drying cupboard

tom owens · 28 Feb 2010

Would this work or would it be a complete waste of time...?

I was thinking of building a small cupboard in my shop say 3 foot square and 7 foot high.

Ply on the outside insulating it and plasterboard the inside and sealing it all up. A door sealed with gasket. Then i was thinking about a heat lamp in there and storing timber in there after its been cut and ripped to size but before planing.

As i get a lot of moist air in my shop would this help me to avoid (not eliminate) any twisting or shrinking and reduce the moister content in finished timber. Would a heat lamp be too warm and maybe be better off with a small heater set to room temp ish.. any thoughts on this..

If its a stupid idea just be blunt and say so!!!!

OPJ · 28 Feb 2010

...What's wrong with storing your timber in the house???

oddsocks · 28 Feb 2010

Tom,
most similar ideas typically have a dehumidifier in there as well - otherwise where will the moisture go? Plus i suspect the dehumidifier itself would generate the heat you need.

Dave

eoinsgaff · 28 Feb 2010

If you are to do that you'll need to also have a fan to circulate air from outside so as to remove the moisture.

I was considering such a home made kiln myself it at one time but I packed it in when I considered the fire risk, the complexity (an electronic temp control would also be advisable) and the unpredictability of the results.

Because you are drying the wood faster than normal, the outside MC is likely to be considerably less than the core MC. Besides the risk of checking/cracking, you would need to cut the wood rather close to its finished dimensions before drying it like this to alleviate the risk of further movement after the 'Kiln'.

Eoin

tom owens · 28 Feb 2010

so there is a posibility this will work... Would i be able to use a dehumidifier that traps the moister rather than use a fan?

Iv been talking to a friend of mine about this and he mentioned having a dehumidifier in there. Him and his wife go away in their caravan alot through the summer months and they have small dehumidifiers in there that have internal batteries and charge up from the mains. They trap any moister in the caravan, They have a light indicator on to tell you when it cant hold any more moister and needs charging. The battery lasts about 3 months.

As for heat i was pondering on using a spot down light. As the current for a down light is reduced to 12 volts it can be run off a mobility scooter battery (i know this because i made one for fishing

) and get about 25-30 hours of life but thats alot of messing about. or just plug one into the mains.

Would this be a feasable option as it would greatly reduce the risk of any electrics used causing a fire risk.

CNC Paul · 28 Feb 2010

Tom,

Why not just insulate the workshop, because as soon as you take the timber out of the drying box it will start to absorb moisture in the air... Besides a dry workshop will be a better working environment for you and your tools.