Replies

1. 
   PaulReuter | Feb 01, 2003 02:10am | #1

   I'm assuming this is a serious question so will reply with a bit of information.

   Wood is dried at a relatively low temperature, (below 180 F) with a fair bit of air circulation to carry off the moisture (normally using fans).

   A ceramics kiln quickly raises temperatures to the 2000-3000F range with no provision for air circulation.  I'm not sure of the exact temperatures, but wood chars at something around 400F and spontaniously bursts into flame around 600F.  Even if you are able to controll the temperatures, you are almost guarenteed to produce a batch of firewood due to improper drying procedure.

   Sticker the pieces and allow them to air dry until you have done some research.  FWW, Wood, & American Woodworker have all had articles on drying wood.  Or, do a Google search or check your local library.

   Paul

1. 
   fdampier5 | Feb 01, 2003 02:51am | #2

   paul,

     do you live where there is heating ?  (another words in the snow belt)  If so you have a "kiln"  Put the wood in a room on stickers and run a dehumidifier.  In a very short time (about a month) things should be pretty dry..  Lots of details here, but nothing too hard..

     If you buy a moisture meter you will be able to tell more accuritely.

2. 
   StanleyNiemiec | Feb 01, 2003 05:16am | #3

   For a little bit of wood trivia  --  Ray Bradbury wrote a book entitled "Farenheit 451".  The significance of the number/title is that at that temperature cellulose goes exothermic and the book dealt in part with book burning.

   Some of the hemicelluloses (5 and 6 carbon sugars) will carbonize at temperature >250 degrees F.

   Beyond temperature control and air circulation, kilns need to control humidity.  It is the combination of relative humidity and temperature conditions that establish a kiln schedule.

2. 
   Upraiser | Feb 01, 2003 05:48am | #4

   How many are you planning on drying?  If only a few, try the mirowave oven.  Use low or medium setting, lots of paper  experment a bit.

   Curt

3. 
   Wateren | Feb 01, 2003 06:54am | #5

   Eric, to answer your question, you won't hurt the kiln. I am not a wood-kiln expert or operator but my understanding is that water is what is driven out of wood in a kiln, basically nothing else (someone correct me please if I'm wrong), and this is done at low temps (Paul mentioned <180°F). For a pottery kiln, this is still room temperature, and water is of no concern.

   If this kiln belongs to a potter, discuss it with him or her - depending on how sensitive their work and glazes are thay may have concerns about contamination of the kiln by particular chemical components; but this may be more specialized than most potters get. If you are setting up for yourself, give some thought to fume extraction.

   Depending on the particular pottery kiln (type of element, power source and controller), the setpoint control and heating rate might be 'coarser' than you want for wood drying. This means it might heat up too fast and might have relatively wide swings in temperature. A kiln designed to hold temperature around 2000°F might be ±40°F at 180°F. All these things would be hard on the wood. Might not matter for wood the size you're talking about, however. If you were truly determined, however, you could get around these drawbacks. Buffer plates of ceramic or insulating board would help here (suitable for inside of pottery kiln, your potter can help here) - they would shield the wood from temperature swings and from localized heating - drawback is it would take longer to bring the wood up to temp. and for it to cool down afterward. It may be most important (from drying wood point of view) not to allow the wood to get too hot - I am guessing you sure don't want to exceed boiling (212°F), but there may be other guidelines. I hope someone else who knows about drying wood will chime in here.

   Just thinking aloud now, there is potential for localized heating from direct radiation from the elements - depends on the kiln and the wood arrangement, etc. I am assuming electrical elements. Possible that this would mean autoignition (poof). No problem for the kiln, but it changes the wood some.

   As long as the furnace atmosphere can get out (the chimney is open), air circulation shouldn't be an issue. Heating will drive the water out and unless it is a sealed or pressurized vessel, it won't push back in. At any rate, the wood final moisture content won't exceed the equilibrium for your climate (R.H. & ambient temperature).

   If you can spare some of the wood and have a kiln available, try some out. The worst that will happen is combustion. not good for the wood, but all in a day's work for a lot of potters.

   Looking back on all this -

   If you're really going to do 180°F, why not a kitchen oven? Just make sure the wood is set on something clean so you don't get grill stains on the wood. Do a test batch, if you get bad checking, heat the next batch in slow stages (say steps of 30° every 30 minutes). If still a problem, try even more slowly. If it warps, hold it down with weights

   Let us know what you come up with.

   Cheers,

   Chris