Getting some wood kiln dried

DanR

New User
Dan
Hi Folks,
Does anyone know of a place where I could get some thick (2 - 6 inch thick) slabs of white oak and hemlock dried? We had to take down some trees in the yard and I have some slabs that I need for a mantle and banisters. The wood is between Boone and Wilkesboro, but I drive back and forth from Durham to Boone every week.

Thanks,
Dan
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
Try asking Scott Smith (scsmith42) and ask if he'll do them for you. So the yard and your slabs are in Boone?

How many slabs to bring back to Hillsborough?
 

scsmith42

New User
Scott Smith
Although it’s possible to dry 2” thick oak from green, it is rather expensive and takes several months.

A high vacuum kiln can dry oak up to 3” or so, but there is no known kiln drying process for drying 4” or thicker oak from green.
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
Scott,
Should the slabs be air dried for some period of time (1-3 years) before being dried in a solar kiln or dehumidification kiln? Do you have a high vacuum kiln?



Although it’s possible to dry 2” thick oak from green, it is rather expensive and takes several months.

A high vacuum kiln can dry oak up to 3” or so, but there is no known kiln drying process for drying 4” or thicker oak from green.
 

scsmith42

New User
Scott Smith
Scott,
Should the slabs be air dried for some period of time (1-3 years) before being dried in a solar kiln or dehumidification kiln? Do you have a high vacuum kiln?

Yes, they should start the drying process via air drying. The 8/4 stock can go into a solar kiln just about any time, but the 12/4 and thicker will need several months of air drying first.

Unfortunately, the deep vacuum kiln that I want starts at 250K. It hasn’t come up to the stop of the budget list yet....
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
Thanks Scott.



Yes, they should start the drying process via air drying. The 8/4 stock can go into a solar kiln just about any time, but the 12/4 and thicker will need several months of air drying first.

Unfortunately, the deep vacuum kiln that I want starts at 250K. It hasn’t come up to the stop of the budget list yet....
 

DanR

New User
Dan
Thanks guys. I will air dry for a while. I started building a solar kiln and have not finished it. I guess I will get it done by summer. I will leave the thick stuff air drying until next year.
 

Roy G

Roy
Senior User
Thanks guys. I will air dry for a while. I started building a solar kiln and have not finished it. I guess I will get it done by summer. I will leave the thick stuff air drying until next year.
All this talk about drying wood makes me wonder if you could put some green wood up in the attic and let the dry hot air up there do some drying. Or is that too extreme?

Roy G
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
Dan, a solar kiln is an interesting experiment. Where'd you get that idea and the plans to build it? Do you have ready access to freshly sawed timber to dry in your kiln?


Thanks guys. I will air dry for a while. I started building a solar kiln and have not finished it. I guess I will get it done by summer. I will leave the thick stuff air drying until next year.
 

scsmith42

New User
Scott Smith
All this talk about drying wood makes me wonder if you could put some green wood up in the attic and let the dry hot air up there do some drying. Or is that too extreme?

Roy G

Depends upon the species. Drying wood is not so much about placing it in a hot environment as it it about controlling the temp, RH% and air flow.

You would achieve a higher quality result from drying at 90F than at 140F in a hot attic.

Although a solar kiln may hit 140F, proper operation is keeping kiln RH% higher during the initial phases of drying. That would be difficult to do in an attic.

If any species would work, it would be pine and poplar.
 

DanR

New User
Dan
Dan, a solar kiln is an interesting experiment. Where'd you get that idea and the plans to build it? Do you have ready access to freshly sawed timber to dry in your kiln?

Sorry it took me so long to see your message Jeff, I have been working too hard lately!

I think the first time I saw one was a post from Scott Smith. There are plans on the web, here is one from Virginia Tech:

and here is one from Oregon State:


I like Gwinnett videos, I had not see this one before, I am going to watch it tonight. Gwinnett is close to Atlanta, so what they do is probably applicable to us:

I think I have watched most of these youtube videos:

solar kiln - YouTube

I have everything I need to build it, just need a-round-too-it!
 

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