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Solar Kiln

Started by Gary_B, November 05, 2004, 04:33:51 PM

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DanG

GF, ya know the airlines calculate thing by the "seat mile."  Using that criteria, this ol' trailer has about 4 million "hoof miles" on it. There's been many a leak taken in it. The roof is about the only thing that ain't got no holes rusted into it. :D :D
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

rebocardo

The real beauty of your kiln Dang is it probably runs circles around building codes and such because it is mobile and they can't even call it a shed to complain!  

I could see bringing it some place, load a customer's wood, dry it, bring it back, have them unload it, and charge them .50 a board foot for having it in the sun  8)

DanG

Rebo, you must have goodness in your heart to see "beauty" in that thing. ;D :D ;)  Seeing as it's made from 1x2s and visqueen, taking it on the road probbly ain't a option. Shucks, I just hope it works!   We got the gables closed up with Celotex and tar paper, and figgered how to close up the back-end. Had planned to stretch the plastic today, but came up with some sawing to do, instead. Maybe we can work on it tomorrow.
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

VA-Sawyer

Now you just wait one DanG minute there Dan. I think rebocardo had a pretty good idea. Think about how they do it with those big campers that slide into the pickup bed. You just put the truck where you want the camper to stay and then you jack down the legs. Undo a couple of clamps and SHAZAM ! You drive the pickup away leaving the camper. Now use the same idea on your kiln. When you want to pickup/deliver the wood, you just put down some legs and leave the plastic and frame behind. When you get back from your road trip you just ease the trailer back under the frame. Pick up the legs and SHAZAM it's a kiln again. No sense in letting the customer know how easy it is, or they won't want to pay that high price Kiln Service bill.   :o
VA-Sawyer

DanG

I've thought of doing something similar to that. Why not build the drying chamber on a trailer, then just pull it up beside a solar collector and plug in a couple of flexible ducts?  You could have several trailers and offload the mill directly into them, then plug'em in when they're full. Sure would cut down on lumber handling.
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

OneWithWood

but then what would you do with all your spare time?  :D :D :D






The above represents in depth planning mode  ;D
One With Wood
LT40HDG25, Woodmizer DH4000 Kiln

DanG

AWW OWW, I quit drinking beer. Quit last night when I fell asleep in my chair. :D :D :D  I probbly won't have another one till the sun goes down. ;D
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

OneWithWood

All the medical types are now touting the benefits of drinking two beers or two glasses of wine a day. :)
Of course the small print says more than two is not beneficial and can be counter-productive.
I missed any mention as to the size of the glass  :D :D
One With Wood
LT40HDG25, Woodmizer DH4000 Kiln

WH_Conley

I have heard no more than three fingers of liquor a day to.
Figure I'll take mine in # 3 wash tub.
Bill

Gary_B

Dan,
   I think we are all ready for some more pictures, you have got it going now.

DanG

Alas, Gary, there ain't been much more progress on the kiln. We're hoping to get back on it this coming week. I did get the insulating board, and got some tar paper tacked up, but nuthin worth takin a pitcher of. :-/
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

beav

   Dang- what is "visqueen" ? Some kind of special solar plastic?
   Merry Christmas, sorry to see you are gettin' yer buttts froze off. :) :D :D

james

Beav
visqueen is clear plastic  comes in rolls at the lumber or hardware stores various sizes and weights usally 3 or 6 mills thick we use it on flat bed trucks to keep the load dry under the tarps:) :) 8)
james

Gary_B

Well my newest thought so far with the future solar kiln, is providing some extra heat,  up here in Ohio we don't get all that sun like our friends down south. When I do evenually get around to building mine, I have been considering using a coal stove to add some heat, coal up here is really cheap and it usally last for over a day, before adding more, if I can hook my fans up to a thermostat, that would come on around 125 degrees, to remove the moisture, I might have something, strictly experimental. May everyone have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Larry

Re-loaded the solar kiln today and thought I would share my results on this last load.  Loaded it up around the first of September with green off the saw lumber.  I think the wood was dry middle of November but didn't have any where to go with it so I just turned off the fan.
  • 150 bf 8/4 basswood - 9%

  • 90 bf 4/4 honey locust - 6%

  • 350 bf 4/4 red oak - 7%

  • 300 bf 4/4 white oak - 9%
Think I was lucky that I didn't have any sticker stain on the basswood....I was expecting some.

Bright check free red oak.


Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

sawwood


 Nice looking Oak Larry. How is your DH Kiln doing ?
 i am trying to git JR to build a kiln but he doesn't have
 elect in the barn so may have to see what outher ways
 to run the fans, Do you think it would be to much cost
 to run a generator all day. Wouldn't need it at night.

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

Gary_B

Looks like that kiln is working good Larry, Id be pleased with those results,  I sawed some locust earlier this fall and was surprised how pretty the grain is, I also made some 6x6 s for a building, the supports will be there when the building is gone

Gary_B

Ive been going to a lot of web sites lately studying up on that kiln, I want to build soon, seems like the more I look, the  more confused of which route Id like to go,  ??? I ve read about solar power, dehumitifyers, heaters , vacum, I didnt know it was so many ways to dry a board, theres some nice systems out there, if only I had about 5000.00, but owell , I guess I will have to stick with the sun, quite a bit cheaper, and time consuming

logosoluser

I am working on a new solar kiln right now. I am an agriculture instructor and we are doing it as a shop project. Everything is working out pretty good right now. One question I have is when I start drying lumber in here can I stack my lumber edge to edge or do I have to leave the "chimleys" that I use air drying. I know I will have to leave my stickers in, but I was wondering if edge to edge worked inside the kiln. Maybe I can get my dig camera working and take some pics when we get finished.

Gary_B

Id say you might still want the chimneys so another way for the moisture to exit, if you could get that camera going, how about taking some pictures as you build the kiln. And maybe a material list,, sounds like a good project for the students.

DanG

Good question, Logosoluser!  I've always stacked edge to edge, but that's just the way I understood it should be done. Some of that could have just been an assumption on my part. I'm sure some folks that really know will weigh in here soon. :) :P
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

Carl_B

Logosoluser stack your lumber tight or edge to edge with stickers 3/4 to 1 inch between each layer. In  a solar kiln you are using the fans to circulate the air . The fans move the air between the layers and from the front to the back. Good luck with your kiln I have been using mine for close to 2 years only  wish that I would have built it bigger.

Gary_B

Carl B
    Can you give me and idea of how your kiln is set up? Do you use any type of Dehumidifter, or just solar and fans

Carl_B

Check this out for more imformation on my solar kiln.  https://forestryforum.com/cgi-bin/board/YaBB.pl?board=sawmill;action= display;num=1057887972;start=0

Carl_B


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