Drying without a kiln

[CelestialSprite]

Newbie here. I have some pieces of green lumber I'd like to turn into shelves for my guest bathroom. They've already been cut down to size. I don't have access to a kiln yet, and there's still some decent moisture and sap content in them. They're 25" long x 8" deep, around 3/4" thickness. Is there a relatively easy way to dry these fairly quickly to get this project done? Didn't really plan ahead for it. 

[doc henderson]

what kind of wood.  one option is to put the wood on the shelf brackets and see how it goes.  you can dry fast in a microwave but it may warp and spit.  do you plan to plane after?  If this is rustic fine, or is it to be fine woodworking?  can you provide more info.  

[doc henderson]

the attic works well in summer, or an equipment room that is warmer than the house.  you can make a small kiln or hot box.  need to control temp, air flow, and humidity.  so need a light, a fan, and a vent in a small insulated box.  do not catch your house on fire.

[CelestialSprite]

what kind of wood.  one option is to put the wood on the shelf brackets and see how it goes.  you can dry fast in a microwave but it may warp and spit.  do you plan to plane after?  If this is rustic fine, or is it to be fine woodworking?  can you provide more info.  

I believe it is Pine, I'll have to double check with hubby as he is the one that milled it for me. He did have it planed already as well. It's not going to be anything fancy, and will be painted in the end. Just simple white shelves to hold hand lotions and room sprays etc.
Id attach a picture but I'm not sure how.

[doc henderson]

the pic thing takes a bit, but not that hard.  there are tech posts here.  pine dries well, and can tolerate lots of air flow ect.  there is lots on drying wood here, and @GeneWengert-WoodDoc is a PhD that has posted a lot, and has webinars available to watch on the NHLA website for general theory.  I would put in front of a breeze or small fan, in a warmer dry area.  If you are doing milling, you may consider a moisture meter, and or can do sacrificial measurements with a scale.  I would be tempted to put them and let them dry in place and paint later. 

[CelestialSprite]

He just got back to me and said it is Spruce, if that makes a difference.

Thank you for the suggestions, I will look into them! I was really hoping to have this bathroom make over finished within the next few weeks. 

[doc henderson]

faster may cause more degrade, cracking and splitting, but I would go for it in a warm place.  if you husband mills, he can make you another.  soft wood is more forgiving.  I have a blanket warmer that goes to 160° and have used it to dry faster and or sterilize wood.  need heat, airflow, humidity control.

[doc henderson]

a cheap Wal-Mart box fan, a halogen work light, and a box made from foam board with a vent and you can speed things up.

[doc henderson]

 

 

 

i can dry 1/4 inch maple to 7% in 4 days with a fan in my shop

[CelestialSprite]

Oh wow, that's pretty neat! Thanks so much for sharing! I'll show him this info and see what we can do.

[kantuckid]

Years ago, I apprenticed myself to an old E KY chairmaker by taking a vacation and living with him and his wife back up a holler in Breathitt Co, KY. His "kiln" was a lightweight framed long box covered with newsprint aluminum and insulation board. Inside was his stash of hardwoods on sticks with a simple freon style de-humidifier. They actually work pretty good but acid woods eat the alu coils. I bought a few yardsale units but never did much with the idea beyond a small effort.
On a much smaller scale short pieces of wood like the OP's can be dried using various heat sources such as heat lamps, incandescent light bulbs, etc.. One of my gunsmithing books details gunstock work and was fairly common for stockmakers to build a drying box. Of course, they were not trying for large volumes as the work pieces are tediously worked. I've mentioned before drying easy to dry ERC along side a baseboard heater in my office at work. Nice neat stack of one on top of the other 6-8-10" boards on short sticks- with some concrete blocks above. Room smelled good too.  
A fridge box might work OK for a one shot deal if make certain to not start a fire using a tiny heater. 

[olcowhand]

Another thing that works for me is leaning my Hardwood work-pieces against the wall by my Indoor Wood burning Furnace. This time of year, with the weather such that it is- the stove burns all the time, and I can get a 6/4 or 8/4 below 10% in a couple weeks (These have been Air Drying for >2 years...). Rotate faces and up/ down every couple days. A good size oven may also work in a pinch. Go to your favorite Pizzaria and ask them to let you put your pieces in their oven overnight. Ovens should be set very low, but can also eliminate critters. There are charts on the internet that suggest time/temps.
Good Luck...
Steve 

[kantuckid]

Old timers stacked boards in alternating, triangular ricks to dry quickly. Probably not great for fine hardwoods. ;D

[Don P]

Do remember if drying one face faster than the other its pretty much a recipe for making it cup. Whatever you are doing to one face, do it also to the other.

If it's paint grade a coat of Kilz, shellac, or some form of stain blocker to keep the knots from bleeding through the paint is probably a good idea.

I'd screw this one down and have him make the replacement, left in the rough till its dry.

[Daburner87]

 

 

i can dry 1/4 inch maple to 7% in 4 days with a fan in my shop

Hey Doc what kind of clamps are you using? They look homemade, I would like to build a bunch if theyre budget friendly.

[doc henderson]

Daburner I will link my thread on thin stock.  basically, all thread and knobs.  with wood braces.  I would prob just use nuts, as the knobs are slow, and I made a wrench for them.  it would be faster to just use a deep socket on an impact or drill.  the all thread was 6 footers, cut in half to 3 feet.  

[doc henderson]

drying thin wood for coaster stock. in Drying and Processing