New container for drying

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

I just made a deal for a new container for drying lumber.  The unit is a 41' stainless steel refer container.  Some of the items I am needing are another hot water heat exchanger, some 5' or 6' rollers  that are 3" to 4" in diameter.

[Stephen Wiley]

Where you going to put it..........next to the other?

Your just having to much fun...

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

Very close to the other.  I will be moving the chopsaw system and setting it in that spot.

[Stevem]

Is that a New van or new to you Frank?

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

New to me, Steve.  It will be a couple months before I have it delivered.

[JP Sinclair]

A local guy here uses a similar setup for kiln drying 1/2 cord baskets of firewood.  Guy does very well in the last 1/3 of winter when everyone runs out of seasoned wood!

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

Good idea, JP.  If lumber drying gets slow, I can start drying firewood.  Right now, I am at I am at least 6 months out on getting everything dryed for folks.  Do you know what the baskets look like and all?

[mike p]

so frank how do you load the insulated (truck boxes) kiln units, ?
dont they only have an 8' door.
sounds like a lot of hand work or have you got RR iron tracks for carts ?

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

MIke, I have to dollies that I pull and push into the unit.  I load with 8' extensions onto my loader forks.  I have refrained from cutting anymore lumber for the kiln, that is over 10' long, tomake loading easier.  I place the load on the dollie, to the desired height and pull the first one into the trailer.  The process for the second dollie, only I push it in to meet the first load.  Each dollie is 54" wide and 9' long; while the units of lumber stay at 4' and up to 10' long.   

My intent is to do the same for the second drying unit, when I get it delivered.  It will be a 41' sea going refer container.  I will need 4 9' dollies for the second dryer.

[Carl Middleton]

Frank Are you using any fans in the comtainers? Or just heat

[mike p]

SO YOUR SET UP MUST BE SIMALAR TO THE WOODMIZER CONTAUINER (OPS SORRY) kit kiln they have in R&D, i talked to scott at woodmizer in new york in R&D about it. un fortuntly its not going to production at this time.
im thinking real seresous about getting a refer insulated truck box to make a kiln to get up & running
wood appreacite any info on yours frank
buy the way what size water heat exchanger do you need
as i might have what you need i need to go & look at them & measure.
pictures are a problem as im on the libary computer as our satlite dish appears to be hit by lighting
the comp still works so were on a waiting list for hughes net repair

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

I have six 24" box fans, moving the air around.  Plus there is a fan for the exchanger.  thanks on the offer for exchasngers. I believe I just got 4 large units from the husband of one of my students form 35 years ago.  They came by looking for some lumber and I gave them asbout 500 board feet of Douglas Fir for form material.  My heating unit is a Taylor how water furnace.  The jacket around the firebox hold 475 gallons of water.  This unit could easily heat 10 40' refer containers, without any problem.

[mike p]

im thinking about useing a semi truck's insulated trailer as the container & useing hot water for the heat so how do you know what the right amount of exchanger is as i have 6 small ones with no btu rating.  they all have there own explosion proof (sealed) fans mounted on them .

they were orignaly used with steam & have what looks like 1 1/4" pipe conectors, the large one says if used with hot water its rating is 68,000 btu's

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

How large of a unit are you considering?  I would think that two would be more than enough to do the job. Split the difference from each end should do the trick, with plenty of fans to move the air through the wood.

[mike p]

im thinking 24' or longer but it will depend on what deal i can find on box
was concedering haveing loading tracks close to mill & run them in to shop for un loading , havent decided yet

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

Container should be delivered in about two weeks.  I also found three hot water heat eschangers, from a food processing plant in Salem (about 15 miles away).  From the same place I got 350 cross arms for pallet racks and about 50 upright supports for same.  I will be using them for dollies to roll the lumber in and out of the additonal kiln unit.  I am still looking for some kind of rollers or wheels for the dollies.  Any ideas?

[mike p]

www.surpluscenter.com
they got lots of neat stuff & wheels too

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

Thank you Mike for the reference.  I am awful cheap.  I may just get some for nothing, if I am patient.

[Kirk Allen]

Frank, Cheap?

[mike p]

we are young we were in a hurry
when we are middle aged we have experence 
 when we are older were in a hurry again for fear of lack of time
when we are old its to late so we slow down again
life cycles

[mike p]

so frank how long does it take to dry a load of oak to 6% in the container kiln?
 have you figgered what electric cost per load is?

[mike p]

so when you say box fans do you mean like 1/3 hp comercial fan in a box ?
when i say box fan im thinking of the 4" thick cheap walmart fans, that wood probly melt in a kiln

I have six 24" box fans, moving the air around.  Plus there is a fan for the exchanger. 

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

MikeP.  The cost per load is about $15.00 for all of the electricity.  As to the fans, you are right, the chep ones from Wally world.  They last about 4 months and they do not melt.  The temp gets up to 165 degrees for the last four days on  30 day or 15 day cycle; depending upon the species in the kiln.

Oak drying time is just at 30 days, after it has air dried for 90 to 120 days in a stand of timber with no lid on the lumber.

[mike p]

so have you tryed oak right of the saw & into the kiln?
we mostly have oak around here & i am wanting to set up to dry other peoples lumber, as the nearest quality kiln is 90 miles away

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

Yes, Mike, on the Oregon Oak.  I have found that the wood honeycombs, badly.   I did a load for someone, upon their insistance, and every board was ruined.