This is interesting, to say the least! I used to have a shipping container on my property, before I downsized and moved away. http://www.firewoodkiln.com/firewood/Firewoodkiln.html Seems like a reasonable deal if you have the space for a container,and if it actually works of course!
I've heard of an Amish fire wood dealer a few hours from me that has a home built shipping container kiln. He used the dryer unit from a grain dryer bin, I believe I was told it was less than a week to get it below 20%. I know the local mill as two kilns and they "dry" wood in a day or two for making pallets. If the fire wood was stacked loosely and allowed for optimum air movement, depending on the species of wood, and how "green" it was there claims could be true. I've often day dreamed of building one of my own. ~Nathan
Would certainly outperform the solar kiln I'm messing with!!! I wonder, total package($1500 for plans? Yikes!), container included, what the cost tops out at... Of course, the shipping container would perhaps vary the most in price, and boilers/furnaces would come in at relatively consistent prices. Either way, I can't afford it! Eric VW
Guy down the street from me used to dry wood this way. He had baskets the he loaded wood into then drove them into the container with a forklift. I forget what the drying time was.
Paint one of those flat black and add a solar vent to it that comes on a couple times a day and I bet youd have dry wood in one summer easy.
There was a guy selling firewood he dried in a wood fired kiln and the wood was dry in 7 days, all he sold was Ash and the wood was below 20% in that time so it can be done and like PB said you can dry wood quickly at high temps.
I've looked at afew of these. A guy near by has one as he sell a chit load of wood. I wonder what it would cost to operate one or the amount of wood it would take to heat it?
If you paint the top black and a fan on a timed switch, I'm betting it wouldnt take much for than a summer in direct sun.
I'd love to have a shipping container and put it out in my neighbors field, paint it black, put some small roof vents and ground level vents in it and load it up with split oak. Betting it'd be ready after one good summer!!
Sounds like a good idea and I bet it would work well, we had black blades on the wind turbines when I started working on them in 98 and it did not take long for the blades to start coming apart and one of the reasons was the black color of the blades made it too hot inside the blade and the resins did not hold up. Sometimes them inganeers aint too brite!
I'd also love to put a big shipping containers in my neighbors yard even if I just used it for wood storage. Of course my neighbor might have something to say about it when he came home .
And if you're really a big spender you can not only buy a container; you can buy the business! "This business is for sale. If you are interested in purchasing it, please email."
One need not limit oneself with thinking only shipping containers. I'm betting there are many folks who have seen old semi trailers sitting around. They may be a bit rusty but that can be fixed. I've thought many times of getting one and even burying it in our sand and use it as a root cellar. Another one could be used as a tool shed. I also remember when milk was picked up from farms in cans. They were loaded onto a truck to head to the creamery. Sooner or later they would have to buy a new box for the truck. Those old boxes were snapped up fast by farmers. I even know of one old bachelor who lived in one! Cramped quarters but he spent the better share of his life living in one. Just think of the mortgage money he saved. So look around for those old boxes and trailers. Many times when we go to the city we see delivery trucks (straight trucks), some with frozen, some with cooled and some just plain. Sooner or later those get to the point the company gets new ones. Try to get the old one and most can be had for very few dollars. The last semi-trailer I know of that someone picked up went for $200.
My neighbors are like family and if I'd ask, they'd let me do it! Lol.... Honestly I'd like to try an experiment. And if it worked, who knows?
Dad's got a semi trailer, two shipping containers and a snap on tool truck on his property. I should try this! Well i'd have to empty his containers out first ...
I sometimes use my wood oven for drying wood for the next firing after we're done cooking in it. I load it tight until I could close the door and leave it open a crack to let moisture out. It usually goes in at around 350-375 degrees, and the oven slowly drops to ambient after 4-5 days. The wood is always super dry when it comes out. I never actually put a meter on it , but its considerably more cracked , it practically lights with just a match. .
I can attest to 3-6 day drying times out of these kilns. My good friend built one and I can tell you it works fantastic. A wood stove heats the container. Fans move the heat and air around. An exhaust fan purges the container of moisture once every two hours. Once split, red and white oak that was standing just days before, goes in large metal baskets. 160-180 degree Heat is poured to the wood 24 hours a day for 4-6 days. The first couple of days, water runs out of the container...literally. On a cold day, when the exhaust fans turns on, it blows a frozen vapor for 10 feet (cool to see). I personally metered some splits a few weeks ago - all averaged about 18%. Built the entire kiln for about $2000 bucks, including the container.
