Final Results are in Solar Kiln:1 - Air Drying:0 90 Days 30+% to 17% or less Fresh Split faces of both the Control and the Stuff in the solar kiln. So this should end the debate, Right? If you are a new burner, dont have the space, or are behind on your stacks this should be a solution to keep people happy and warm. Hell is you have a cat stove this may get your wood even drier for longer cat life. Solar kiln is around 17% for most of the wood some of the smaller splits are even lower, damm near 10% the Control is measuring at 25%, these were the smaller pieces that I ended up stacking together. Here is a picture of the control pile for reference, single stacked 8 inches from a dark fence, top covered Oh Yea
Very impressive augie...i have some oak, hickory, mullberry and locust i will be doing fer next year..thanks for the effort.. that is def cool to know..
Excellent- thanks for posting the info.. I was not interested in the debate part of the discussion but the info. part is great and I appreciate the effort you put in to document / photograph and explain the method as well as the results. I think I will try that method next year on wood stacked in a Holz Hausen. Brian
That's awesome! I'm going to wrap some splits up in shrink-wrap tomorrow just for giggles. Wonder how much I can get out of it by Christmas? If I can remember to stop by harbor freight tomorrow and pick up a moisture meter, I'll let you know.
it is all about the temperature, my bet is you don't see much if anything by then with temps this chilly
Hey Uncle Augie, I just had a chance to go back and read this thread again and was reminded of your solar kiln and so I read on and on and on. I think you all now have me sold on using a solar kiln vs air drying or buying a large storage shed. I gonna do some more research on the subject and find what's best for me, but thanks for leading in a better direction and saving me a few hundred dollars.
Well that's it I've done my homework and I'm ready to start stackin & wrappin! I want you thank Uncle Augie for all his work making this post happen, it was a big help to me, cuz I'm behind the 8 ball on havin enough seasoned wood and getting plenty for next year ready in time, this solar kiln should help speed things up. I gonna go with the use of exhaust fan at night. and I'm also going to try and develop a system where the water that condenses and runs down, is pitched and runs to the center and is guttered away. I'm still trying to work that idea out but I know I can do it. Once I get started I'll start my own thread showing my modifications. Thanks again everyone.
I am going to point out again that I am not doing the basic work to prove that this concept works, it is well proven in wood working circles that by wrapping 1000 board ft of lumber in a sunny location you can take green wood to under 10% in about a month or two. We are not going that low, so it follows that you would be able to "season wood in a sunny location in a short period of time. I will try to explain what I mean my "pushing the water out" If you consider a green log as a bunch of water filled tubes the explanation will make more sense. At 70 degrees the vapor pressure of water is 0.3631 Lb/Sq In. so at 70 degrees we have a force of 0.3631 lbs being exerted over every inch to push the water out of the wood. This is normal seasoning temp At 160 degrees the vapor pressure of water is 4.736 Lb/Sq In. so at 160 degrees we have a force of 4.736 lbs being exerted over every inch to push the water out of the wood. This is Normal Kiln Temps during a sunny day. This difference 0.3631 to 4.736 is an increase of 13 times. I know the kiln actually gets hotter than 10 as well. Did that make more sense to you? Uncle Augie, Sep 7, 2014Report #35LikeReplyTopBookmark This is what popped up on google when I searched "solar firewood kiln," 3 weeks ago.... So, I say with gratitude, thank you Uncle Augie, you are the reason I joined FHC! Purchased some 6 mil "milky" plastic today, started a stack on it this evening. Two things tho, #1- I put the palette on top of the plastic (thought it mite be easier than slippin & slidin) Will cut weep holes for sure. #2- this Pecan that blew down two years ago. When I cut rounds out of 3-6' logs today and then split them, still a lot of moisture pressing to the surface @ 22 tons hydraulic splitter pressure. Would this be considered close to "green" wood? Or is the dead wood more likely or not to give up its internal water vs. green wood? My family's take on downed trees is that over 1-2 years on the ground, they're pretty close to good. I'm not so sure- please feel free to shoot that down or agree. I'm all ears! I CSS some in the early fall, and it is burning as I text, but then again, I don't have a MM, and don't know what the fire is doing in terms of efficiency. We are warm tho, and the firebox finishes out white at the end of any burn. I check my chimney from the clean out door with a mirror, and top side it every month. Pretty good looking! I appreciate any responses, and I trust the various experts on this forum who continue to offer sound advice and experience. Thanks again for opening the door, Uncle Augie! Eric VW
I did a little test late this summer on a 2 year dead standing red oak. I cut it and split it in May 2014. Moisture reading in October 2014 +38%. So that showed me that dead stuff isn't pretty much good to go, it still need time to dry.
Gotcha Grjfer, I need to get a MM, pronto! But my question about the plastic being under the pallet instead of on top- good, bad, indifferent? Currently just the load from yesterday stacked on it, wouldn't be too late to move it if top of pallet is the best.... Uncle Augie , where you at? Thanks, Eric VW
I don't think it should matter. Augie's user profile is not available. I don't think he is with us any longer.
It doesn't matter if the plastic is above or below the pallet with one big caveat, the condensed water has to be able to run/drip out. So if the question is, 'can I just put the plastic on my wet clay soil and then put the pallets on top' you will probably find that drainage out of your kiln will be less than optimal.
Interesting read if anyone would like to check it out http://www2.dnr.cornell.edu/ext/info/pubs/Harvesting/CC Accelerated Seasoning of Firewood.pdf
Thanks y'all, Oh man, Seattle just won! Good for them but ah crap, my family was pullin for GB... Anyway, thanks Paul bunion for easing my mind. My set up is on the grass, with a slight pitch to the grade, pallet is scotched up level. Next one will be plastic on top of pallet. I just got too darned excited!
Started my own kiln test using individual pallets stacked with wood. Due to my layout I have to have my stacks movable. So each pallet has to be its own solar kiln. Pallets are not quite 4x4 ft. with hogwire " walls" on 3 sides. An almost full pallet of wet hardwood must weigh almost 2000 lbs. which is the lifting capacity of my Kubota 3940. All Mulberry from the same tree. Tested a bunch of fresh splits... All %34 +\-%0.5 We css'd 4 pallets then wrapped them on Sunday Jan 19. 24 hours later with a high temp of only 55 & partly cloudy this is already happening! And.... Amazing! Can't wait to check temps & moisture when it hits 100 in July!
This morning the weather outlook for our area was 40 F and sunny, now 40 & rain/snow.... Kinda puttin the brakes on the solar kiln, AND more wood cuttin! Drat! May just test my mettle anyway! Sweet set up BTW Deacon! Eric VW
