Building a sauna of dry timber moisture content of 5-6 %.

[serg]

Happy New year friends!  :new_year:
I want to show my job, construction of home sauna for the eldest daughter of dry solid timber humidity 5-6 %. Lumber after drying and heat treatment at 165 degrees Celsius. In this beam no beetles, insect larvae, resistant to mildew, mold, no shrinkage, shrinkage of the walls. I built 12 months. In this house we were met by 2018. Interior finish of walls I did from the "Retro" style. My partners say that America is building a wooden frame house. I argued , saying that Americans love the tree and used in construction technology. I understand that timber moisture content 65% to build a long, have to wait for the shrinkage and shrinkage of the walls, if the humidity of the timber of 5-6 % shrinkage no, the speed of construction is increasing. If America does not build the house of solid timber, what is the reason for it? High humidity, fungus, bugs?
Your opinion, my road is the right one? This home sauna is the first of thermally treated timber.
Sorry for bad English. Photos will help you understand my philosophy. With best wishes, Sergey.
Vacuum kiln + ThermoWood











Thermo aspen










Engineering wood flooring. Ash thermo 500 x 500 mm, lamella 5 mm, plywood 12 mm.


Shelf thermo ash. Color naturally oil-wax.





Furniture thermo elm, natural color, oil-wax.



thermo birch, oil - wax.





Wine shelf made of thermo birch, color natural oil-wax.



My daughter Julia

[Brad_bb]

Solid timber house is very expensive.  Less expensive materials can be used to get higher "R-Values", insulation values, which is  very important in 3/4 of the country for cold winters.  Log cabins are what we'd call a solid timber house.  This was among the first style of building when white people came to this country, when wood was very available.  New log homes are built today, but not many, and most are in Northern states like Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Idaho, Montana, Alaska etc.

[serg]

Brad_bb . Thanks for the reply! In my country, wooden houses are expensive. Laminated veneer lumber is very expensive, forest green long dry in the house. I did a lot of experiments how to reduce the price and give the two the life of the forest. Timber affected by bark beetle is disposed of via incineration , coal for the barbecue. There is no other way. I suggested recycling, which allows to reduce the price of the forest several times. Forests undergoing heat treatment at 175 ° C, time 48 hours. The beetles are destroyed, new not live.
The Finns are the good guys, made the first ThermoWood! I was so fascinated by this work, I decided to tell You. ThermoWood is resistant to water absorption. 30 days thermo birch lay in a solution of iron sulphate, the water was 2 - 3 mm. outdoor furniture Country style durable and resistant to atmospheric agents. Need protection from ultra-violet. These products are several times cheaper. Tell soy the criticism that the good and bad.
Best regards, Sergey.















Thermo birch





Slab thermo elm

Garden furniture made of thermo maple light, acacia black

[tule peak timber]

Serg, Very interesting post. Thanks for all the pics. Are there any health issues with machining/ milling  the treated woods.  Rob

[serg]

Rob. Thanks for the good question. Dry wood with a moisture content of 6-7 % has causticity. ThermoWood is no exception.The hardness of the thermally modified timber increases. The main achievement of the stable geometry of the joinery, biostability. I work with sharp cutters, solid steel, at least 6 000 rpm spindle. Have their own grinding machine for knives. For thermally modified timber determined the angle of sharpening flat blades.
Planing machines forms a dust, sawdust pellets.
Rob, when we mill or turn the treated wood, saw dust is really like dust. Its particles are smaller than we have with nontreated wood, so they are more flying. But we have to use air suction and  respirators in any case. No any higher demands in case of treated wood. Serg

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

In the USA and Canada and most of Europe, the heating of wood to 160 C (about 350 F) in a chamber with limited oxygen is a patented process.  To use the process we here and in Europe must pay a license fee.  (Serg...Do you have to pay a fee for use of the patented process in Russia or can you avoid this?). I believe at least two companies in the USA are licensed including Bingaman & Sons Lumber in PA.  See their web site for more info.

http://www.bingamanlumber.com/hardwood-products/thermo-treatment/page.aspx?id=1366

The thermally modified wood, due the heat modification of the wood, is indeed more stable to moisture changes and resists insects and decay.  This makes it ideal for decks, outdoor furniture, exterior doors, window frames, etc. without the addition of the standard chemicals used to treat wood.  The wood does darken and sometimes has a toasted aroma, but the benefits are amazing.  There is also some strength loss, and fastener strength loss so we need to use larger or more fasteners.  It seems to glue better and machines well too.

Due to the thermal modification, the standard moisture meters are not accurate, so have to be recalibrated for this "new" material.

[tule peak timber]

Jeldwinn windows touts this technology. I don't see what part the ferrous sulfate plays in this process. Rob

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

I think most of us know about iron stain in wood, especially oak with its high tannic acid content.  The iron reacts with tannic acid in water to form iron tannate which is blue to black in color.  In fact you can buy iron sulfate (ferrous sulphate is the same thing) which is used as a stain for wood, turning the wood bluish on the surface.  For example, see
https://thefinishingstore.com/blogs/news/aging-and-antiquing-wood-part-2

I agree that soaking wood in this chemical does not seem to add to the heating process described and would darken the wood.

[serg]

GeneWengert-WoodDoc , Rob Thanks for the reply.
I agree with You that the patent you have to pay. I have a patent on a vacuum kiln and ThermoWood, two technologies in one camera. My constructive, the camera is completely different from all others. All schedules for the drying and heat treatment are my property.
Construct the vacuum chamber with the function of ThermoWood. I can dry wood of different species, oak, walnut, ash different initial moisture content, different thickness without removing the stack from the chamber taking heat treatment of wood. Important point, no drying, no quality of thermally modified timber.
We met with the guys Finns in the exhibition, plagiarism from my side they can't see

Vacuum kiln + thermo



Oak ash walnut to heat treatment



Thermo oak ash



Slab termo walnut

[tule peak timber]

I think most of us know about iron stain in wood, especially oak with its high tannic acid content.  The iron reacts with tannic acid in water to form iron tannate which is blue to black in color.  In fact you can buy iron sulfate (ferrous sulphate is the same thing) which is used as a stain for wood, turning the wood bluish on the surface.  For example, see
https://thefinishingstore.com/blogs/news/aging-and-antiquing-wood-part-2

I agree that soaking wood in this chemical does not seem to add to the heating process described and would darken the wood.

Yes and we do a lot of "antiquing ' with various forms of FeS. I just didn't see how it related to the Thermo Wood process specifically. Serg - You produce some nice looking material !  Rob

[serg]

Rob. This material is very beautiful, silk. At exhibitions I see Women love woodwork products thermally modified timber. The love of a woman is a great power! The road of the thermal tree is open. Serg.

[ChugiakTinkerer]

Sergey,

We have a saying in the states, "The customer is always right."

There is no arguing with a lovely smile.

[serg]

Thank you American friends for a good chat with me! I learn a lot from You, the American saying "the Customer is always right" would be my formula of communicating with people . Ask questions, I give answers.
Sergey.