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

[Fahrenheit]

I know this thread is a couple of months old but thought i'd put my input.

 

I'm just starting out in the firewood business......mostly as i'm sick of cowboys selling wet wood as seasoned. Also we have a stove shop and installation service and get called out many times a year due to stoves not working properly. Every time it's down to wet wood. Also the only local guy who does sell seasoned wood is so ungrateful for the work (i give him about 350 new customers a year and he does nothing but moan) and he wont take on any more new customers so i really have no option but to do it myself and take them all back. I have around 4000 customers who we've installed stoves for over the years so it should be an instant business if i just give them a call/drop them a letter.

 

Now obviously i'm lacking experience but i've done a lot of research and asked a lot of questions to people in the trade......obviously there will be mistakes made but that's life.

 

Anyways........to start with we're going to cut and split a load of wood and dispense into ventilated bulk sacks...........i want to be able to start selling some wood pretty quickly so i can get some money coming back in to buy the next load of wood.........I have a 45 foot insulated (ex refrigeration trailer). I plan on fitting a workshop stove at the far end which will burn all the rubbish and sawdust from processing the timber. I plan on installing several air vents at the far end near the wood burner and then at the other end of the trailer i'm going to install several bathroom extractor fans......these are very low power consumption but if i install enough it should help distribute the heat around the trailer and also circulate air through the trailer and dry the wood.

 

Anyone got any idea how long the wood will take to dry if i can maintain the trailer at around 35 degrees C?

 

Once the trailer is full i plan on filling up our barns and leaving that to season naturally for next year.......once i get a year in front then i'll stop using the trailer to artificially dry it.....it's just so i can get selling some this year.

 

That's the plan anyway.......anyone see any reasons why it shouldn't work?

 

Cheers,

Chris

[gensetsteve]

I know this thread is a couple of months old but thought i'd put my input.

 

I'm just starting out in the firewood business......mostly as i'm sick of cowboys selling wet wood as seasoned. Also we have a stove shop and installation service and get called out many times a year due to stoves not working properly. Every time it's down to wet wood. Also the only local guy who does sell seasoned wood is so ungrateful for the work (i give him about 350 new customers a year and he does nothing but moan) and he wont take on any more new customers so i really have no option but to do it myself and take them all back. I have around 4000 customers who we've installed stoves for over the years so it should be an instant business if i just give them a call/drop them a letter.

 

Now obviously i'm lacking experience but i've done a lot of research and asked a lot of questions to people in the trade......obviously there will be mistakes made but that's life.

 

Anyways........to start with we're going to cut and split a load of wood and dispense into ventilated bulk sacks...........i want to be able to start selling some wood pretty quickly so i can get some money coming back in to buy the next load of wood.........I have a 45 foot insulated (ex refrigeration trailer). I plan on fitting a workshop stove at the far end which will burn all the rubbish and sawdust from processing the timber. I plan on installing several air vents at the far end near the wood burner and then at the other end of the trailer i'm going to install several bathroom extractor fans......these are very low power consumption but if i install enough it should help distribute the heat around the trailer and also circulate air through the trailer and dry the wood.

 

Anyone got any idea how long the wood will take to dry if i can maintain the trailer at around 35 degrees C?

 

Once the trailer is full i plan on filling up our barns and leaving that to season naturally for next year.......once i get a year in front then i'll stop using the trailer to artificially dry it.....it's just so i can get selling some this year.

 

That's the plan anyway.......anyone see any reasons why it shouldn't work?

 

Cheers,

Chris

 

 

I would say if you have referals from 4000 installs leave logs well alone. Buying cord to turn into dry logs is going to be alot of work for little profit.

 

Things will now go quiet and sales will dry up so no rush to build a kiln if you are determined to do logs just dry it in the sun you have 6 months to do it.

 

If you are determined to use a kiln what about an iso container painted black left in the sun all day. Solar panels to run vent fans. I have a black container and the temperature is unbeliveable in summer. Or as someone has said a poly tunnel.

 

The only way to make money out of logs is to educate the public into taking their wood now for next year and getting a good supply of free timber. Other wise at £75 a tonne 3/4 of your turnover will go in expenses. Just my view but good luck with what you intend doing.

[renewablejohn]

Dont do it you will kill yourself. Wood smoke is a killer if in a confined space such as your container.

 

Please do some research on professional kilns and you will see the safety features which are built in.

[Stu3k]

Vote for container painted black but open slatted ends and solar powered fans,wee 4 inch ones; six on top near middle ,three either side,but air flows the main dryer,as long as stack's have space in between .

Wood mainly dries from the ends

[Fahrenheit]

The black container is a good idea. Maybe that and a couple of fans would suffice. I'm really wanting something now though so I can get some sold before summer and also I'll offer a discount if bought in the summer.

 

As for the wood smoke being a killer........the stove will be flued outside so no smoke within the container. Also nobody is going to be in the containe.

