Using OWB for drying firewood?

[DaleK]

With the wild demand for wood this winter here I'm starting to eat into wood I had put aside to sell NEXT winter so I'm looking for ways to speed up the process. Got excess capacity in my OWB which I only feed with the stuff I can't sell anyway and trying to think of the best way to use it. Any ideas/experiences?

[leonz]

With the wild demand for wood this winter here
I'm starting to eat into wood I had put aside to
sell NEXT winter so I'm looking for ways to
speed up the process.

Got excess capacity in my OWB which I only feed
with the stuff I can't sell anyway and trying to think
of the best way to use it. Any ideas/experiences?

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Unless you have wad of money the other half does not
know about its not worth the effort even on a small scale
to even think about. It takes a lot work and money to
do this.

The lumber mills have the advantage of mill ends,
crap/reject logs and steam fired kilns fed with wood chips
and bark to dry thier firewood for the "romance bundles".

Splitting the firewood very small also helps in drying it.

Your forest eater is not up to the task.
 

[thecfarm]

DaleK,would need a insulated building,than something to put the wood into,like a box,than something with wheels to put the cart onto,than something with forks to remove the box. Than need a way to keep the snow off any kiln wood,if it did not get sold at that point.

[DaleK]

Got lots of old running gear around. Was somewhat thinking of a couple of insulated shipping containers, build wagon racks to fit nicely inside, load up one at a time and back it in. I have lots of old barn fans and about 30,000 sf of buildings to put the dry wood into, and a big old rad on a parts tractor that might make a good heat exchanger.

[red oaks lumber]

i have dried semi seasoned firewood for people in my kiln before. not my wood but theirs. results? not worth the effort, took way to long. the wood needs to be stacked so the air can easily pass thru the stack. sorry just my exsperiance

[CRThomas]

With the wild demand for wood this winter here I'm starting to eat into wood I had put aside to sell NEXT winter so I'm looking for ways to speed up the process. Got excess capacity in my OWB which I only feed with the stuff I can't sell anyway and trying to think of the best way to use it. Any ideas/experiences?

I cut a ASh tree which is about a cord I split it put it in my shop turn the fan on my furnace on pilot light keeps the 20 x 20 building 60 degrees I check the next day at noon the end will be 8 to 10 percent I split a piece the middle will be 14 to 15 ready to burn. people ended up buying green wood would not burn so they buy Ash from me to burn the green wood. I do this 5 to 6 days a week. I go to the woods in the morning and I am back by noon. I cut one or two big Ash. If a Oak or Hickory gets in the way I cut them leave them in the woods for maybe cut disk for clocks. later

[r.man]

Don't, know about the economics of having a kiln for drying firewood but it could do triple duty, drying lumber, drying firewood and heat treating wood products such as firewood or pallets. Many jurisdictions now require heat treating for wood products that are moved out of the area.

[CRThomas]

DaleK,would need a insulated building,than something to put the wood into,like a box,than something with wheels to put the cart onto,than something with forks to remove the box. Than need a way to keep the snow off any kiln wood,if it did not get sold at that point.

If your going in to real business my bundled firewood business I have about $250.000.00 in my set up. I sell bundled firewood year round I don't switch from firewood to mowing grass. I don't sell when I need a case of beer or a carton of cigaretts. I sell for a living hope I didn't hurt any bodys feeling but that's the way it is. I am 73 so I have to make thing easy for me and take care of my customer

[NWP]

DaleK,would need a insulated building,than something to put the wood into,like a box,than something with wheels to put the cart onto,than something with forks to remove the box. Than need a way to keep the snow off any kiln wood,if it did not get sold at that point.

If your going in to real business my bundled firewood business I have about $250.000.00 in my set up. I sell bundled firewood year round I don't switch from firewood to mowing grass. I don't sell when I need a case of beer or a carton of cigaretts. I sell for a living hope I didn't hurt any bodys feeling but that's the way it is. I am 73 so I have to make thing easy for me and take care of my customer

A quarter million dollar setup and you cut one or two trees a day and stack it in your shop to dry?