iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Heat box for sterilization help

Started by Prinnie, October 08, 2015, 09:12:28 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

fishfighter

We need some pictures of that sucker. 8)

losttheplot
























I bought the Styrofoam from a neighbour for $10 a sheet.
The sheets are stitched together with old chainsaw files and the inside joints were sprayed with a can of expanding foam.

For the first couple of runs I used borrowed box fans made from plastic. They work fine but I had to give them back so I bought a couple of attic fans from Amazon.

I got some temp/humidity meters from e-bay and placed them through out the stack, as long as I load it "loose" it does fine.

If the plastic vapor barrier is not sealed tight it will never stop putting out water, as it will suck in air/humidity.

It takes a couple of days to warm up and a few days to cool down.

I leave the wood in there untill I need it, keeps it dry.

I got fed up with making stuff for the house with air dried wood, then having it warp and shrink. We heat with a wood stove which makes the house very dry.

I put 6 and 8 inch Douglas-fir flooring in the house, the boards right in front of the stove have shrunk a tiny bit, the rest shows no sign of shrinking.
14 inch red Alder just went in so I will see how it does.
DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK !

fishfighter

Outstanding and thanks for the pictures. I will start looking for parts that I will need to build a box like yours. ;D

Southside

I am curious,  have you run it with wood which was pretty green?  Just wondering how long it took to dry it out and what the quality turned out to be.  That is a great set up!!!
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

losttheplot

I have never tried it with green wood.

If I was gonna try, I think I would sticker stack it in the kiln then leave it open on the ends and just run the fans for a week or two first.

That is just an assumption and you know what they say about those  :) :) :)


DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK !

Southside

My gosh that is some awful purdy wood there!!  Really held it's color. 
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

GeneWengert-WoodDoc

For a fast drying wood, like pine and poplar, leaving the kiln open and blowing air through the pile and then having itexit (single pass dryer is the technical name) can be very efficient.  Run the fans when the humidity is under 90% RH only.  Higher humidity will waste electricity and achieve little drying.

For harder to dry woods, if they go into the kiln green, then keep the vents fairly much closed so you control the humidity inside at a high level, which will give you slow drying and high quality.

For white woods like hard maple, aggressive air drying, protected from rain, will get the whitest color.
Gene - Author of articles in Sawmill & Woodlot and books: Drying Hardwood Lumber; VA Tech Solar Kiln; Sawing Edging & Trimming Hardwood Lumber. And more

fishfighter

So, I been kicking a few ideas around in my head for a sterilization box.

Building it like the OP's box, but adding even more heat by using stove heating elements. Reason is that down here in the south, the humidity runs high about 95% of the year above 70%.  Using the stove Tstat and controls, I think I could get it dialed down to about 150F. With a dehumidifier in the works, that just might speed things up some.

Am I thinking this would help out or am I wrong? Like I said, just kicking this around. ;D

GeneWengert-WoodDoc

We are concerned about the average relative humidity.  A good source of values, in terms of EMC is
www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base_images/zp/equilibrium_moisture_content.pdf

As an example, in July, Alexandria, LA has 15% EMC which is about 75% RH average for the month.
Gene - Author of articles in Sawmill & Woodlot and books: Drying Hardwood Lumber; VA Tech Solar Kiln; Sawing Edging & Trimming Hardwood Lumber. And more

fishfighter


kelLOGg

Quote from: E-Tex on December 06, 2017, 12:08:01 PM


how does it get this hot without additional heat source?  Does the dehumidifier have a heat source in it?  is it the process of the water leaving the wood?  

Don't know if you ever got an answer so here's mine. The heat gain comes from the resistive motor windings of the compressor. (If I turn the DH unit off and leave the circulating fans on I can still get a heat gain due the same principle). The evaporation and condensation of water inside the kiln yields a net heat gain of zero so there is no help there.

I used to run my kiln up to 140°F and the unit lasted about a year. Home DH units (as mine is) aren't designed to operate at that temp. Now I try to keep it under 100 and just wait longer. OK for a hobby.
Bob
Cook's MP-32, 20HP, 20' (modified w/ power feed, up/down, loader/turner)
DH kiln, CatClaw setter and sharpener, tandem trailer, log arch, tractor, thumb tacks

farmfromkansas

 Thinking this would be great in my store room.  Is the styrofoam the blue dow board foam?  I have a few sheets of 1" and now they are selling 2" at Menards. Probably would have to use a few boards and some kind of long screws with big washers to put this together.
Most everything I enjoy doing turns out to be work

GeneWengert-WoodDoc

Not all foam boards are the same with respect to their durability to heat. Some disappear at 130 F.  Check the temperature rating if used for a kiln.
Gene - Author of articles in Sawmill & Woodlot and books: Drying Hardwood Lumber; VA Tech Solar Kiln; Sawing Edging & Trimming Hardwood Lumber. And more

farmfromkansas

Just looked up blue Dow board.  Appears dow board will only handle up to 160 degrees.  The foam pictured in lost the plot's pics must be of another type.
Most everything I enjoy doing turns out to be work

Thank You Sponsors!