Solar Wood Drying Kiln Plans
Air dry 1 inch lumber 60 to 90 days in a breezy warm not too humid place to reach 20 moisture.
Solar wood drying kiln plans. This is 2nd generation design that has been tested and produces good results. When planning your kiln shed size which is determined by how much lumber you plan on drying per load and door location are the first things to consider. Publication describing virginia tech s solar kiln construction and operation 2000 board ft kiln plans pdf 16kb. Drying lumber with solar kiln workshop.
Solar kiln plans construction and operational information. Constructing and operating a small solar heater lumber dryer paul bois national wood drying specialist. Information on designing and building a solar wood drying kiln. The following procedures apply to drying in a solar kiln.
And boy does it work not to mention save money. The objective of this fact sheet is to give a basic understanding of solar drying of lumber and its elements from the point of practical applications. Unlike air drying it ll dry wood to the moisture level needed for interior use. Virginia tech solar kiln design the solar kiln described in this publication was designed constructed and tested at virginia tech.
The kiln is simple to construct and utilizes a passive solar collector four insulated walls and an insulated floor. Three options are shown above. We constructed this nifty 8x8x12 passive solar kiln. The roof is made of clear greenhouse rated corrugated polyethylene.
Minus the drying equipment a shed kiln is just an insulated storage space with a host of possible uses. For interior use however lumber must be kiln dried to a moisture content of 7 to avoid splitting or warping in use. Kiln drying lumber is a simple cost effective method recommended for anyone who wants to increase profits by selling dried lumber. A solar kiln is the simplest and safest way to dry green wood quickly.
Solar drying of lumber is one of the more efficient and the least expensive methods to reduce moisture content of wood. Kiln dried wood typically sells for a third more than green lumber and eliminates the need for. Because the wood is protected from the elements this solar kiln offers more control with much less chance of defects than air drying provides. A homemade solar lumber kiln.
Wood mizer dehumidification and solar wood kilns range from 300 to 35 000 board feet capacity for drying lumber. I viewed the wwgoa video logs to lumber and i m interested in building a solar kiln. Kiln drying of lumber requires some attention. Of a solar heated lumber dry kiln that is designed to be inexpensive to construct and simple to operate.
Plans for a solar wood drying kiln.