Drying bent boards on a large frame

[JLawson]

I am looking for advice on drying the northern red oak boards that I have bent to a large form. There are four boards that are 2.5 x 96 x 1.75 thick and they range from 25% to 35%.  I do not have enough room in my kiln to add another 1000 bdft to make a full charge. I seem to be way off any schedule so I am hoping someone has some experience with this?  
 

 

[Brad_bb]

Did you steam them and bend them around the form?  If not, I wonder if you'll get a lot of spring back?  1.75 is pretty thick.  I'd assume you had to steam them in order to bend them?  Never tried anything like that.  I'd think you just let them air dry on the form once steam bent.  Even with steam bending you'll get some spring back.  I think you'd have to account for that.

[JLawson]

I used a cold bending lumber. It is pre-compressed and so does not need to be steamed. This is the first time working with this type of lumber. Took a couple hours to bend all four around the form, but they went in ok. Vendor said it was about 20%. Well, no. Vendor said it will dry in a 2 or 3 weeks in my shop. Not so sure on that either. Vendor said it will stay in whatever shape I bend it too after it is dry. So that is why I am here asking others. 

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

How do you know the MC?  This bend would be easiest around 18 to 20% MC.  At 35% MC, the wood will be hard to bend and require slow drying.

If 20% MC, the wood could dry to under 10% MC in 2 weeks, if it is warm and dry in your shop, with some air flow.  If you take it out of the clamps early, then as it dries to 7% for use in most homes, it will dry and will straighten slightly.  So, you need to get to 7% MC or maybe 1/2% drier by drying at 30% RH in a warm room.

[JLawson]

I got my moisture numbers from my Wagner 601-3 pinless and a Delmhorst J-2000X. I had to stay near the ends with the pin meter but got similar readings. I do not have enough extra to cut and oven dry to verify. I am also seeing a 10% difference in one board from end to end. I had planned on putting the entire form with wood on it into my Nyle L-50 kiln but once I got the higher readings I don't want to ruin it. All the schedules bottom out at 1000 bdft for a charge and I cannot put but maybe another 50bdft in with the form. I need the shape to stay where it is. The vender has told me that, once dry, the boards will keep their shape so I plan on drying them on the form. They will be used in a piece of furniture and will be finished clear, so I need to go to 8% and staining would be a problem. 
So my problem is how to get this down with out ruining the lumber. It would seem the kiln would be too aggressive for the higher moisture contents? I can leave it in my shop which is conditioned (78* 48% RH) with or with out a fan on it? 

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

Your kiln has an off=on switch that you can always use to avoid too dry c0nditions.  Your shop is not too bad, but use only enough fan to stir the air.