My Hillbilly solar kiln test

[Babaganoosh]

I've got an 8 foot by 4 foot single stacked bunch of black locust that I wrapped in some shrink wrap. Didn't do the bottom. It gets sun most of the day.

It's 86 degrees out right now and my probe thermometer is showing approximately 135 degrees.

 

[Z33]

I like the idea but I feel like the moisture needs a way to escape out the top...

 

[Big Chris]

I'm very interested in how this works, did u measure the moisture content before ?

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

Well, at 135 F during day time the moisture needs a way out to evaporate (upwards). Having it not wrapped at the bottom is good so it can drain out when it is cooler at night. So punching some holes in the top might help.

 

[Babaganoosh]

I've got some maple that's in one that I've measured the moisture content. It doesn't get as hot because it's not getting full sun.

You would think you want holes in the top but apparently they aren't needed. Guys on another site have done this and weep holes in the bottom or not covering the bottom gets enough moisture out when it condenses and runs down the side to be effective. I'm sure it could be tweaked to make it better but a simple wrap job like this makes a big difference and doesn't require much time.

 

[maple1]

Looks like some condensation on the plastic? So that should run down & out the bottom.

Be interesting to see the results.

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

Think I will try it too.

 

[Babaganoosh]

Looks like some condensation on the plastic? So that should run down & out the bottom.

Be interesting to see the results.

Looks like some condensation on the plastic? So that should run down & out the bottom.

Be interesting to see the results.

Yeah, it runs down the sides and out the bottom.

If you tack some scrap wood on the sides so the shrink wrap doesn't touch the fire wood it keeps the condensation off the firewood totally.

 

[xman23]

We would all like to see a test. Here's what I would do. With a few sample splits of the same wood and age. Label and weigh each piece. Put some in the plastic tent and some outside. Expose each to the same sun for the some time. Weigh each split again, and post the results here.

 

[Babaganoosh]

We would all like to see a test. Here's what I would do. With a few sample splits of the same wood and age. Label and weigh each piece. Put some in the plastic tent and some outside. Expose each to the same sun for the some time. Weigh each split again, and post the results here.

If you Google around a bit you will find it. Someone has done just that. Moisture content and weight.

 

[Soundchasm]

I've got an 8 foot by 4 foot single stacked bunch of black locust that I wrapped in some shrink wrap. Didn't do the bottom. It gets sun most of the day.

It's 86 degrees out right now and my probe thermometer is showing approximately 135 degrees.

View attachment 159994 View attachment 159995

Man, you know this thing is going to work. Once that moisture has cooked out of the wood, I'd be hard pressed to imagine a scenario where its going to go back INTO the wood. None of my storage spaces have access to full sun or I'd be all over this.

The bit of data I'd be interested in is how big a split needs to be before this isn't as effective. What if you only had to split the wood half as much as you do now? And the follow-on would be if it works as well on a (say) 3" round as a 3" split.

 

[Babaganoosh]

One thing I did notice is how much the wrap keeps the heat in. At 530 this morning the probe said it was 82 inside the wrap. It was only 64 outside. The sun hasn't been on it for about 8 to 9 hours at that point.

 

[Oldman47]

An observation on another forum was that for very green wood the kiln slowed things a bit by restricting air flow, but after a short drying period, when the easy moisture was gone, it seemed to help.

 

[BoiledOver]

We would all like to see a test. Here's what I would do. With a few sample splits of the same wood and age. Label and weigh each piece. Put some in the plastic tent and some outside. Expose each to the same sun for the some time. Weigh each split again, and post the results here.

Or you could do that very test yourself.

 

[Babaganoosh]

160 at the top today and 140 in the middle.

 

[owingsia]

Ok I am curious how fast does this speed things up? My stacks are in full sun year round.... Would this make is possible to have fully ready wood in one summer? I mean we burn 7-8 cord a year... you know what that means in terms of 3 year wood stacks? If I could cut that back to just 2 years of wood needed (one drying for use and the other sitting for "Just in case")

 

[begreen]

Yes, you can accelerate wood drying by increasing the surface area (smaller splits), temperature, lowering the humidity and/or a high volume of air flowing over the wood. This is what kiln drying is about and why stacks dry out quicker if they are in the sun with the prevailing wind blowing through the stacks.

We hare having a very sunny and dry summer. I am seeing split madrona and cherry dry out very quickly in these conditions.

 

[cptoneleg]

I've got an 8 foot by 4 foot single stacked bunch of black locust that I wrapped in some shrink wrap. Didn't do the bottom. It gets sun most of the day.

It's 86 degrees out right now and my probe thermometer is showing approximately 135 degrees.

View attachment 159994 View attachment 159995

Like making it rain on your wood every day This one should be in a place called STUPID

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

Like making it rain on your wood every day This one should be in a place called STUPID

Another member is doing an experiment and posting his findings on this forum. Why your harsh reaction to this?

 

[blades]

Like making it rain on your wood every day This one should be in a place called STUPID

You have failed to understand the process the wood is not wrapped tight there must be a standoff of the wrap from the wood to allow condensation to collect at the top and drain down the sides ( like a triangle or Cone). It does work, additionally the heated wood loses heat quite slowly in comparison to the rather rapid rise and fall of the external conditions. At the moment I have apx 2/3 of cord of marginal wood in my small garage - it is in the high 60's out right now but still close to 80 Inside. This with a 30 inch screen door. I use a fan just to move the air around and get some exchange through the screen door. Days that are at least mid 70's with Sun will have the interior of the garage at 100+ or more. I can feel the difference of humidity in and out the first few days of a new stack being placed in there. Of course days that the external humidity is way high slows the process, but no more than a conventional stack sitting outside in the elements.

 

[velvetfoot]

I like the idea of shrink wrapping a stack just so it won't fall over, lol.

 

[Ashful]

I like the idea of shrink wrapping a stack just so it won't fall over, lol.

True, but that could mean miles of plastic, for a lot of us. Not the greenest solution to a problem.

 

[KenLockett]

I like the idea of shrink wrapping a stack just so it won't fall over, lol.

or for holding tarps on top so they don't blow off.

 

[Babaganoosh]

It seems to be working but time will tell.

 

[owingsia]

sorry to keep asking this.... What is the estimated time for wood to be ready? I mean will this say make a cord of wood (Not oak, but mixed hard woods) ready in say 6 months, or will it be like 3 months less time so 20-21 months instead of 24? I guess what I am asking is is the estimated to speed things up drastically? Like could I take my Cherry that is probably going to be ready next spring and get it ready for this Jan-Feb? Would love to have an extra 2 cord of Cherry ready by then.... last year used up our back up reserves etc...