Hi Cube Reefer Kiln Build

thechknhwk · May 23, 2015, 07:41:22 PM

I'm trying to find the Jim Price (Det Tigers announcer) audio or a youtube video of him saying "NOW THAT'S A YELLA HAMMER!" But alas I cannot... Great job on this kiln! Do you think the L200 would also be suited to a bit of a smaller container, like a 24 or 28 footer?

YellowHammer · May 23, 2015, 10:37:00 PM

Yes, I'm sure it would, and it may actually be a more optimum configuration with less length. When I talked to the guys at Nyle, they said they had just rigged up a 40 footer into two 20 footers with two L200's for a large and famous guitar manufacturer.

Oww
I like the wheel chock idea, I bet they'll have them at the Zone.

Scsmith42, I appreciate the compliments and advice you've given me.

Ljohnsaw · May 23, 2015, 11:21:24 PM

If you are not planning on extending your "Short Line" RR in the near future, I'd weld on some steel to the end of the track and you'd never have to worry about losing a car.

WDH · May 24, 2015, 07:50:23 AM

You will need a whistle for that train :D.

Reniker76 · May 24, 2015, 02:04:14 PM

I have been looking at building a reefer kiln for drying firewood. I am going to be watching this very closely.

YellowHammer · May 28, 2015, 10:51:01 PM

Quote from: WDH on May 24, 2015, 07:50:23 AM
You will need a whistle for that train :D.

I keep thinking I should be able to do something like that to entertain the kids while the parents are shopping and buying wood.

Good things have been happening. I got everything running and tested today. I'm sure not done yet, but I'm getting close.

So just as it started raining and lightning this afternoon, I threw the switches, let the electrons loose and everything worked as it was supposed to. 8)

GeneWengert-WoodDoc · May 29, 2015, 06:22:09 AM

Drain water can be very acidic and will corrode metal, even aluminum. Drain water will also crust the wick and then readings are incorrect. Distilled water is best. Perhaps a large reservoir with a float valve (like a toilet) that adds water from the large reservoir to the wet bulb box when needed.

WDH · May 29, 2015, 09:04:17 AM

So that is why my wet bulb wick gets crusty

.

GeneWengert-WoodDoc · May 29, 2015, 10:14:50 AM

A crusty wick results from the use of water with minerals in it for the wet bulb wick. The water evaporates and leaves the minerals behind...distiller water has no minerals, so no crust!

Ljohnsaw · May 29, 2015, 10:46:19 AM

Doc,
Maybe I don't know exactly how this kiln works. Isn't there a dehumidifier? If so, the water it collects would be pure, distilled water, wouldn't it? Is the "drain water" something different?
Thanks for your info.

pine · May 29, 2015, 12:10:10 PM

I also had thought the drain water would be pure/distilled off the humidifier at first thought. My design plan was to treat it like pure water as well.
Maybe the moisture in the kiln air is so saturated with the minerals and wood tannins/acid that it is actually held in a near vaporous suspension and thus can condense off the cooler coils depositing the airborne suspension and not be pure water.

I have never been in a drying kiln/dehumidification kiln. Is there air so heavy with moisture that it is more fog like with small airborne water droplets?

Waiting for Gene's response because I think I misunderstood the dehumidifier's waters source.

I learn just about everyday as this thread rolls-on.

GeneWengert-WoodDoc · May 29, 2015, 04:52:37 PM

Here is a technical explanation that I hope makes practical sense. The air in the kiln has many chemicals or vapors in it. When this air is passed over cold coils in the DH, any vapor that will condense at 40 F will condense. As a result, the DH will have acidic water as there are some acids in the air that will condense, as well as water vapor. When drying cedar, some cedar oils will condense and the water will smell nice and be white in color. Walnut has some dark colored chemicals that will condense. And there are other species too. So, we do not have pure water in the drain. Ok?

YellowHammer · May 30, 2015, 05:47:55 AM

That answers a question I've had when drying cedar.

GeneWengert-WoodDoc · May 30, 2015, 10:39:21 AM

I wonder if a person could collect the condensate from cedar drying, bottle it, and then sell it as a cedar aroma restorer for spraying on cedar that has lost part of its aroma. Maybe it is not legal. But it seems like a neat idea.

Dad2FourWI · May 30, 2015, 01:34:35 PM

Wow! What a project!!

Looks great..... man oh man, you sure do have energy and imagination YellowHammer!!!!!

Nice Job!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

-Dad2FourWI

armechanic · May 30, 2015, 02:49:12 PM

I reading about how to move your carts in and out. I am thinking of rigging a system like the sawmills, cable wrap around a drum 2 or 3 times go to end of track around a pulley and to the cart, other end same way to other end of cart then put a reversible motor on the drum, pulls on one side as it lets off cable on the other side. then reverse to go other direction.

GeneWengert-WoodDoc · May 30, 2015, 04:53:54 PM

In the old days when rails were the common way to load and unload, the technique mentioned by armechanic was exactly how it was done, using an electric motor. The motor could be moved from rail to rail...kiln to kiln.

redprospector · May 30, 2015, 11:54:46 PM

Sometimes it seems that the old way is still a good way. ;D

YellowHammer · June 10, 2015, 10:57:38 PM

It was a big day today, everything is done (mostly ;D) and we ran a half load of wood into the kiln. Here's me loading the carts with the forklift.

GeneWengert-WoodDoc · June 11, 2015, 06:55:31 AM

I am totally impressed. Congrats.

WDH · June 11, 2015, 07:31:14 AM

Awesome, Robert. The grass around the kiln should stay nice and green.

scsmith42 · June 11, 2015, 07:50:35 AM

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing your journey.

OneWithWood · June 11, 2015, 12:14:25 PM

Excellent job, YH.
If you have quick attach forks on that tractor it may be easier to detach the forks and just use the FEL carriage to push the load in. That is what I do and I find I have more control and it is easier. But, then again, my JD4520 is considerably smaller than your tractor.

Ljohnsaw · June 11, 2015, 02:47:42 PM

Just curious. Did you even try to push it in by hand? Wondering how much force it takes to move that stack with all those wheels on your cart. I suppose it will be a bit easier to pull them out with all the water gone!

GeneWengert-WoodDoc · June 11, 2015, 06:14:34 PM

I saw one operation that had a large pipe that fit like a sleeve on one fork. The pipe, about six feet long, then had a flat plate at the end of the pipe about two feet long (horizontal) and 10" high that was used as a pusher plate. It looked a bit like the letter "T". Hope this is clear. Maybe this would be an improvement?