Albeit in alaska and using Alaskan wood. I thought this might help some of our northern members some I thought about trying a solar kiln myself. However I have a bunch of wood to dry and I have ample amount of space to stack with 8+hrs of sun and great air flow I'm thinking my best approach is continue single stack rows with 1 foot space between the rows Im drying a lot of ash this year thats being cut now. My goal is not touch it till at least two seasons drying. But if winter should hit us hard next season as I think it will. I would like to have some ready just as a back up Anyways your thoughts on the article
I'd also like to add that im really just wanting to try the kiln just to see how it does. I'm wanting to do about 4 cords at once. I have enough wood for next year but figured why not try it just to see.
They used a kiln design with gaping holes top and bottom under the presumption that they needed to allow for air flow. What they came up with is more of a solar powered air flow box and their results were no different from the open stacked wood. Too bad they didn't seal it up to collect and hold as much heat as possible. Would have been interesting to see if the results were any different. They also said that over the course of 120 days there were only 9 clear days and 40 partly cloudy days. Rather poor conditions for operating a SOLAR kiln if you ask me.
So it's better to compleatly seal it ???? I was under the impression it needed to have way for inside mouisture to escape or am I wrong. Well I guess I am wrong their results prove that but seems like I read somewhere moisture needs to escape Any thoughts on how I could do say 4 cords in one kiln or is that unrealistic. Im just wanting to experiment in hopes my results and findings might help others. I'd like to do it at a bare minimum of expense of I could
I was thinking of stacking aporox 2-4 cords and covering with plastic. It would be on concrete. It would get at least 8 hrs sun each day if not more. Would this be a waste of time. Any thoughts I don't need the wood for next year and it will be fresh cut in fact today some of it will be cut. Just for experiment reasons. I'll be the proverbial guinea pig so as long as it don't cost a fortune Id like to have suggestions We can call it a group experiment. Maybe it will give us some good ideas
Woodrat1276 , I guess you read this? http://firewoodhoardersclub.com/forums/threads/solar-kiln-firewood-drying.6041/ Yes, the moisture has to go somewhere, carried away by air movement or drained out the bottom of a closed system. Most us have no experience with a closed system solar kiln and some are reluctant to accept the claimed impressive results. If you build one, keep us posted.
Wonder if it would be okay to cover rows that are off the ground with plastic and use arms to hold the plastic down, or do you think to much ground moisture would accumulate? Just thinking of some stuff I already have stacked.
Woodrat1276 go for it! We can have a side by side comparison. I have at least room for a 3 cord setup, maybe squeeze 4 in the space in our narrow suburban lot. And yes, weep holes, or your bottom row of splits will be UNDER water! Paul bunion has sited the need for retaining the heat, and the old U. Augie thread covered this too. I say let the experiment begin! Eric VW
Yeah, as I read the article listed by woodrat, the top vent holes are contrary to how the Augie style kln works, and the minimally higher temps in the kilns temp chart shows that as a problem with this study. The other issue was the lack of sunny days, as was pointed out. It's hard to do a solar kiln without much sun. Seeing FHC members own solar kiln temp and moisture readings tells me if this is done properly, it works. I plan on doing at least 1 of my own as a test.
I plan on wrapping all of the red oak some of you may have seen in my other threads in plastic, either shrink wrap or just 4-6 mil clear, UA style. As soon as the frost finishes coming out of the ground which will allow the mud to dry up, and before the honey-do list gets out of control, I hope to get it all CSS'd and covered/wrapped. I wish there was a way to do it so that I could still have it on pallets but it didn't need to be all individually wrapped. I mean I know I could put up some sort of greenhouse apparatus but that seems like more work than just wrapping them? I had always planned on a woodshed with south facing windows made out of old patio doors that I could just set pallets of wood inside of but to build one big enough seems like a ton of $$. I'm guessing I'll just shrink wrap over baler net wrap and see what happens.
Although not cited in the writeup, the study can create discussion about the notion that wood needs full exposure to the wind for effective drying. While they weren't able to achieve any measurable gain with their solar kiln implementation they didn't see any loss either.
Augie style kiln's don't really have any air movement, so I think that wind is merely one way to dry wood.
Good point, Horkn, My quick attempt at one back in January has resulted in less and less condensed water on the underside of the 6 mil plastic as the days and weeks go by. Nothing but weep holes poked in the bottom. We've had some mild days since the first full week of January, but also 14" total snow accum. Not much snow compared to a lot of ya's, but a week and a half of temps not much above the teens for highs. So even tho this was dead fall pecan, which was pushin water at the hydraulic splitter head, in 2 months, the plastic is almost dry! Can't wait to see what green firewood does in the kiln! Eric VW
