Drying Wood

[wobblydoggy]

My supplier in France is a wood mill two man band that drags the timber off of the farm land and into their hanger.

They are nice guys, but I think have got a bit jaded.

They have long lead times, but then call you out of the blue as to why you have not collected your wood.

You arrive to find it stacked outside in the rain.

So.... Once it is safely back in barn, how can I dry it quicker without drying it too fast?

Fan heaters blowing through the stacked and spaced timber?

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

you would need a proper humidity controlled kiln. Speed is the enemy of drying wood because that's what causes the stress which warps and splits the fibres. A home built kiln is entirely possible and not too expensive either. I've been researching them myself for turning blanks. To facilitate drying without a kiln you need to sticker the boards so air can get to them, keep them under cover but in a windy place preferably and seal the end grain

 

[wobblydoggy]

you would need a proper humidity controlled kiln. Speed is the enemy of drying wood because that's what causes the stress which warps and splits the fibres. A home built kiln is entirely possible and not too expensive either. I've been researching them myself for turning blanks. To facilitate drying without a kiln you need to sticker the boards so air can get to them, keep them under cover but in a windy place preferably and seal the end grain

I had planned to wafer them and I have the loft in my barn which is warm, but draughty.

So I suppose I have a ready made space.

Luckily just taken 18 beams out that are two hundred years old, so I have a supply until the rest drys

 

[pete66]

Hi all. Just thought I'd give my 2 penneth re my own kiln. Its made from a 6 foot tall zanussi freezer, and heated with a 60w light bulb that sits in the base on a tin can to keep the bulb from direct contact of the plastic. I have drilled 2 3/8 holes in the roof and 3 of the same size in the bottom of the door. I hang an outside temperature sensor inside on the top shelf with the display hanging on the outside of the door. If I leave the light on, in about 24 hours I am achieving an internal temperature of 34c. That has proven too hot for really wet blanks leading to cracking and warping. I'm now experimenting with good success at turning off the bulb at about 23c. I have access to thermastats in my trade, but nothing that would work on such relatively low temperatures. So at least for the time being, the best I can do is to control the time the bulb is on with a simple plug in timer. I'll try to keep the group up to speed with developments but so far, with little to no cost, I think I have the makings of a kiln!

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Interesting Pete - I for one will be keen to follow your progress because I'm collecting turning blanks at an alarming rate and the several year wait is tiresome to say the least. Its inevitable I'll end up trying some kind of heath robinson effort for a kiln so if you can nail it for a low start up cost I will be all ears.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Hi all. Just thought I'd give my 2 penneth re my own kiln. Its made from a 6 foot tall zanussi freezer, and heated with a 60w light bulb that sits in the base on a tin can to keep the bulb from direct contact of the plastic...

How are you moving the air across the wood? Air movement is a key component of the process. Simply making the interior warm or even hot isn't ideal because you need to move air that's become saturated with moisture evaporated from the wood (and therefore unable to carry any more moisture) out of the space and replace it with fresh drier air. You may even need to have a system for reversing airflow and an arrangement of baffles to encourage airflow over all the wood, not just directed at one spot: these latter points matter more with large batches which I suspect yours are not. Slainte.

 

[wobblydoggy]

Hi all. Just thought I'd give my 2 penneth re my own kiln. Its made from a 6 foot tall zanussi freezer, and heated with a 60w light bulb that sits in the base on a tin can to keep the bulb from direct contact of the plastic...

How are you moving the air across the wood? Air movement is a key component of the process. Simply making the interior warm or even hot isn't ideal because you need to move air that's become saturated with moisture evaporated from the wood (and therefore unable to carry any more moisture) out of the space and replace it with fresh drier air. You may even need to have a system for reversing airflow and an arrangement of baffles to encourage airflow over all the wood, not just directed at one spot: these latter points matter more with large batches which I suspect yours are not. Slainte.

I have not got a kiln, but I have a draughty French loft space with windows low down in it.

I have stacked mine there and my builder said yesterday they were steadily drying.

This is only douglas fir for floorboards and kitchen units.

When I get my barn across the road I will rack and stack the oak etc well ahead.