Kiln chamber design for Nyle L53

[doc henderson]

YH did you have framing to spay into on the floor then cover with sheathing?

[YellowHammer]

No, I sprayed it directly onto the concrete floor including the oak leaves, the bark chips, even the dead bugs.  I had a couple extra cans left over and wasn't expecting to, so didn't clean the floor.  I just sprayed everything.  I have concrete riser blocks that are about 3" tall that the runners of the pallets sit on, so nothing really ever touches the floor.  I sprayed the floor between the risers and so it looks like it snowed inside.  the foam also glues the riser blocks down so locks them in place also.  One of the main reasons I wanted to use the spray foam was to completely and permanently seal up all the cracks on every joint, including the floor to ceiling, as well as all the other possible leaks.

As easy as it was to do, I wish I had done it years ago.    

[customsawyer]

I dry a good bit of pine. I don't have to air dry it before I put it in the kiln but it sure helps. The dryer it is going in allows me to get the temp up quicker or to put more wood in each load. I've broken so many of the Nyle rules that it isn't even funny. Keep in mind that pine is about as easy to dry as it gets.

[YellowHammer]

Rules are meant to be broken, because rules are usually just suggestions anyway. :D :D  
And @customsawyer Jake ain't one for coloring in the lines anyway!  Me either...so I said, "the heck with it" and sprayed the floor with foam before I could back out and say "This is crazy."  Lots of stink bugs are now entombed in the foam.   :D :D

[K-Guy]

I think Jake writes his contracts in crayon too. :D

Because that way there are no gray areas.

[customsawyer]

Some of them crayons don't taste bad either so I've been told from some of my Marine friends. :D

[blackhawk]

I wanted to see if anyone can see any faults with my plan for the power vent.  The way it is designed, it mounts with the fan side against the interior walls, blowing to the outside.  The whole thing will end up sticking out into my kiln about 12".  Plus the louvers will be on the inside of the kiln.  My plan is to remove the louvers and mount them with the flange side against the outside wall as shown in the 2nd pic below.  Then I will flip the fan over to blow in the opposite direction.  I am also going to rotate the connection box 90 degrees on the side.  Doing this, I can push the sheet metal frame into my wall all the way up against the connection box.  This will only leave about 4 inches sticking out into the kiln this way.  The fan will be blowing towards the louvers, pushing them open instead of sucking them open.  The louvers on the outside will now keep the critters out.  (May have to add a little flashing on the top of the louver frame for rain.)



 

[K-Guy]

I doubt it will work, your unit will not have enough airflow to keep critters out. I have spoken to people that tried an idea they had many times over the years and they rarely work.

[blackhawk]

Keeping the critters out is not my main goal.  The main purpose is to reduce the depth that the powered vent protrudes inside of my kiln.  I want to mount the louvers on the outside and have the fan push the louvers open.  Then I can mount the sheet metal shroud deeper into the wall cavity.  The 2nd benefit of this is having the louvers on the outside will provide a more finished look.

[Larry]

The design is a bit on the clunky side and like you I had the same thoughts.  After more thinking I didn't want to bury the electric connection box in the wall and the projection of the unit in the chamber is not a problem as it is unusable space.  My vent is on the same wall as the compressor.

I ended up mounting as Nyle intended.  I lined the hole to the outside with aluminum.  On the outside I fabricated a vent with a cedar frame, plexiglass fixed louvers, and backed with screen to keep bugs out.  If the fan quits, replacement will be fairly easy and quick.

After I got it installed, I put 3" of rigid foam around it with a flap for the intake if I want to completely shut it down, like for heat treating.

[blackhawk]

I went ahead and tried reversing the vent fan.  It works perfect in this orientation.  The louvers open right up with no problem.  Actually, the louvers are designed to open with a fan pushing them open per the manufacturer's instruction sheet that was in the box.  Here is a pic with the fan running showing the louvers open.  I rotated the connection box as shown in the pic.  I am not going to mount the connection box inside the wall but I will push the sheet metal into the wall until it hits the box.  

[Larry]

Looks good.

[trimguy]

@blackhawk , what size did you end up building your camber ? I'm doing plans now to build one and the size I came up with is bigger than what is in the Nyle manual. Or any one else?

[blackhawk]

I built mine to the largest size listed in the manual.  On the inside, I am 13 feet long x 8 feet wide x 7 feet tall.

[doc henderson]

the volume of wood is limited by the water removal rate and why you can do more Oak than Pine as the rate is slower.  the different dimensions are in part to accommodate longer boards, if that is in your future.  I believe the DH will be more efficient at higher RH and why you do not just put the DH in a warehouse.

[trimguy]

Thanks Blackhawk. Doc that makes sense with the high humidity here in Georgia. The L53 is rated for 300 ft of pine/ softwood, if it was air dried to say 15-20% what would be a realistic footage that you could put in it ? @K-Guy 

[doc henderson]

air dried I am sure it would/could be more, but I do not know a number.  starting wet it pine has to go fast and therefore less water/wood.  oak has to go slow so more wood and helps limit the rate per board foot and matching the removal rate for oak.  you might be able to look at a schedule and see the removal rate per day and settings for that wood and up the payload to use the max water removal for the kiln with what is needed from the wood.  

[trimguy]

I didn't think about looking at a schedule that way. I will see. I'm probably over thinking it, but I'm not sure if the L53 is large enough 
( probably is ) but wasn't wanting the extra expense of the 200 or of running it. If I build a chamber for the 53, it's not like I can just add on to it for an upgrade. 

[YellowHammer]

Thanks Blackhawk. Doc that makes sense with the high humidity here in Georgia. The L53 is rated for 300 ft of pine/ softwood, if it was air dried to say 15-20% what would be a realistic footage that you could put in it ? @K-Guy

1,000 bdft.  

[trimguy]

Thanks Robert.

[blackhawk]

I am finally ready to load some lumber in my kiln.  I put in four 2000 watt halogen work lights like YellowHammer suggested.  I mounted these to the ceiling with 1/2" conduit straps.  I thought this would distribute the heat better as the fans would blow across them.  They are still high enough that I don't hit my head and won't interfere with my baffle. 

Anyone know of any reason that this wouldn't work?


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[YellowHammer]

They just need to be easy to access to change $3 bulbs occasionally.  

[firefighter ontheside]

Four 2000w lights or four 500w lights for a total of 2000?  I have four 500's based on Robert's suggestion a few years ago.  Mine are mounted on the wall.  I have mine pointed down at the pile and not at the wall.

[blackhawk]

Four 2000w lights or four 500w lights for a total of 2000?  I have four 500's based on Robert's suggestion a few years ago.  Mine are mounted on the wall.  I have mine pointed down at the pile and not at the wall.

Yea, my fingers were typing faster than my brain.  Four 500 watt lamps for a total of 2000 watts.  If I had 8000 watts, this kiln could double as a tanning bed!

[doc henderson]

My only suggestion (out of an abundance of caution) would be to shoot a non contact temp of the ceiling surface.  if concrete ok, but painted plywood may at least degrade, but unlikely worst senecio could be fire.  you could easily cover with a reflective meatal shield.

What is the fan type/ID.  if you do not mind