Mini kiln

[thedeeredude]

Is it feasable to make a mini kiln to dry pieces of wood  30" or shorter?  I plan on making it out of 3/4" plywood with a plexiglass top.  I'll put little vents on for air to circulate, no fans.  I want to dry plane blanks, so 3-1/2" square blanks of hardwood.  Thanks

[Brad_S.]

I know a guy who makes Windsor chairs who has what you might consider a mini kiln. He rough turns green maple blanks to approximate size, kilns them, then finish turns them. I don't know the specific construction of his kiln but I know he uses a light bulb as the heat source. He's very happy with his set up, so it must be feasible.

[Tom]

Several years ago, Wood Magazine had an article and plans for making a dehumidification kiln using a light bulb and dehumidifier.  It handled about 100 board feet.

I did a quick search for it and couldn't find it, but you might with a little more time.   

I seem to remember that it was built in this fellows basement.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  American Woodworker

  Volume #94

  June 2002  ;D

[Radar67]

Here is a link for a kiln for bowl blanks. It uses light bulbs and fans to dry. A little modification and it should work for what you want.

Bowl Kiln

Stew

[Part_Timer]

You mean like this one? 


Mine is 5'8" long and will hold around 200bf or so.  It has a back inner wall made of plastic pegboard and a squirrel cage fan on the top for moving the air through the peg board and into the stack.  I can add a light for heat if needed.  The walls are insulated and I have some 2" thick foam insulation I put on the floor to help keep the heat in during the winter.  I try to air dry first then finish, but I can dry cherry, walnut, ash, and the like from green.  Oak does not work so well from green.  It is very hard to keep to a safe drying rate.

I have less than $150 in this one with a bit of scrounging for parts.   If you have any questions or need some help just give a shout.

[Den Socling]

I like that pegboard idea. Slow but even airflow.

[jrokusek]

I'm doing something similar.  I just finished building what you see below.  I've got all of $10 into this baby.  All parts were bought from my local Habitat for Humanity ReStore, except for the in-line furnace booster fan, which I had on hand.  Yes...the glass is larger than the body of the mini-kiln....that's what you get for $3.  I wouldn't have done that but that's all the OSB I could scrounge up.  I don't think it will last more than one use, but who knows what will happen.  I built it to dry the elm slabs that I cut and just to see how a solar kiln works.  Should be fun!

Jim

[Part_Timer]

Nice setup. 

[Ironwood]

It's called a used PIZZA oven from the scrap yard. Plug and go. :

        Reid

[Trent]

I've got a few pieces like jrokusek strapped together, on a metal cart, and covered with a tarp. Heated by a couple light bulbs, the temp. is controlled by a thermostat at 100 deg. A fan runs all the time. The first week, the metal cart had condensate on it everyday. Now, after the second week, its dryer. For the next stage of drying, I'm thinking (I know this sounds a little redneck) of placing the wood in my work car to get some higher temps. during the day, and add a dehumidifier.   

[Ironwood]

Trent,

"Redneck" would be having to move the chickens/ livestock or family out of the school bus in the front yard to make room to dry the wood.


                Reid

[low_48]

Another idea for heat this time of year is to run a 4" pipe to the attic of the house or garage. Pipe it down to the kiln with an inline fan. It'll lower the cooling costs in the house as well because of the lower attic temp. I read this somewhere so no pics or experience. Just some ideas.

[jrokusek]

I now have my mini kiln on the deck with an in-line furnace fan recirculating air over the slabs.  I stuck my hand in there in the middle of the day and it was nice and toasty warm....humid as heck too!  I'll give it a few more days and then whip out the moisture meter.  My slabs started out at about 19%

Jim