solar kiln

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Dragon

New User
David
Well, since I normally work with stumps and the butt ends of logs and trees, and slabs that I cut in the neighborhood of 3" thick and up, I'm going to try something.:widea: I've been reading and attempting to digest the various articles and dissections of building a solar kiln. I'm gonna attempt to throw one together out of what I can lay my hands on around here and see how it goes.:dontknow: Not having a nice funding source for doing this, it's definitely going to to be a cobble-this-sucker-together kinda deal.:eusa_thin I'll try to take pics along the way and we'll see what becomes of this. Who knows, it just might work and if it does, we can all build one.:tinysmile_tongue_t:

I'm going to try to use as much recyclable/ed materials as possible. Where I work, we throw out huge quantities of styrofoam and expanded foam.:eusa_naug Owing to the current cost of conventional insulation purchased from the big box retailers, I'm gonna try using "The Man's" trash and make it my treasure. Ideas, hints, tips, donations, etc. will be appreciated:help: and incorporated where possible. The idea here is to make this on the cheap and preferably free, excluding labor of course.:rotflm:
 

JackLeg

New User
Reggie
Dragon, I've had a solar kiln in operation since about last May. I wet to VT and took the 2 day class on operation of a solar kiln, and I will assure you it is MORE than worth the money. ($125) I may build a second one this spring. So yep, I'm happy with mine.

I built mine from the VT plans on their web site. Pretty straight forward. Good floor system a must. You've got a leg up having insulation available. Shoot for R-30 or better.

The roof, or solar collector, is the next most important part. The VT kiln is designed with one square foot of collector for and equivalent amount of board feet. In our area, a 45 degree slant on the roof is good. Face it south. There are pictures in my gallery of construction.

Rear opening full size doors are the only way to go unless you plan loading and unloading strictly by hand. A tractor or Bobcat is a much easier option!!

The type wood you are attempting to dry determines how you operate the kiln. Get a decent moisture meter to begin with.

OK, enough. There are other guys on here with lots of lumber drying experience.

If I can answer any questions for you, PM me or give me a call, OR, feel free to come take a look. You're welcome anytime.

:wsmile:
 

Dragon

New User
David
Thanks JackLeg, I might have to take you up on those offers. I'm still in the brain wracking stage right now but I do have a concept and some ideas floating around. Don't plan on doing any large scale drying of "lumber" type items so my needs are a bit different from other folks. Drying logs and tree stumps is whole 'nuther ballgame.
 

Glennbear

Moderator
Glenn
Good luck David, if you dig through Jackleg's old threads there is a lot of good info there on solar kilns. :wsmile:
 

JackLeg

New User
Reggie
You might want to look over on the Forestry Forum. There are some guys over there who deal with unique situations and products. Interesting to see how different folks do things.
 

Alan in Little Washington

Alan Schaffter
Corporate Member
If anyone wants a completed one, built to VA Tech specs, I believe you can get this one for a song (maybe free?).

You bring the JerrDan to haul it. The guy who built and owns it does not do much flat work- almost all spinny stuff now- so it hasn't hardly been used and definitely not in the last 2 - 3 years. He is a former surgeon who can no longer operate so took up woodworking and in the last few years, turning. His surgical skills paid off and he does some beautiful work. He also teaches at the Campbell School!!! So we are not talking chopped liver.

I would take it (he offered it to me for free) but I lost my wood guy and don't have room on my neighborhood lot. Here is what it looked like two years ago. It hasn't been used since. Even at the price of gas it might be worth it, if he still wants to get rid of it cheap. If anyone is interested, send me a PM and I'll send you his contact info.

Kiln-2.JPG


Kiln-1.JPG


Kiln-4.JPG



Kiln-3.JPG


Kiln-5.JPG
 

Glennbear

Moderator
Glenn
If anyone wants a completed one, built to VA Tech specs, I believe you can get this one for a song (maybe free?).

You bring the JerrDan to haul it. The guy who built and owns it does not do much flat work- almost all spinny stuff now- so it hasn't hardly been used and definitely not in the last 2 - 3 years. He is a former surgeon who can no longer operate so took up woodworking and in the last few years, turning. His surgical skills paid off and he does some beautiful work. He also teaches at the Campbell School!!! So we are not talking chopped liver.

