Solar kiln 'Jotel me this' Style

[Jotel me this]

reading through this site im very interested now in solar kilns. earlier this year the wood delivery guy screwed up my whole season by NOT delivering my several cords of wood. resorting to help from this site, ive learned alot on how to best burn wood (thanks to all who has helped). Living in the forest with an endless supply of wood im set on not being dependent on others for my wood. so.. with this, im going to research and ATTEMPT to build my very own solar kiln.

Beginning brainstorming:
12/1/2018
It needs to be strong so it doesnt collapse. Im thinking the entire structure to be triangles.
Cheap. lets see how little money i can spend. why buy steal poles or PVC when i can use the trees around me? (we'll see if this was a bad idea later)

 

[KJamesJR]

Beginning brainstorming:
12/1/2018
It needs to be strong so it doesnt collapse. Im thinking the entire structure to be triangles.
Cheap. lets see how little money i can spend. why buy steal poles or PVC when i can use the trees around me? (we'll see if this was a bad idea later)

I don’t think strength has so much to do with it, rather pvc or steel will make the build more modular. There’s really no mucking about when all you need is a 90 degree elbow or a 45 for a ridge. It’s really just plug and play. Whereas you’ll need to do a lot of fitting and diddling with rough timbers to make it work. Plus PVC is strong, flexible and relatively cheap.

 

[weatherguy]

I think poindexter had a pretty good system for not much money. Might as well take advantage of his research.

 

[Jotel me this]

I think poindexter had a pretty good system for not much money. Might as well take advantage of his research.

thanks. first i have to find his info

 

[weatherguy]

Try this

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/solar-kiln-for-hardwoods.170518/#post-2287509

 

[Woodsplitter67]

thanks. first i have to find his info

Poindexter has asked me to post my kiln as it is cheaper to build, easier to bild and the results were substantial.. you have enough on your hands getting your storage needs as well as getting enough wood to burn for a year. My suggestion is put together the simple cheap kiln. Really theres no need to over do it..

 

[Dantheman300z]

Got a harbor freight close? They have inexpensive greenhouses.

 

[Jotel me this]

Poindexter has asked me to post my kiln as it is cheaper to build, easier to bild and the results were substantial.. you have enough on your hands getting your storage needs as well as getting enough wood to burn for a year. My suggestion is put together the simple cheap kiln. Really theres no need to over do it..

i want to be in the great outdoors, working with my hands, making and learning from my mistakes, and design and build my own kiln.

 

[Jotel me this]

I don’t think strength has so much to do with it, rather pvc or steel will make the build more modular. There’s really no mucking about when all you need is a 90 degree elbow or a 45 for a ridge. It’s really just plug and play. Whereas you’ll need to do a lot of fitting and diddling with rough timbers to make it work. Plus PVC is strong, flexible and relatively cheap.

very true. but part of life is being outside, getting dirty and playing in the great outdoors. i could easily buy a kiln, or go the easy route of ready-made angles... but then i wouldnt get a chance to be outside with my chainsaw, breathing in the fresh air, and mumbling under my breath when i discover i cut a branch too short

 

[KJamesJR]

very true. but part of life is being outside, getting dirty and playing in the great outdoors. i could easily buy a kiln, or go the easy route of ready-made angles... but then i wouldnt get a chance to be outside with my chainsaw, breathing in the fresh air, and mumbling under my breath when i discover i cut a branch too short

I’m sure you’ll get plenty of that if your the type that sources your own firewood.

Personally I don’t take to the hype just yet of drying your own firewood in a kiln. Soon after you take it out it will simply acclimate to ambient moisture. You might get it down to 7 or 8 percent but when it comes time to burn, depending on your climate, it will come right back up to that 15 or so. There’s a lot more space outside to dry your wood, and it’s cheap. Sunshine and wind are practically free.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I’m sure you’ll get plenty of that if your the type that sources your own firewood.

Personally I don’t take to the hype just yet of drying your own firewood in a kiln. Soon after you take it out it will simply acclimate to ambient moisture. You might get it down to 7 or 8 percent but when it comes time to burn, depending on your climate, it will come right back up to that 15 or so. There’s a lot more space outside to dry your wood, and it’s cheap. Sunshine and wind are practically free.

