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Prices for kiln drying

Started by Fla._Deadheader, April 22, 2003, 07:36:56 PM

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Fla._Deadheader

Guy I contacted just got back to me. He wants .40 bdft to do small lots, 300ft or better. What's the price in your area, or, if you have a kiln and someone approached you, what would you charge??
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

ohsoloco

I take mine to a place in Rebersburg, PA.  The guy charges  20 cents a bd.ft. for less than 1000bd.ft., and 18 cents for 1000 or more.  

Kevin_H.

The closest guy to me has a WM vac kiln and he gets .35 a board foot.
A little further away is a big steam unit and he gets .20...

Funny thing...every time I go over there, the closest guy tries to sell me his WM vac unit...
Got my WM lt40g24, Setworks and debarker in oct. '97, been sawing part time ever since, Moving logs with a bobcat.

Jason_WI

The guy I take my wood to charges .16 bf and he likes it air dried a while. He has a Nyle DH kiln that holds 5000 bf.

Kind of a long haul from FL though..... ::)

Jason
Norwood LM2000, 20HP Honda, 3 bed extentions. Norwood Edgemate edger. Gehl 4835SXT

Neil_B

Can't help you much up here F_D but the prices are around 0.25. Some guys won't touch you unless you have a full load to go in. I'm probably going to charge the same when I build mine and if someone has a small amount I'll save it aside until the next full load goes in.
Timberwolf / TimberPro sawmill, Woodmizer edger, both with Kubota diesels. '92 Massey Ferguson 50H backhoe, '92 Ford F450 with 14' dump/ flatbed and of course an '88 GMC 3500 pickup.

sawwood


 Larry Copas Has a solar kiln and he charges 30Cents BF.
 I take my lumber up when he needs some to fill up his kiln
 or to make up a load to air dry befor the next load. Mat be
 this summer i can git my saw mill guy to make a kiln.

 Sawwood
Norwood M4 manual mill, Solar Kiln, Woodmaster
18" planer/molder

solidwoods

Hi Fl DH.

N.central TN.  I use a propane direct fire kiln, 1200bf cap (home made Baby!).
15%mc or less  .15
More than 15% .20

Build your own kiln People.  It's prety easy.  Study kiln publications on CD.  Follow the kiln rules.  Start with 15%mc pine to learn the kiln and your monotoring/control equip, then 15%mc hardwood. Don't push the loss of mc rate.  Do the stress tests on your product.

My burner is a 55000-85000 "salimander" type , about $120
3 220v furnace fans (Im above the general reccomendation of 450fpm air vel.), Wet bulb/dry bulb ( I started with 2 sets diff locations just to proof the readings)
I use 3/4" tall kiln sticks.
Don't skimp on the kiln samples

JIM
Ret. US Army
Kasco II B Band mill
Woodworking since 83
I mill & kiln dry lumber, build custom furniture, artworks, flooring, etc.
If you mill, you'll be interested in some of my work in one way or another.
We ship from our showroom.
N. Central TN.

Frank_Pender

DH, as I mentioned in the other thread I have a hotwater system with a Taylor as the heat source and n Ebac 800 to remove the moisture.  I require the wood to air dry for at least 30 + days befor entering the kil.   I use 1" stickers on 18 to 20 inch spacing, both before and during kiln processing.  I charge $.50 a bd. ft.
Frank Pender

Tim

Are you using a de-humidifier solidwoods?
Eastern White Cedar Shingles

solidwoods

Tim.
No dehumidifier, just a propane burner as described above.
I have wondered if someone had a cold water source, if they could get enough condensation from pipes in the kiln, to remove a significant quantity of water. Of course the water would have to be measured and tallied into the daily rate of moisture loss, so the rate of moisture loss is not exceeded.
JIM
Ret. US Army
Kasco II B Band mill
Woodworking since 83
I mill & kiln dry lumber, build custom furniture, artworks, flooring, etc.
If you mill, you'll be interested in some of my work in one way or another.
We ship from our showroom.
N. Central TN.

Tim

I am in the process of building a kiln in one of the barns here. I had sunk 200 feet of pipe 6' underground in a closed circuit loop. I had put a radiator out of a ford truck into the return air to the furnace with a collection trough under the radiator. My borther had an old injection pump that I was going to use for circulating the water in the closed loop. I was thinking that as long as there is a temperature differential between the return air temperatue and the temperature of the water in the closed loop it would condensate some of the moisture out of the air.

I haven't run this set up yet... Soon though... when we get back inot pine or hardwoods.
Eastern White Cedar Shingles

solidwoods

Tim

I would say you could put the cold pipes inside kiln and hot pipes outside in winter and get good condensation, or creek water, or a submerged heat exchanger in a pond if close enough. You pay a price in heat loss though when you do it this way.  And most importantly the proper amount of water needs to be removed per day, not to much, and not to little (to little on some woods will cause problems, other woods may not be effected, but more energy/time will be consumed).  Combining vent and condensation is OK just stick to removing the proper water amount per day. I guess you would have to use kiln sampling boards or a moisture meter since the condensed water only represents that systems water removal, wet bulb depression is still showing water evaporation rate, but how you correlate and combine the two I don't know. I think board sampling is the answer.
Ret. US Army
Kasco II B Band mill
Woodworking since 83
I mill & kiln dry lumber, build custom furniture, artworks, flooring, etc.
If you mill, you'll be interested in some of my work in one way or another.
We ship from our showroom.
N. Central TN.

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