solar kiln started

[xlogger]

Finally got started on solar kiln. Electric out to it and ground fairly level with foundation framed in. I'll work on floor tomorrow. Plans are to lay down paper like planman did and put ½ inch blue board insulation on top of that and nail 1" board on that. I guess the weigh of the wood and floor will crush the blue board on top of the floor joists. I hope the paper under it will hold it up in case it cuts it.
Also is there any problems with plastic electric plugs inside kiln? I've hear you all say not to use plastic fans.
If I had to start over I would of use concrete for the flooring, leveling dirt and wood was a pain. But I did want to be able to move it later if I sold it for some reason or just wanted to move it.
I'll try to post pictures.






 

[scsmith42]

Looking good!  My 20" plastic box fans have last ok as long as the kiln is constantly running.  If it sits empty for a few weeks during the summer they tend to die a premature death.

[xlogger]

Worked a little more today on kiln. Still having a little trouble posting pictures.
This one putting insulation under floor.


 
This one covering floor with boards.

 

[WDH]

Off to a good start.

[beenthere]

xlogger
For some reason your pics are small.

And you only need to put them in your gallery once.
You may be clicking on the "click here to add Photos to post" and when the new window comes up it is the "upload window", but instead look for the "My Gallery" tab in the menu line. Click on that rather than staying in the "upload" mode. You will see your pics that you have already posted. No need to add more of the same one. ;)

Once in your gallery, click on the pic you want to post. It will enlarge, and then you just scroll down a page or more and will see the button "Insert image in post". Click that... then hit "Preview" to see that the post is what you want it to be.

Shout out if one of the steps is not making sense. Someone can give you a hand.

[xlogger]

I'm not sure why the pictures are small, as of now I feel good about just be able to post them with my poor computer skills. I'd like to learn how to keep them from turning to the side in my galley.
So today I got the south wall build and was putting it up when the guy building the house on the next piece of land came over with his son and said he would help for the rest of the day. It would of took me weeks to do what they did in a few hours.
Now I have a question, how did you guys cut the clear plastic roofing materials?
Here's a picture of what we got done today.

 

[xlogger]

After reading some other posts on roofing I'm wondering what for sure I should use. Lowes has some thin plastic sheets at a fair price but after all the work on this I want to make sure I use good material that will help with more heat without breaking the bank. Just need opinions from other solar kiln owners what you did?

[Planman1954]

Home Depot is where I got mine.

[xlogger]

I'm now going to ride down and look at Home Depot and see what they have. I'm ready to put on roof now and siding. I see where one guy put on a  review on their sheets that they cracked up around screw holes in a year or two. Did you drill and put in screws or use self taping screws?

[Planman1954]

The panels on mine have lasted for about five years, but unfortunately succumbed to hail damage! ;) What we had here would have hurt any roof though! The ones at Home Depot seem to stiffen through the years as they age and become brittle...thus the easy damage from hail. But I put them on again using the screws they sell right beside the display at Home Depot. They are pretty cheap..I think about 15 per sheet. No drilling is required.

[xlogger]

I went ahead and pick up some today. My south wall panels are 6 ft long so I got 12 ft and will cut them into half. To keep my kiln on a 45 and not be so tall I also have a north side of only two ft. and I will put the panels on that also. Might not be much help but I sure it will help heat a little more. I wish they had a ridge cap that work with the panels but they didn't. So I'll have to rig up something for that. They also had little 8 inch fans that only use like .7 amps. I'm thinking I'll get a few of them and see how they work ($15). I've got a long run to the kiln with #12 wire.

[Kingcha]

This is what i used in my solar kiln.    https://www.menards.com/main/building-materials/roofing-soffits-gutters/specialty-roofing/multilite-6mm-clear-4-x-8-twin-wall-polycarbonate/p-1485866.htm


So far I am very happy with these sheets and have gotten good results.

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

Ideally, the sheets would be clear as glass.  If they are not, which is common, then it means that a 30 day cycle may take 36 days.  Oftentimes I have seen corrugated on the outside and then flat on the inside. The main issue has always been the uv degradation that makes the fiberglass or plastic more brittle.

[xlogger]

I got the clear top panels from Lowes finish yesterday and started on walls today. Time to come in for lunch and nap time, hot out in the sun.



 

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

Taking a nap is a good idea.  Why did the broom take a nap?  Because it was sweepy.


SORRY.

[WDH]

 :D

[xlogger]

why does picture turn when you post them?

[beenthere]

Likely because you took them using an iPad or similar, and also viewed your Preview with the same.
You can make them right in your gallery with the edit button I believe.

I cannot see your pic in this recent post at all. Just a blank box.

[xlogger]

it was there not sure why it when away.

[sandsawmill14]

Taking a nap is a good idea.  Why did the broom take a nap?  Because it was sweepy.


SORRY.

:D :D :D

xlogger  good looking kiln

WoodDoc  if you build the roof like xloggers can you count the short side in the collector footage or is it just for extra? ???

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

The area to count is the area perpendicular to the sun at noon.  In other words, the shadow cast at noon.  The shadow tells us how much solar is being intercepted.  Ok?

A more or less vertical wall is the source of heat losses, 24 hours a day, but very little solar input to offset the losses.

So, this trade off between solar input and heat losses must be considered carefully.

In a previous posting above, I asked why the broom took a nap.  The correct answer is that the broom was "sweepy."

[sandsawmill14]

thanks Gene  i decided to just go ahead and 45 it all the way to the top

[xlogger]

I did it that way just to keep it from being so tall and maybe be able to load on trailer and haul if I needed to. Started on inside yesterday, got insulation in and some of the walls up. I'm cutting my boards ½ inch and see where I need more for the inside. I've got a poplar that I will use. Putting it up wet


   I know it will lose some width but inside walls are only for holding insulation up and hitting walls with some boards time to time. On the north wall with the clear roof, it might loose some heat when sun is down but the other will also. I worked trucking for 30 years local loading and unloading freight, when I had one of those clear top trailers it was not at a 45° and the trailer was not insulated, so when you open the door on sunny days you had to step back from all the heat that came out. So any clear top at any angle will work.

[xlogger]

got to build that east wall better wood might slid out :D

[WDH]

Once the boards dry out and shrink, fill the gaps with that spray expanding foam insulation that comes in a can.  That will fill the gaps nicely and seal up the inside.