Pictures of Solar Kilns

[Larry]

Built in 1994 from modified plans by Gene Wengert, Virginia Tech.

 

 

 





I left it on the farm when we sold out in 2008.  Best I can figure a bit over 30,000 board foot was dried in it.  Two to four loads each year.

[WDH]

Cody,

How long did it take to dry the post oak?  Was it air dried before you put it in the kiln?

[Tree Feller]

Cody,

How long did it take to dry the post oak?  Was it air dried before you put it in the kiln?

I left it in the kiln all summer since I didn't have anything else to put in there. (too hot to saw in the summers)

I air dried it a couple of weeks before putting it into the kiln. The weather was still cool and rainy so it didn't dry very fast or very much. I only cracked the vents trying to keep the drying rate slow but I didn't monitor the MC via remote leads. I would guess that it was at 8% or lower after 4 weeks or so in the kiln.

I'll be sawing some more Post Oak this fall and I'll make sure I track the drying rate/time after I get it in the kiln.

[fenceman]

Here is the solar kiln based on the Wood Mizer solar kiln kit.  Two 24" stainless steel fans, 220v, on a 20' x 20' base....the doors are 19' wide, the lumber chamber is 6' deep, 10' high and 19' wide.  On sticks the design is to allow 3,000' comfortably in the chamber, but I think it holds a little more....
The roof is two layers of 4 mil clear plastic separated by 2" strips of lumber.  I painted my strips black so the gap between the layers will also radiate heat....the idea is that this "air" gap is the roof insulation to prevent heat loss.  This kiln is air tight, apart from the intake vent and the exhaust vent.  One square foot of collector for 10' bd. ft. of lumber determines the size of the building overall.

  

  

  

  

  

 

[Den Socling]

Impressive.

[vfauto]

That looks great,what are the chances of getting more details and what the side door is for?

Here is the solar kiln based on the Wood Mizer solar kiln kit.  Two 24" stainless steel fans, 220v, on a 20' x 20' base....the doors are 19' wide, the lumber chamber is 6' deep, 10' high and 19' wide.  On sticks the design is to allow 3,000' comfortably in the chamber, but I think it holds a little more....
The roof is two layers of 4 mil clear plastic separated by 2" strips of lumber.  I painted my strips black so the gap between the layers will also radiate heat....the idea is that this "air" gap is the roof insulation to prevent heat loss.  This kiln is air tight, apart from the intake vent and the exhaust vent.  One square foot of collector for 10' bd. ft. of lumber determines the size of the building overall.

  

  

  

  

  

 

[fenceman]

the side door allows me to collect my walnuts after they dry for two days (I'm gonna try that).....seriously, I can go in and take moisture readings without opening the huge doors on the front......just convenient. When mixing 8/4 and 4/4 they dry at different rates...I wouldn't want to remove any of it until it is all ready, and this was in the plan I bought from Wood Mizer 15 years ago.....there is a thermostat on the wall with an override switch.  The fans automatically begin and shut off to conserve energy while maximizing efficient "drying" temperatures, which vary throughout the year (20 degrees above outside temperatures).  I set mine a little higher than that.

[vfauto]

The door looks like it is in the back part so how do you test moisture.The last picture looks like the inside wall is on a slope???

the side door allows me to collect my walnuts after they dry for two days (I'm gonna try that).....seriously, I can go in and take moisture readings without opening the huge doors on the front......just convenient. When mixing 8/4 and 4/4 they dry at different rates...I wouldn't want to remove any of it until it is all ready, and this was in the plan I bought from Wood Mizer 15 years ago.....there is a thermostat on the wall with an override switch.  The fans automatically begin and shut off to conserve energy while maximizing efficient "drying" temperatures, which vary throughout the year (20 degrees above outside temperatures).  I set mine a little higher than that.

[fenceman]

we had a feedlot for cattle with 6" thick concrete that was flat, but sloped....no big deal for the lumber...but tries the carpenter's patience a little.....the concrete pad is about 60' deep....so the loader comes into the kiln on the same slope...so loading is not frustrating either.  If I had the option, I would pour the concrete level, but since it was existing I used what I had

[geraldhale]

 

 
Just built a few months ago, it has a 6" thick by 8'x16' concrete slab as a foundation but then a treated 2x8 floor insulated with 3/4 plywood, 2x6 walls, four fans ect, it held and dried 2000 feet of 1x6x14' pine just fine but thats all Ive used it for so far.

[WDH]

AWesome!  Nice color, too  ;D.  I want one just like it.

[Dave Shepard]

It's pronounced kiln around here.

Can a solar kiln be run without power?

[Tree Feller]

It's pronounced kiln around here.

Can a solar kiln be run without power?

You need something to power the fan(s) to circulate air through the lumber charge. That power can come from  solar receptacles. It doesn't have to be "on the grid" but the build costs will be higher.

Here's a site where the kiln is totally solar powered.  http://www.solarkilninfo.com/

[geraldhale]

AWesome!  Nice color, too  ;D.  I want one just like it.

  ;D Thanks but I didnt pick the color for any reason, its was mixed wrong at the store so I got it half off!!! 8)

[OlJarhead]

Very interesting thread!  Thanks for sharing...now I have to add one of these to my 'future plans' -- or is that 'dream list'.

:

[Sawdust Lover]

Built this Va tech kiln last summer. Made it 17' wide by 10' deep. Concrete pad and I put a little roof on the door opening side to keep the rain out. So far it works well, I've seen it get up to 120 deg on a 70 deg day. 8)

  

  

  

  

  

 

[Compensation]

 

  

  

  

  

  

 
don't have a picture of it finished yet

[drobertson]

Sawdust, and Comp,  nice work fellows,  real nice, 

[Lnewman]

What about a thermostat from a hot water tank?

[hobo]

Aqua-stat should work very well.
Get one with a long capillary tube so the stat part won't need to be in the high humidity. Make sure the relay can handle the load of your blower motor. 

[Planman1954]

I was taking another look at this thread and realized that I did not post a photo of the inside of my solar kiln. Here is one showing a load of lumber and the little dehumidifier on the top right of the lumber pile:


 

[lawnsbylane]

These are some really nice kilns but my question is my dad always told me not to let the sun hit lumber and most of the kilns let direct sunlight hit the lumber. So any answer would be great thanks. Lane Simpson

[WDH]

The sun does not directly shine on the lumber in a solar kiln because there is a black painted heat collector between the clear panels and the wood inside the kiln. 

[MattJ]

I'll add my pictures here.  I have more details in my thread I started today.



  

  

  

 

[waxhaw wolf]

This is my first post on this forum.   I am interested in building two items.   One is a swingblade sawmill and the other is a kiln.   I have  a 45 acre farm in Waxhaw, NC (land really, not much in the way of buildings at this time).   I do want to build barns, sheds, and a cabin.   With all of the mature timber on my land, I would like to take advantage of that.   I currently have a backhoe/loader and a small tractor.   I also bought a Foley Belsaw sawmill but have not installed it yet.   

My question:   what do you all think about using shipping containers for kilns?   Paint it dull black to absorb sunlight.   I also thought it would be a nice feature to build some sort of track system where I could stack lumber on rolling platforms and roll them into the container.   

Here is an interesting website that details how some folks have used shipping containers for kilns:

http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Converting_A_Shipping_Container_to_a_Drying_Kiln.html