Got an idea for kiln drying logs. Any feedback appreciated.

[Danny Boy]

Hi all,

 

In trying to keep things simple i thought how about using a 20ft container & loading logs in it on trolleys (the 5-6 ft tall type shops get stock delivered off the back of trucks in). Then having a wood burner to provide heat.

 

I haven't quite thought out the workings yet but wondered if anyone has tried this & what the practicalities of having a fire in the container are (ie feeding it wood etc)

 

Would something oil fed be more practical to stop opening the doors to feed more wood etc, or have a chute to feed wood?

 

Any guesses as to how long it would take to season as well?

 

Cheers in advance.

[Joy Yeomans]

Hi all,

 

In trying to keep things simple i thought how about using a 20ft container & loading logs in it on trolleys (the 5-6 ft tall type shops get stock delivered off the back of trucks in). Then having a wood burner to provide heat.

 

I haven't quite thought out the workings yet but wondered if anyone has tried this & what the practicalities of having a fire in the container are (ie feeding it wood etc)

 

Would something oil fed be more practical to stop opening the doors to feed more wood etc, or have a chute to feed wood?

 

Any guesses as to how long it would take to season as well?

 

Cheers in advance.

 

the thing to bear in mind would be condensation id have thought if doors shut, and then the wood turning mouldy possibly? but its something weve thought off, but i think would you need a fan to draw the warm air across and the damp cold air back out?

 

good luck, keep us posted

[chestnut]

i would have thought that a fan at each end of the container (one to suck air in and the other to let it out) would work ok

 

i know that you can get tents that do exactly that - they were originally designed to keep moisture out the upholstery of classic cars - but i have used them to dry furniture that had been caustic dipped - and it works quite well

[Big J]

Air flow is what you will really struggle with. Even in a conventional lumber drying kiln it can be an issue, and this is with relatively uniform boards with uniform air gaps in between them.

 

Getting effective air movement with multiple trolleys of loose logs with no clear path for the air is going to be very difficult.

 

Kiln dried firewood maybe has it's market, but it isn't something that I would bother with. It burns a bit too quickly (in my opinion based on beech and cherry that have been kilned and then burned) and the additional cost just isn't worth it.

[log supplier]

try you tube.. waste oil burners...

engine oill burners?

waste chip oil burners

might save alot of time and stop burning your profits

[slack ma girdle]

i think that you would be better off investing your money in a covered area and letting the air (which is free) dry it. If it is stacked like thisthen the wood dies pretty quickly. this wood (Alder) was felled in march, cut split into 3' lenghts and was ready to burn by August, with a moisture content below 20%. Now that winter and the rains have arrived, the drying process has slowed. If i could afford a drying shed i.e. a roof, then the fast drying could continue year round.

[Ian C]

I season outside so not an expert so im just asking, when its kiln dried and you take it out and deliver it and mrs miggins then stores it in the garage or shed etc it will only take moisture back in so your no better off really.

[Fentiger]

Delivered to a customer this week who had some of the famous plastic bags of kiln dried in her garage. The logs inside the bags had mould on them!

We cut, split and stack all our logs in our drying barn, this has a roof, pallet floor and sides. Even at this time of year the logs moisture content is down to less than 20% and more often sub 18% in about two weeks. By dividing the barn into sections we are able to easily `rotate` stock.

[s.varty]

I season outside so not an expert so im just asking, when its kiln dried and you take it out and deliver it and mrs miggins then stores it in the garage or shed etc it will only take moisture back in so your no better off really.

 

spot on mate! i have got an old broom in my shed which hasnt seen the light of day for years, the handle has a moisture reading of14 per cent. says it all really.

[Chris Gagen]

am i right in thinking that those who don't use the ventilated bulk bags, don't use them mainly due to not having a loader of some sort with which to handle them?

 

just seems to me that there's so much handling of the timber that could be avoided. cutting up your firewood green and letting season in the stacked bags under a cover of some sort in the draught is surely the most cost effective way!

 

even the loader issue can be solved by using the barrow bags!

 

let nature work for you guys!