow range, and not to bring it at all if frozen.  The loss of net income isn't worth the effort--and the extended time-frame and additional expenses--these days.  If the potential customer doesn't want to adjust his/her calendar to allow for some nice air-flow over his lumber before it gets to me, I'm okay with not drying it.  I'm suresomeone else in this area will do it.

But I want to be the one who actually delivers a quality, dried product that's free of defects and mold.  And that alone has been known to keep me as busy as I wish to be with the drying end of the homestead.

Brad_S.

QuoteI promise to shut up after this
Asking questions is what it's all about here! Ask all you want.

You can start a charge from green no matter what the horsepower. You just have to size the charge to the available hp. If you had a 2hp compressor, you could dry 2000 bdft of softwood or 4000 bdft of oak. If you have a 4hp compressor, you could dry 4000 bdft of softwood or 8000 bdft of oak. You can dry wood with any size compressor, the hp just determines what your max load size can be.

Quoteis it simply a bad idea not to air dry below 30% no matter the compressor size?
I air dry, or more accurately, shed dry, because I'm cheap and don't want to spend the money on electric, especially for drying oak from green to 8%. The down side is I sit on my inventory longer and run a higher risk of stain in some species. For me, the other upside of air drying, besides reduced energy cost, is that it's pretty hard to screw up lumber in a kiln when the MC is down to 20% or less going in. That means I don't need to baby sit the kiln as closely as if I started from green, which is important to me.

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." J. Lennon

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