I would take it (he offered it to me for free) but I lost my wood guy and don't have room on my neighborhood lot. Here is what it looked like two years ago. It hasn't been used since. Even at the price of gas it might be worth it, if he still wants to get rid of it cheap. If anyone is interested, send me a PM and I'll send you his contact info.

Kiln-2.JPG


Kiln-1.JPG


Kiln-4.JPG



Kiln-3.JPG


Kiln-5.JPG

Tempting, VERY tempting :confused_
 

scsmith42

New User
Scott Smith
Tempting, VERY tempting :confused_


You snooze, you loose!

PM already sent this AM!

Sometimes it's nice to have your own trailer and skid steer...

Seriously, I need to add more kiln capacity, and am planning to augment my DH system with 5 solar kilns (tied into my existing controll equipment).
 

JimmyC

New User
Jimmy
You snooze, you loose!

PM already sent this AM!

Sometimes it's nice to have your own trailer and skid steer...

Seriously, I need to add more kiln capacity, and am planning to augment my DH system with 5 solar kilns (tied into my existing controll equipment).

Yeah, yeah I know:BangHead:.... I contacted Alan just after you and found that out.
A skid steer and trailer wouldn't even have been needed just a flat bed tow truck. Eventually I will have one, albeit a small one (400-600 bd/ft.) but the money is not there so I will wait.

Congratulations !:icon_thum
 
M

McRabbet

Sometimes it's nice to have your own trailer and skid steer...
Good snag on the solar Kiln, but I though that trailer was last seen loaded up with lots of Green Machines? We never saw it all unloaded... No pics, didn't happen! Inquiring minds just gotta know!
 

JimmyC

New User
Jimmy
Good snag on the solar Kiln, but I though that trailer was last seen loaded up with lots of Green Machines? We never saw it all unloaded... No pics, didn't happen! Inquiring minds just gotta know!


McRabbet makes a very valid point :gar-Bi.
 

Alan in Little Washington

Alan Schaffter
Corporate Member
As you see from above, Scott called dibs first and Jimmy is second in line. I visited the kiln this afternoon and forwarded the info to Scott. I'm sure if he doesn't strike a deal he will let everyone know so someone else has a shot.
 

Gotcha6

Dennis
Staff member
Corporate Member
Don't know much about the kilns, but if you need to cut much styrofoam it may be worthwhile to look on Ebay for a hot wire knife kit. It'll make getting your foram to size a breeze.
 

Dragon

New User
David
Well, looks like I missed out on the ready-built kiln deal. Oh well, I was looking forward to building/throwing together my own out of whatever.......

Don't think I'll be needing to do much foam cutting since most of the stuff I have my eyes on is already cut as opposed to big sheets and chunks. There will be some trimming of course but I plan to use what's available as much as possible and I think most of it will fit as is. (best laid plans and all that)
 

scsmith42

New User
Scott Smith
Good snag on the solar Kiln, but I though that trailer was last seen loaded up with lots of Green Machines? We never saw it all unloaded... No pics, didn't happen! Inquiring minds just gotta know!

Oh gosh, those were unloaded last week. Not uncrated mind you, just unloaded and stashed in a corner of the workshop.

I needed the trailer to start hauling some of the electrical infrastructure back from a closed textile mill.

Alan, thanks again for this lead!

Scott
 
J

jeff...

Seriously, I need to add more kiln capacity, and am planning to augment my DH system with 5 solar kilns (tied into my existing controll equipment).

What does that mean? You know I've been leaving you alone... I know your busy'er than a bullfrog in a lillypond on a hot summer day. We still on for the middle of March to bust up some of those monster logs you got laying around up there? I wanna see some 24" wide QS oak fall off the woodmizer ya know?
 

scsmith42

New User
Scott Smith
What does that mean? You know I've been leaving you alone... I know your busy'er than a bullfrog in a lillypond on a hot summer day. We still on for the middle of March to bust up some of those monster logs you got laying around up there? I wanna see some 24" wide QS oak fall off the woodmizer ya know?

Yup, still on schedule to make the sawdust fly!

I'll post an update on the shop in a separate thread.
 
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