iDRY Vacuum Kilns

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My new Kiln

Started by alsayyed, May 29, 2006, 08:09:35 AM

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alsayyed

5 days ago I have received the cargo container from friend. Which was stripped from the metal sheeting on both sides and replaced by fiber sheet. The floor was covered by wood and he painted this one too.
I have placed this container in some property owned by my father but no electricity inside the property. I am displaying some photos, if anybody has a hint or idea please let us know so we share it together.







brdmkr

Is that a 20 foot container?  About how many board feet or cubic meeters do you think you will be able to dry at one time?
Lucas 618  Mahindra 4110, FEL and pallet forks, some cant hooks, and a dose of want-to

Den Socling

I'm sure we can help as time allows but my first suggestion is to turn those concrete blocks 'right side up'.
Wet wood is heavy and blocks on their side might crush.

jack

nice container.
I would replace those blocks as was mentioned,  but put some Wood under that thing.  I  too have thot of converting a storage container into a kiln,  my thinkin was to paint it black,  abosorb heat,  Insulate it and get the insides coated so that the acids in the wood wont rot/rust the thing to pieces. 
Just a thot,  Go to a large REfergerator business,  Industrial coolers etc,  not  Fridgidare.   Tell them what your trying to accomplish and ask them if they have any old insulated walls they want to part with?   I have seen stacks of steel-foam-steel panels in storage yards.  Old coolers come down and better ones take there places.   Just a thot.

i would put tracks on the floor and a dolly to slide the wood in and out......set down with a forklift and slide in to the kiln.  save the back and time.
I dont recall where it is  but there is a company that makes kilns using shipping containers,  solar models too.   biiig collectors on the roof and next to the container.   

Good luck and nice container.
JAck
GRAB life by the Belly fat and give it a twist!!!!!

Went from 5 employees to one, sorry to see a couple of them go.  Simplify life... building a totally solar run home, windmill pumps my water, and logs keep me warm.

UNCLEBUCK

That is going to be one nice kiln for sure !  The way you got your cement blocks right now you can support 12,000 pounds per corner ok. If you tip your blocks upright you could go another 10,000 pounds easily per corner .
UNCLEBUCK    bridge burner/bridge mender

capnfrank

I bought a 20' container and put it on railroad ties ( lots around after Katrina).  The sun gets it
really hot (115 to 119). I put a window airconditioner inside with no vent. I pointed it at the
wall so the heat from the back will blow over the stack.  It takes about 2 weeks to get between
10 and 12 percent.  I drain the water condensed from the ac out through a 1 inch hole in the catch
pan and the floor and tube it out to a water trough.  Pretty primative and only works well in the summer.
After the storm I collected cedar, oak, pecan and sundry woods.  I have enough til I die.

Norm

Welcome to the FF capnfrank. Be neet to see some pics of your setups if you get a chance. :)

oakiemac

alsayyed,

I have a 48' shipping container for a kiln. I partitioned a wall off at 32' then had a guy come in a spray 4" of foam insulation throughout the kiln. I then put in 3 fans, wish I had put in 4, then slapped a Nyle L-200 kiln in and away I went drying lumber. I have since insulated the back 14' and made a seperate kiln out of it. I have an EBAC kiln in the smaller chamber.
These shipping containers do make good kilns but the draw back is you have to hand load them or build kiln carts. I am still planning on building the carts  but it just hasnt happened yet.
Good luck on the project!
Mobile Demension sawmill, Bobcat 873 loader, 3 dry kilns and a long "to do" list.

Raphael

  I'm looking at getting one or two 20' containers through a a fellow that buys them in bulk for $900ea.
If I go direct to his supplier they modify the containers with a variety of options including wide side doors which would be really convenient for lumber... Unfortunately the bulk discount won't apply so it's $2400-$2700 depending on options.   :o
  I was thinking paint the roof and south wall black, insulate the the other walls and add solar fans...  My other hair brained idea is buy and insulated box and cut it length wise into two long trapezoids and closing it with a heat collecting wall that's hinged at the top for loading.

alsayyed,
  Have you done any work on your kiln?
... he was middle aged,
and the truth hit him like a man with no parachute.
--Godley & Creme

Stihl 066, MS 362 C-M & 24+ feet of Logosol M7 mill

Captain

Rapheal, are those INSULATED for that price??

Captain

raycon

Raphael you have a source for insulated containers in CT?  Don't hold back.   
Lot of stuff..

Raphael

  I don't know what they'd want for insulated containers, all the prices I quoted are from a buyer rather than the source and may be out of date given recent fuel surcharges etc.  The $2400 I quoted was for a basic box and the $2700 was for a box with side doors, delivered.

The company is:

Kelly Container, Inc.
911 South St., Rt. 75
Suffield, Connecticut

sales department 860-668-1888 (Fax: 860-668-1699), toll free 1-800-628-0497.

They have a pair of rather ridiculously flash heavy websites that are basically online pamphlets.
http://www.kellycontainer.com
http://www.kellyfreezer.com

SWMBO thinks we should get as many FF folk together as possible and form a buyers group to get the discount but it would be a trick to make that work given multiple shipping destinations.
... he was middle aged,
and the truth hit him like a man with no parachute.
--Godley & Creme

Stihl 066, MS 362 C-M & 24+ feet of Logosol M7 mill

SawDust_Studios

Keep an eye on ebay.  I just looked and saw over 1/2 dozen, some around 1500-1700. Might get lucky and find one close.

Dave
Making Sawdust on a Woodmizer LT40SHD CAT 51 /WM Twin Blade Edger and WM DH Kiln

Ga_Boy

For a kiln buy the insulated with Stainless Steel lining on the interior.  You will be light years ahead of buying an uninsulated and trying to insulate it yourself or having someone do it for you.

Search the archives; there are many been there done that experiences of those before you that tried the uninsulated route and whished they bought an insulated container.

For those interested there is a source of insulated containers in Baltimore, MD for $2,400 each.  I just check on the price a week or so ago.

I ran the numers a few days ago, I built my kiln using components from PC Specality and Kiln-Direct using an insulated container.  It cost me about $20,000.  This does not include labor, which was about 110 man hours. 
10 Acers in the Blue Ridge Mountains

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