 

I'm not massively bothered about making big money from it. The main issue is that a lot of customers I see when quoting for an install are concerned about getting dry wood and when they ask me where they can get wood I have no answer for them as it's all wet around here. If we supply our own wood I can solve that problem which should sell us more stoves. If I can set a guy on and make some money from it then great.

Edited February 11, 2011 by Fahrenheit

[Fahrenheit]

Gensetsteve - when you say £75 per ton........is the price your selling a ton at, processed, seasoned, delivered? As it goes for way more than that around here. Unless I've misunderstood.

[iainarkle]

Anyone come across these guys: Firewood for Sale, Kiln Dried Logs, Briquettes, Pellets | Real Firewood Company I saw them at a show last year in Perth. They operate out of Duns in the Borders (I understand) but I haven't ever seen any of the results form their kiln dry wood nor gone to have a blether with them yet. Certainly looked the part at the show...if you can afford the logs!

[gensetsteve]

Gensetsteve - when you say £75 per ton........is the price your selling a ton at, processed, seasoned, delivered? As it goes for way more than that around here. Unless I've misunderstood.

 

Sorry I was not very clear its the price of a tonne of green beech cord wood delivered in. 5 years ago we were paying £24 + Vat. Last autumn £42 now have price of £52 by next winter i am sure they will put another £10 on it £62 + vat = £74.40.

We sell logs by the cubic metre loose loaded and 1tonne of green beech turns into 1.5 cubic metres.

 

I am putting a large crane trailer on the road in the next few months so we can get the timber in when we need it.

[Rob D]

I know this thread is a couple of months old but thought i'd put my input.

 

I'm just starting out in the firewood business......mostly as i'm sick of cowboys selling wet wood as seasoned. Also we have a stove shop and installation service and get called out many times a year due to stoves not working properly. Every time it's down to wet wood. Also the only local guy who does sell seasoned wood is so ungrateful for the work (i give him about 350 new customers a year and he does nothing but moan) and he wont take on any more new customers so i really have no option but to do it myself and take them all back. I have around 4000 customers who we've installed stoves for over the years so it should be an instant business if i just give them a call/drop them a letter.

 

Now obviously i'm lacking experience but i've done a lot of research and asked a lot of questions to people in the trade......obviously there will be mistakes made but that's life.

 

Anyways........to start with we're going to cut and split a load of wood and dispense into ventilated bulk sacks...........i want to be able to start selling some wood pretty quickly so i can get some money coming back in to buy the next load of wood.........I have a 45 foot insulated (ex refrigeration trailer). I plan on fitting a workshop stove at the far end which will burn all the rubbish and sawdust from processing the timber. I plan on installing several air vents at the far end near the wood burner and then at the other end of the trailer i'm going to install several bathroom extractor fans......these are very low power consumption but if i install enough it should help distribute the heat around the trailer and also circulate air through the trailer and dry the wood.

 

Anyone got any idea how long the wood will take to dry if i can maintain the trailer at around 35 degrees C?

 

Once the trailer is full i plan on filling up our barns and leaving that to season naturally for next year.......once i get a year in front then i'll stop using the trailer to artificially dry it.....it's just so i can get selling some this year.

 

That's the plan anyway.......anyone see any reasons why it shouldn't work?

 

Cheers,

Chris

 

 

A few points:

 

You won't get any money back quickly selling logs. In fact it has to be one of the biggest cash flow blockers there is.

 

You need a regular source of timber and then all the equipment to load it, split it (could do this by hand to start), store it and deliver it.

 

Using vented bags on pallets in a polytunnel IMO is the best way to dry wood. Cheap, energy efficient, can be whipped out and delivered dry. But if you have barns then these would do if the ventilation is good. Stack on pallets.

 

Another IMO forget about the trailer idea - that will be too much work hassal and money for the return. Just split in advance and mother nature will dry the wood for free.

 

Work out all your costs and then what you will charge for the wood.

 

I'd say you have a good advantage over competition in that you have a ready market that you can show your dry logs - and therefore charge more for.

[Fahrenheit]

Yeah i feel we can get top money for the logs. My plan for drying them artificially is so that i can contact some customers......sell the wood and then i'm able to approach the bank with some figures.....ie......if i contact 200 customers and manage to shift 30 ton of wood within a short period of time then it should enable me to approach the bank with some promising figures and will give them idea of what kind of amounts we can shift if we approach all 4000 customers. I'd then like to borrow money to buy a processor, rent more space, buy in stock to season........etc.

 

Drying it artificially isn't a long term plan at all.....it's only to get up and running so we can finance the business and scale things up so we have enough wood to season it naturally in the barns.

 

I'll have fork lifts, tipper trucks............etc...... we will hire in a processor initially until we get finance to purchase our own and i've proven the business will work.

Edited February 12, 2011 by Fahrenheit