Need any boards kiln dried???

[scsmith42]

Hi all. As most of the picnic attendees know, I have a commercial wood drying kiln (dehumidification type) that I have used for the past several years. It is a good sized kiln, and depending upon the species I dry up to 4000 bd feet per load.

During the past few weeks I have received calls from folks that are interested in having a small amount of wood dried. Since it is not economically feasable to operate the kiln for a few hundred board feet, (the energy costs are practically the same for 200 or 2000 bd ft) reluctantly I have not been able to provide them with a solution to their needs.

I have an idea that I'd like to toss out for discussion. First - some background. Once wood is dried below 25%, in a dehumidification kiln mixing species is not as much of a problem since the maximum permissable MC% reduction per day increases significantly. From green to 25% though, any species mixing is contingent upon matching up similar recommended daily MC reduction percentages.

Since many members may have air dried lumber that they would like to have kiln dried down to 6 - 8%, I am wondering if there would be any interest in pooling several folks together to do a 1500 - 2000 bd foot mixed load? The caveat here would be that the lumber would have to have an initial MC% of 25% or less in order to join the pool.

Please respond to this post or send me a PM if you're interested, and let me know the species, thickness, and approximate board footage of the lumber that you'd like dried. Also let me know how long it's been air drying, and the current MC% if known.

If enough folks express interest, I have an opening in the kiln schedule starting around June 8th (give or take a few days).

Regards, Scott

 

[NCPete]

hmmmm, sounds like fun! I have 100 bf walnut at 4/4, and 100 feet soft maple at 5/4(? I think?) I may need to take advantage of the offer. How much for my share?

 

[scsmith42]

Pete, thanks for the response and interest. RE price, the short answer is "it depends"...

My daily kiln operating costs are pretty much the same, weather or not there is 200 board feet in it or 2000 board feet. Thus, the larger the load, the more I can bring my cost down per board foot. My other major cost is labor related to loading and stickering the kiln. There are some species and thicknesses that I would not be comfortable with mixing, so this will factor in as well.

What I'd like to do is to see if we can get a total load 2000 or so board feet assembled, and if the owners would be willing to contribute their labor towards stacking and stickering the load. Based upon what will be the slowest drying boards, I can then quote everybody the lowest possible price in order to help alleviate the pent up demand of having small batches of boards kiln dried.

Make sense?

Scott

 

[NCPete]

sounds good, lemme wrangle up some $$

 

[Rocker]

Scott,
I have 100 bf of 8/4 walnut and 100 bf 8/4 sycamore that I'd like to have dried, but it is still wet and won't be down to 25% for months. Maybe I can get in a pool for the fall. I do have 100 bf of 8/4 r/o that is down to 10-12% that I would put in this pool.
let me know how it goes.
John

 

[MikeH]

Scott that sounds like a great idea! I am sure there will be plenty interest in this. :eusa_clap

 

[Douglas Robinson]

Scott:

Thanks for the offer. I have been air-drying the black walnut I bought from Jeff a few months ago. I am planning on a number of outdoor projects later this Summer requiring Cypress. If I can find 200-300 bdf of it I would like to take you up on your offer and dry it in your Kiln.

Doug

 

[owen299]

Scott,
I have 150-200 bft of black walnut that Jeff sawed for me earlier this year. It's all 8/4 ...I don't know the moisture content now but if possible I'd be interested.

 

[Douglas Robinson]

Owen:

My black walnut from Jeff is air drying. It is 8-10% right now.

Doug

 

[sapwood]

Would ERC be compatible . . . assuming it met the MC and other conditions?

Roger

 

[BobN]

Scott, I've 100 bd ft of 5/4 Walnut that I would like to get dried. Also have a 100 bd ft of Cherry.

Bob

 

[scsmith42]

Hi All - thanks for the responses. I've been out baling hay all week, and away from e-mail. Let me see if I can answer a few of the questions:

Sapwood - ERC is usually a very fast drying wood (similar to poplar). Under 25% MC, I would not see a problem with including it.

Doug - 8 - 10% on your BW would work well.

Looks like there is about 650 - 700 bd feet interested so far - let's see who else reponds and if we can get up to the 1500 bd ft min.

Regards, Scott

 

[scsmith42]

Thanks to all that responded.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like we'll make the 1500 bd feet min for my kiln, and it is not cost effective to operate it with a smaller load, so it looks like we'll need to shelve this idea for now.

One of these days I need to build a smaller kiln to augment my big one.

Regards,

Scott