Sauno Kiln Build

[Togalosh]

At last it's built & working..& smelling wonderful (I love the smell of steaming larch in the morning).

So:

..I've a got a leak or 2 so I've topped up the water in it once in 3 days.

& I've got another week at least of steaming before drying & then hopefully I'll be able to make a start on my own work bench !

I'm happy with it so far.

 

[Paddywack]

Hi,
I bought the bigger kiln 4 years ago and rapidly ran out of the space needed to use it, buy hopefully will remedy that soon.
How do you mean Steaming first and how do you work out the "how's and whys" to using it.

 

[Togalosh]

Hiya Michael.

I've poured in some water (a fact that is not mentioned until late in the instructions so I strongly recommend you read through it all before you start) as the timber had been felled 12 months before it was milled a month ago so it was already pretty dry. To allow the centre to catch up the with outside without the outside splitting some water is needed to create steam. It's steamed for 1 week or more for this 4" thickness at 70C. In theory the steam opens up the pours (but I bet that's not what they are callled) so when it comes to drying it dries evenly.

I've divided the 1 length by 30 to get a block of 45mm long, dried it in my oven at home & weighed it. I can then weigh the remaining length to be fairly sure when that piece is down to 9% MC.. if my poor maths is up to it.

The instructions are ok but there's a few things it omits..like how you are supposed to drain away the water inside a buiding if the drain holes are only 50mm off the floor (hence why mine is on a pallet). Routing the rebates makes a shed load of minscule foam bits that get everywhere so do it somewhere that is easy to clean up.

As for the the drying I believe that the vents are opened & the temperature adjusted...it can't be that easy - nothing is, so I am expecting some degree of trial & error. This wood is for a workbench & if it does split it can be filled with resin or if it moves it can be fettled..it can't be worse than the bench I use at the minute. I have read 2 books on drying & I've a 3rd on the way & I was expecting to measure how much water is collected every day in order to work out if/when to adjust the temperature & judge when it's all done but the sauno instructions are far more basic. I'll soon see if that is a good or bad thing.

 

[acewoodturner]

I got my kiln about 3 years ago and built it out of the foam that Sauno recommended. It didn't last too long in my workshop as it got dinged a lot and eventually after doing about 6 loads of beech, oak and yew, I felt it was leaking too much. The temperature wouldn't go up to the 70 degrees and it took about 8 weeks for the run. I am planning to build another one shortly and this time it will be narrower and taller so it takes up less of a footprint. As I don't like the sauno plans this time I will be using the Nyle kiln plans which I think will be better. I have a base built from cls and teak lab worktops which will be slightly modified. My kiln is near my workshop double doors which has a slope and I just drain it out there.
For the last 15 years or so I have been using a chainsaw mill and have good access to as much oak, beech, yew, sycamore, ash, poplar etc as well as having a van. I mainly use oak and beech in my business and as I have just forked out a grand on oak for a project (which if I had cut myself would have been chucked in the stove) it has spurred me on to replace the kiln.
One thing I did notice from your photos Togalosh is that you are not using ratchet straps to bind all your timber together to stop it looking like propellors. This is important and should not be under estimated. Even if I am filling the kiln to the gunnels with heavy slabs I always used them to keep it flat as possible. Stainless steel ones can be bought for about 30 quid a pair on Ebay or from marine chandlery stores.
Nyle also have a very neat way of sealing the kiln up with a gasket which I reckon is far superior to the way sauno recommend and I will be going with this method myself. I also recorded daily the temperature inside the kiln and the amount of leccy used in the workshop. This time I will get one of the meter things which measure the leccy usage so I can maybe workout costs per cubic foot.

Mike

 

[Togalosh]

Hiya Mike,

Cargo straps - righto, I'll get some asap..Thanks for the tip.

I agree that the foam is far from ideal & does dink easily. I was planning to clad it in 6mm ply but I might rethink it all (as you have) because today I opened it up to check to see if the inside had dried out & saw these holes & also found more scorching outside so it might not last too long anyway - very annoying.

I have the Nyle plans too so will look again at them. I have some Teak science benches too but I'd be very reluctant to use them for this.

What do you think of your finished timber- good quality ?..as good as what you buy or not?

Togs

 

[Paddywack]

Hi,
Where can I get a copy of the Plans for a Nyle kiln?
Do you think a small shipping container would be any good if it was insulated ?

 

[Togalosh]

Hi Michael,

I got Nyle plans from their website ..I think.

A container with coldroom panels would be good..with tracks (railway like) to roll loads in & out with blower fans as used for kitchen ventilation.

 

[Tim swatman]

Hi guys can you advise on running costs for the kiln? I am keen to build one but need to factor in the cost in electric first
Thanks
Tim