Built a solar kiln

[nikki1492]

Hi all,

It was suggested I post the information about building my solar kiln. Perhaps it will help someone. I'll do my best to answer your questions so ask away.

I needed to dry 200 bf of locally harvested Northern Red Oak. I decided to build a solar kiln after quite a bit of research.

It is particle board -- and framed with 1 X 6's, double walled with insulation R-11 between. There is a 45° slope to the roof of corrugated plastic something..... You can make greenhouses out of it???? There is a layer of rolled, clear plastic stapled to the inside of the roof to help create more heat.

There are eight layers of eight foot lumber with stickers ever 24". There are three boards to a layer. Granite counter top cutouts add weight on the ends with two box fans on top for circulation. It is all painted with several coats of flat black latex paint both inside and out....

You aren't seeing strange things.... I have no level spots in my yard so it leans just a tad. The kiln is 6' high, 3 1/2' deep and 10' long. For that 10 feet in order to level the kiln it would have to be raised on the downhill side by about 24". Said nope to that since rough sawn lumber is not going to slide downhill on the stickers. I'm into energy conservation.... my energy.

We started out with a nice set of plans from Virginia Tech then made changes as we went along or messed up.

We put a charge in it last week but don't expect it to be done till early May. For charges put in between May and September it should take about three weeks. I was quite surprised that we got about 180 bf into that little kiln.

There will be some adjustments made next spring. We were working against the calendar and the weather. We would work for a day or two then it would rain for a week.

In the meanwhile maybe one of my kids will get me a moisture content meter for Christmas. We'll be shooting for about 6% moisture content.

So there it is, such as it is. As long as it does the job.....

Today reached a high of about 45° air temp. Inside the kiln it reached a high of 67°. I love it when a plan comes together.

Thanks for checkin out my solar kiln.

[Woodhacker]

Gool job Burgie. Thanx for posting this thread. I am sure some other folks (besides myself) will probably give this a whack.

[want2b]

Wonderful, I have gotten 'green' wood several times and just stack it in the attic over my shop for a year. This will make life so much easier, won't tie up the space for so long and when I put it up there I'll know it is useable. The only ? I have is how many hours a day of sunlight does yours get during the summer?
Thank you so much for sharing.

[nikki1492]

Hey there, want2be,

I had the domino effect going on here.... as usual. The wood was stacked where I park my 2 year old lawn tractor. It was not going to be out under a tarp for the winter snow and ice.

My basement is very damp, even with french drains and a sup pump. I needed a place for the wood.

I'm not exactly about the hours of sun at any time of the year.... yet! Never kept track of that..... just enjoy the sun when we do see it.

I'm at 41° latitude north....the angle of the roof is relative to the latitude. It is facing west southwest. My land has very little cleared area so I had to take the tall trees into consideration as well.

I will keep detailed records this year but probably not after that.

Of course the further south you are the more direct the rays whether it's summer or winter. So you adjust the angle of the roof to lesser angle in order to grasp all the sun you can get.

I'm as green at this as the timber I put into the kiln. Here in the heart of PA hardwood most guys I know have worked in a sawmill at one time or another. All kinds of free info without doing the google thingy.

You're more than welcome. I am happy that I can give back to a community that has taught me so much. Now I feel like I really belong.

Wonderful, I have gotten 'green' wood several times and just stack it in the attic over my shop for a year. This will make life so much easier, won't tie up the space for so long and when I put it up there I'll know it is useable. The only ? I have is how many hours a day of sunlight does yours get during the summer?
Thank you so much for sharing.

[TIMCOSBY]

some of the moist air out and it may work better to have the fans blow through the stack (couldnt tell from the pics if there were any baffles or end vents)

[nikki1492]

There are vents at nearly floor level in the back. They are sealed with weather stripping and kept closed. They are there in case needed. A guy is SW PA has never needed the vents opened in his nearly three year old kiln.

All of the plans and examples have the fans at the top of the kiln. The fans are set higher on their own little "shelf" (for the lack of the word I can't recall). The circulation of the air is better completed from there using the slope of the roof.

My fans are on top of the stacked lumber only because we were working against the weather and time.

We also drilled three 3/8" holes in the floor in the lower end if any moisture needs a way out. Speaking of the floor.... it is insulated as well. Of course the holes don't go into the insulation.

The roof is made in two parts for easier handling. The right half of the front wall, about 32" high, is on hinges for opening to give full access to the interior for ease in loading and unloading.

We stayed close to Virginia Tech's 20 year experiments with the solar kiln for the design theory.

The only thing left for me to do until spring is make a really cool sign for the kiln. It's difficult to design something when you have no starting point in your head.... but I'll know it when I see it.

some of the moist air out and it may work better to have the fans blow through the stack (couldnt tell from the pics if there were any baffles or end vents)

[Digitalwoodshop]

Thanks for the POST !!!

Excellent....

AL

[nikki1492]

You're more than welcome, Al.

I am happy that I had something to contribute.

Thanks for the POST !!!

Excellent....

AL