So I have wrapped a couple of pallets so far. I forgot to put in the weep holes on the bottom of one of them, will this be a problem? I see that there is moisture under the plastic. Must admit that I am worried about the wood rotting from the moisture. I keep thinking about a vicious cycle of moisture leaving the wood then being absorbed back by the wood. Got a few more of them to wrap. Wish we would get some warm weather and sun to get these cooking.
I'd try and figure out a way to punch at least one or two weep holes in the bottom. As far as the wood re-absorbing the moisture; the way I understand it is that it's uptake doesn't equal how it expels it. In other words it won't pick up as much moisture as it's giving off and the net result is a large loss of moisture.
The moisture needs a way to escape, otherwise the wood is being steamed. I'd use a poker or the likes and reach under the pallet and tear some drain holes in the plastic.
Thanks for the replies. After I posted I had a light bulb moment and used the fork truck to lift the pallet so I could put holes in the bottom. Going to re-wrap the pallet with one sheet across the top instead of shrink wrap and shrink wrap the bottom and top sheets together. Worried about rain and snow getting between the layers of shrink wrap. Will get photos.
Lived in West Virginia for over a decade on the Blue Ridge mountains overlooking the Shenandoah river ... that makes me a perfect candidate to give this a go. Got way too much work this spring, but I just have to find time to build one or two of these solar pallet stacks. Still a bit skeptical of not having any top venting, but sure seems worth a try.
Ok..here it is....the first solar kiln...1.6 cord of white an red oak..hickory an locust..wit a lil mulberry...
You think that's enough, cant argue with results but heat brings the moisture to the surface and the air movement takes it away.
Thought the stacks were supposed to be no larger than 4' cubed? Wonder if the larger stack will make a difference?
You can buy a 20" ×1000' roll at HD...fer $20..it comes on a roller type roll..have someone hold one end to a corner..go round and round till u git to da top..then stretch it across the top..then a coupla more around to secure the top...clear as mud?
My stack was roughly 4x4x4 just because I put it on one skid. A skid isn't really 4x4, but it's close, so that's what I called it. Nice pboto, splitoak. With a mix like that, you're really giving the concept a workout. Good for you. I think I'm going to try one more this year, but do it Uncle Augie style, with the closed bottom and weep holes. Should be interesting.
"At a constant temperature and relative humidity, the highest possible drying rate is obtained by rapid circulation of air across the surface of wood, giving rapid removal of moisture evaporating from the wood." I dont need a solar kiln but I love the concept but I would have provisions for as much air movement as possible.
With that air movement comes the rapid loss of the heat that is so critical to forcing the moisture from the wood, unless you live in the desert. I believe that's why this method works so well for those of us without a source of "dry" heat.
I guess there would be a happy medium, I live in NW Iowa and summers here are plenty hot so loss of heat would not be a problem, through the winter maybe but not in the warmer months. Some heat loss would be acceptable due to the fact air movement is so important as is the heat.
