No need to kiln dry the poplar.. It will dry without any help over the summer. Poplar isn't dense, it will season in 2 months...
Solar kiln for hardwoods part deux
- Thread starter Woodsplitter67
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
No need to kiln dry the poplar.. It will dry without any help over the summer. Poplar isn't dense, it will season in 2 months...
I'm going to give it a shot next spring, I need to get 4 cords dry to stay ahead of my SILs who I barely have covered for '26-27. I could take some of my wood over there, moving those splits yet again... OR I could kiln a year's worth for them, then stack it directly into their empty sheds next fall.
I have a bunch of down Red Oak that's pretty close to the kiln site.
I'm thinking of using cattle panels to make an 8x16' enclosure, similar to what you see in the pic, but stacked in rows instead of thrown in. I would mound the top with splits, but I could make sure there's decent airflow up there. I could put vent in the top at both ends, then figure a way to close them off partially or fully as needed.
I have asphalt to stack on, although water from small section of driveway can flow across that area. I'm wondering if I need to throw pallets in the bottom, or could I stack directly on the asphalt and still get enough airflow into the center of the stack through the ends that would feed air running parallel to the stack rows, if you get my drift? It would have to beat stacking on bare ground, right?
It wouldn't be that big big a deal to go get 8 pallets and toss them down, but just wondering if I could avoid doing that without adverse effects on the drying time?
I plan on using one piece of plastic over the whole thing, so I guess I'll roll up the excess plastic at the bottom of the sides around some 2x4s and then secure those to the bottom of the cattle panels, leaving a few inches for air to enter.
The site gets sun all afternoon, on the top/end, and then one long side of the stack.
![[Hearth.com] Solar kiln for hardwoods part deux](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/wood-webp.341274/ "[Hearth.com] Solar kiln for hardwoods part deux")
I have a bunch of down Red Oak that's pretty close to the kiln site.
I'm thinking of using cattle panels to make an 8x16' enclosure, similar to what you see in the pic, but stacked in rows instead of thrown in. I would mound the top with splits, but I could make sure there's decent airflow up there. I could put vent in the top at both ends, then figure a way to close them off partially or fully as needed.
I have asphalt to stack on, although water from small section of driveway can flow across that area. I'm wondering if I need to throw pallets in the bottom, or could I stack directly on the asphalt and still get enough airflow into the center of the stack through the ends that would feed air running parallel to the stack rows, if you get my drift? It would have to beat stacking on bare ground, right?
It wouldn't be that big big a deal to go get 8 pallets and toss them down, but just wondering if I could avoid doing that without adverse effects on the drying time?
I plan on using one piece of plastic over the whole thing, so I guess I'll roll up the excess plastic at the bottom of the sides around some 2x4s and then secure those to the bottom of the cattle panels, leaving a few inches for air to enter.
The site gets sun all afternoon, on the top/end, and then one long side of the stack.
Last edited:
I'm going to give it a shot next spring, I need to get 4 cords dry to stay ahead of my SILs who I barely have covered for '26-27. I could take some of my wood over there, moving those splits yet again... OR I could kiln a year's worth for them, then stack it directly into their empty sheds next fall.
I have a bunch of down Red Oak that's pretty close to the kiln site.
I'm thinking of using cattle panels to make an 8x16' enclosure, similar to what you see in the pic, but stacked in rows instead of thrown in. I would mound the top with splits, but I could make sure there's decent airflow up there. I could put vent in the top at both ends, then figure a way to close them off partially or fully as needed.
I have asphalt to stack on, although water from small section of driveway can flow across that area. I'm wondering if I need to throw pallets in the bottom, or could I stack directly on the asphalt and still get enough airflow into the center of the stack through the ends that would feed air running parallel to the stack rows, if you get my drift? It would have to beat stacking on bare ground, right?
It wouldn't be that big big a deal to go get 8 pallets and toss them down, but just wondering if I could avoid doing that without adverse effects on the drying time?
I plan on using one piece of plastic over the whole thing, so I guess I'll roll up the excess plastic at the bottom of the sides around some 2x4s and then secure those to the bottom of the cattle panels, leaving a few inches for air to enter.
The site gets sun all afternoon, on the top/end, and then one long side of the stack.
Me personally I'd stack it on the pallets and keep the bottom row off the asphalt.
