DIY small vacuum kiln?

[terrifictimbersllc]

If I wanted to quickly dry one or two slabs at a time, is it possible and what would it take to build a small vacuum kiln that would fit in my garage?  For example having interior space for slabs say 5' x 1' x 12'.  :P  ??? ???

p.s.  A related question is what is the smallest vacuum kiln I could buy that would dry 2-3" thick slabs reliably in a few weeks?

[low_48]

This comes up every few years. Use the search and you will find posts going back to 2005.

[Den Socling]

If it was possible, we would be building them. We are asked umteen times a week for a cheap little vac kiln for hobby woodworkers. It just can't be done. Little pieces of wood might be dried in a chamber made from PVC pipe. A single slab might be dried in a plastic bag submerged in hot water. But a kiln? Nope.

[Ianab]

Dens probably done the maths, but I don't see any way of making a cheap vacuum chamber (big enough to hold a couple of large slabs anyway)

Now maybe if you lucked across a large steel pressure vessel and had the engineering skills to modify it? But that's getting out of the usual 'hobby" range of skills.  ???

[terrifictimbersllc]

 Thanks for your replies. Well I did say DIY, I did not say cheap, and I also asked about a commercial unit. From what I see there is no good way to drive a few slabs except possibly to send them out. It seems to me there could be a market here for a small unit.

[Den Socling]

We build a 3000 bf kiln that is the smallest that is economically feasible for us. When you scale down capacity, manufacturing costs don't scale down equally. For example, the control system for a 1250 bf kiln cost almost the same as control for a 10,000 bf kiln.

[plowboyswr]

Thanks for your replies. Well I did say DIY, I did not say cheap, and I also asked about a commercial unit. From what I see there is no good way to drive a few slabs except possibly to send them out. It seems to me there could be a market here for a small unit.

try reading this
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,66317.0.html

lots of :P

[terrifictimbersllc]

This is great , thank you. I missed it. Will read it carefully when I get back to civilization my phone is too small.

[serg]

Hello, friends!
We do a lot of vacuum drying tank. Volume 1 - 25 m3. A small volume of 1 m3, installed power 9 kW.
See how to do it on youtube channel.
Serg

https://youtu.be/ZMs2cd97Hi0

[serg]

The computer does not want to translate! :D