my turn

[sawdog]

I have 3 good  attic fans from a job i worked on some heavy dutty polly with nylon webbing . so i guess im going solar. id like to have  two one 2000 board ft. and one on a trailer about 500 to1000 board ft. i have a old popup camper that is striped to the flooring . It would hold 10 ft boards or maybe 8. not sure were to start hoping and praying to get some free ply wood off this job im working on they have it down to protect the marble floor in fed courthouse here in b'ham al. i am thinking sawdust for inslation so what do ya'll think. can ya'll tell im from the south by the way i wright. ?

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 Nothing wrong with yer writing.

 I used sawdust in the floor joists of my solar kiln. Lined the spaces with 4 mil plastic, spread the DRY sawdust in, covered it with 4 mil plastic and nailed down the 1X flooring. Used DRY sawdust in sacks, in between the studs of the walls. stapled them in and took concrete mesh wire and stapled that over the sacks, so they stayed in place. Did the same for the 2 doors. Used 2 cans of spray foam to seal up around anywhere air could get in, and had temps north of 140° with partial shading as the sun passed overhead.

 The plastic corrugated sheets, that match the metal corrugated roofing, are getting very brittle and, ants have gotten into the sawdust flooring. Insects are the worst down here in Paradise. 

 Sprinkle ant poison in the sawdust as you use it. Doesn't take a lot. WEAR A RESPIRATOR, NOT A DUST MASK !!

 Keep us up on your build. 

[Kirk Allen]

The key on the sawdust is DRY!  Wet dust will rot! 

[sawdog]

 I was thinking sawdust or saw chips from planer / molder. sawdust from sawmill goes in the garden. Id like to build a 2000 board ft. kiln. But i think a smaller one on the trailer would be faster. I have two old box fans and framing lumber i just need sheathing. I have some roofing tin enough for inside or out but can't use to much it's my air dry cover.

[Kirk Allen]

If the sawdust is not composted first it will lock up the nitrogen the plants need. 

If you plant your plants first, then a cover layer of green vegetation or heavy compost and then sawdust on top of that it wont cause much of a problem for the plants.  It will help hold the moisture in like mulch. 

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 Also, my sawdust is from a swing blade mill, so, it's a lot more coarse than band mill sawdust. Takes about 3 years to break down into black sawdust-soil. I'm also in the tropics, where, everything is always growing or rotting.

 Y'all oughta see the spalted wood I get down here. 

[Carl Middleton]

On my first kiln I used poplar B&B siding. Insulated , then poly and ply wood on the inside. Been working good for about 6 years now. On the one I'm building now I put ply wood in and out with B&B siding.

[sawdog]

Hay there carl what size was that first kiln. the one i will be starting soon will be small .  the trailer will hold 11'' long 7'' wide and 4'' to 5'' tall 0n one side and 8''to 10'' tall on the other . i would hate to get it built go to move it and smash it fall apart. I was thinking  to make bigger it would be a  mistake .

[Tom the Sawyer]

Sawdog,

What is the rated capacity of your trailer?  If it is a single axle then it is likely no more than 3500 lbs.  That is gross capacity which includes the weight of the trailer.  A trailer that size may weigh about 6-800 lbs so the effective load would be about 2700-2900 lbs.  Get a materials list for your kiln and figure the weight of the kiln.  Subtract that from the capacity and you'll know how much wood you can put in it. (it won't be much).  The most common double axle trailers are rated at 7000 lbs. (2- 3500 lb. axles) and weigh 1400-1800 pounds. 

If you build a kiln 11 feet long, 7 feet wide and from 5 feet tall on one side to 10 feet tall on the other side then you would have room for a load of up to 10' long x 4' deep x 5' tall = 200 cubic feet.  About half of that will be space between layers so figure 100 cubic feet of wood (1200 bf).  If you air dry red oak before putting it in the kiln it may weigh between 55 and 60 pounds per cubic foot so your load will be 5500-6000 lbs.  Add in the weight of a kiln that size (estimated at 3000 lbs.) and you'll need a trailer with an effective load of 9000 lbs.  This will overload a 10,000 lb trailer.   

You may want to consider downsizing your kiln to something smaller, say 4-500 bf capacity.  Whatever doesn't destroy your trailer or become hazardous if you have to move it. You should also consider blocking it up before you load it.  Tires loaded to the max and left in one position for months at a time won't last very long.

Good luck with your project, 

[Carl Middleton]

Saw dog, the first kiln is 8'x19' built on skids.

[sawdog]

Tom very good point but i was not going to take it on the road. just move it to set up and if it is not in service park it out of the way.It will be blocked on all 4 corners. the board foot might not be much but it's better than what i have now.     I hope to use tine for exterior sheathing and may be interior. It is also something small to learn on and play with. Carl i think read about that kiln on skids that also is a thought .