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New kiln to be built-design suggestions?

Started by POC, February 28, 2010, 02:49:33 AM

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POC

I'm thinking that a front or back loader would be faster for me.  I'd like to sticker the wood as I cut it and offload on the forks of the tractor.  Then I could just transport the whole stack to the kiln and set it in place.
Anyone have any suggestions for me?
I've read somewhere to not let the light hit the wood....
I've got my hands on some LARGE aluminum and glass doors.  I was thinking of using those as the "inside" then covering them with the translucent corrugated roofing, thought I might lose less heat that way. Should I then put a series of sheets of corrugated painted black behind the glass?
I have looked at some of the designs out there, just kinda making up my own as I go.
Thanks,
Patrick
And that's all I have to say about that,
Patrick

pineywoods

Designing your own, keep this main objective in mind. What dries wood is exposing it to dry air. There are many ways to dry air. Solar kilns dry the air by heating it. Any method you can design to pass dry air through a stack of boards will work. Sunlight is not what heats up a solar kiln. Infrared radiation hitting a dark surface is turned into heat. Lumber is a lousy solar collector. Black painted metal is much better. The glass doors may be just the ticket, then again they may be a bad choice. Some residential doors have glass that is deliberately designed to block infrared, those don't do well for a kiln. When in doubt, use materials (plastic included) that are designed for green house use, and are uv tolerant. My personal choice is greenhouse plastic film over flat black corrugated metal with about 4 inches of air space between. Blow air through the space between them and then through the stack of boards.
Go with the full width doors. They will save you lots of back-breaking labor. I've built 2 solar kilns, both work well. We found that putting a small room de-humidifier inside the kiln and running it during the night will cut drying times in half. And last but not least---pay no attention to drying schedules for commercial kilns. Solar is different, plus no 2 solar kilns are alike. Build one and experiment.
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

POC

Thanks.
These doors came out of a hospital, they were used in the ICU, they are interior doors, so I'm *thinking* they aren't "treated" for UV.

What kind of floor and walls did you use?

Thanks for all the info!
Patrick
And that's all I have to say about that,
Patrick

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