Your spot on as far as the wood regaining some moisture. I over did some wood getting it down to 2% i let the wod si tto regain some moisture.. but the object of the kiln is not to get the wood down to say 7% and keep it there. The object is to take wood that is mid 30% or any sub par wood and make it burnable in a short period of time, not 2-3years..
If i took wood that was 34% MC and ran the kiln and the wood came out 10%mc in july and by November the wood was 15%mc i still achieved my goal of having sub 20% wood in just 1 summer vs 2 or 3 summers.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

very true. but part of life is being outside, getting dirty and playing in the great outdoors. i could easily buy a kiln, or go the easy route of ready-made angles... but then i wouldnt get a chance to be outside with my chainsaw, breathing in the fresh air, and mumbling under my breath when i discover i cut a branch too short

I appreciate your stubborn attitude, desire to figure it out for yourself, and using what you have. I share the feelings, but lack the time, energy, and skills necessary to do too much stuff like this. I use up most of this type of energy on accumulating wood, including the building racks, and stacking, which I hate. What little I have left over I spend slowly grinding out the house renovations.

Look forward to seeing what you come up with. But, whatever you do, use clear covering!

 

[KJamesJR]

Your spot on as far as the wood regaining some moisture. I over did some wood getting it down to 2% i let the wod si tto regain some moisture.. but the object of the kiln is not to get the wood down to say 7% and keep it there. The object is to take wood that is mid 30% or any sub par wood and make it burnable in a short period of time, not 2-3years..
If i took wood that was 34% MC and ran the kiln and the wood came out 10%mc in july and by November the wood was 15%mc i still achieved my goal of having sub 20% wood in just 1 summer vs 2 or 3 summers.

I haven't had the pleasure of stacking any oak yet, but the sugar maple or what some call hard maple I suppose, was sub 20% moisture after splitting and stacking uncovered in April and burning in November. Was the same for the Apple and Elm, which I've yet to burn, but I did probe a few split-splits. I live in New England and it was really rainy and humid this past summer. I just stacked it in a single row broad side the sun. It was bone dry and went up like a match come burn time.

Despite what some say, I just can't imagine a lot of hardwoods needing a full 2 years to season unless the split is 8" wide and its over maybe 4' long.. I'm also new at this so I could be wrong. However everything I cut and split this past spring was well seasoned come November. I cut between 4"-6"W x 20"L.

I suppose if the situation calls for it and you're late to getting your stacks built a kiln wouldn't be a bad investment. But honestly, who wants to be splitting and walking in and out of a kiln in mid July. No thanks!

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

I haven't had the pleasure of stacking any oak yet, but the sugar maple or what some call hard maple I suppose, was sub 20% moisture after splitting and stacking uncovered in April and burning in November. Was the same for the Apple and Elm, which I've yet to burn, but I did probe a few split-splits. I live in New England and it was really rainy and humid this past summer. I just stacked it in a single row broad side the sun. It was bone dry and went up like a match come burn time.

Despite what some say, I just can't imagine a lot of hardwoods needing a full 2 years to season unless the split is 8" wide and its over maybe 4' long.. I'm also new at this so I could be wrong. However everything I cut and split this past spring was well seasoned come November. I cut between 4"-6"W x 20"L.

I suppose if the situation calls for it and you're late to getting your stacks built a kiln wouldn't be a bad investment. But honestly, who wants to be splitting and walking in and out of a kiln in mid July. No thanks!

Drying times depend a lot on your sun/shade/wind situation. There are members here who need 2+ years for oak and some can do it in 12-18 months. All in NE-US.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I haven't had the pleasure of stacking any oak yet, but the sugar maple or what some call hard maple I suppose, was sub 20% moisture after splitting and stacking uncovered in April and burning in November. Was the same for the Apple and Elm, which I've yet to burn, but I did probe a few split-splits. I live in New England and it was really rainy and humid this past summer. I just stacked it in a single row broad side the sun. It was bone dry and went up like a match come burn time.

Despite what some say, I just can't imagine a lot of hardwoods needing a full 2 years to season unless the split is 8" wide and its over maybe 4' long.. I'm also new at this so I could be wrong. However everything I cut and split this past spring was well seasoned come November. I cut between 4"-6"W x 20"L.

I suppose if the situation calls for it and you're late to getting your stacks built a kiln wouldn't be a bad investment. But honestly, who wants to be splitting and walking in and out of a kiln in mid July. No thanks!

Its not a kiln you walk in and out of.. my version is different.. i have messed with swamp maple which took no time to dry.. but the really dense Hardwoods are a different story.. check out the thread and you'll see how looks

 

[Jotel me this]

I appreciate your stubborn attitude

..you know what they say: "Stubborn people are the smartest". Not sure who said that but Im sure someone said it at some point

 

[Jotel me this]

what im planning on doing buying 100 acres. Then, ill stand each and every piece of firewood upright, like the Terracotta Army in china.

im sure this will dry the wood very fast

Final cost: $1.2 million