Drying Wood Indoors in Hot Room

[olyman]

Have enough cut ahead so you don't have to worry about. I could see finishing some that's close to seasoned., but not green wood.

depends on the green wood...ive read,,that oak of any type,,and a lot of other hardwoods,,retain up to 80% moisture thru the winter. and ive read ash holds only 28 %.......

 

[olyman]

The stuff I am burning this winter was, at the latest, cut/split in April or May. Last fall's aspen, scrounge spruce, and black ash are on the menu first. This post was more out of curiosity if a guy needed to do such a thing.

I was thinking whitey said something about doing it last year....

 

[svk]

On that note I have 5 dead ash on my property that are going straight from standing to the boiler when I cut over Christmas vacation. Save a couple of steps in the process.

 

[svk]

Spending quite a bit of time out of town lately, my boiler room has been a little closer to 95 degree average with the electric boiler instead of 110 with the wood.

Here's green white birch that was put in two weeks ago to test this theory.


This was uniformly at 25-26% on the mm. On fresh splits its now reading 16% towards the ends and 24% in the middle. Will retest in two weeks.

 

[MechanicMatt]

Steve, I use a box fan to blow the air on my inside stacks, after two days they are VERY dry. I don't have a moisture meter, I go by the no sizzle out the end method........

 

[svk]

I'm sure a fan would make a difference. I've got other wood to burn just wanted to see how long it would take from green to under 20%. Once it gets to that point it's going in.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

What does that even say?!

I have a 1 cord kiln I only do Ash firewood I can put one rank in my kiln stick it and stack it. The wood be abour 40 er cent With air flow and heat and my deh. I can pull the wood down to 8 percent on the ends then split one piece and check the center will be 14 to 15 percent that is from noon to noon 24 hours. I get other wood free so I split it and pile it up I just pile it up and you come load it and pay me cash $35.00 a load. People complain cause it wet well I tell you what I'll do I'll dry it and you come back for a load and you only pay $60.00 a load OK My Ash knots i sell it by the all I can get on a one ton to some ladys across the river. My money maker is bundled firewood I leave the pick truck load to the other guys The buy my old wet hard wood at $35.00 a truck load and sell it for $50.00 to $70.00 a load but advertise dry wood. right now I am all out just a dry spot on the ground.

 

[MarylandGuy]

Spending quite a bit of time out of town lately, my boiler room has been a little closer to 95 degree average with the electric boiler instead of 110 with the wood.

Here's green white birch that was put in two weeks ago to test this theory.

View attachment 395379 View attachment 395380
This was uniformly at 25-26% on the mm. On fresh splits its now reading 16% towards the ends and 24% in the middle. Will retest in two weeks.

I am sure you would speed up your process greatly if you split that wood once. From your photo, it looks like some of it isn't split. The bark is holding a lot of that moisture in. Slowing down your process greatly.

 

[svk]

I am sure you would speed up your process greatly if you split that wood once. From your photo, it looks like some of it isn't split. The bark is holding a lot of that moisture in. Slowing down your process greatly.

For maximum drying, I agree. Only problem is smaller splits go up like paper in my boiler so I'd rather it take a little longer since I don't need it until its ready.

 

[MarylandGuy]

For maximum drying, I agree. Only problem is smaller splits go up like paper in my boiler so I'd rather it take a little longer since I don't need it until its ready.

Sounds good. I thought you were looking at this more of a scientific experiment than real life. But it makes perfect sense to dry the wood you actually plan to burn. I am loving your test by the way. Thanks for doing the research!

 

[Dogsout]

I have a 1 cord kiln I only do Ash firewood I can put one rank in my kiln stick it and stack it. The wood be abour 40 er cent

I am surprised Ash has 40% moister even cut green off the stump. I would have guessed that it would dryer then that like somewhere between 20% and 30%.

 

[benp]

This is red oak and Tamarack I stuffed in the stove house that I cut and split last week.




Drying wood in a hot house works awesome!!!

 

[svk]

This is red oak and Tamarack I stuffed in the stove house that I cut and split last week.




Drying wood in a hot house works awesome!!!

How warm is it in there? Looks to be drying fast.

 

[benp]

I have no clue.

Warm. Maybe 70 or 80.

I have been stashing the serious sub zero over night, just cut and split, wood in there for years.

The wood in the pictures is 9 days post cut and split.

 

[CRThomas]

By kiln drying wood I have dry wood when every body around here is out I get high dollar for my dry wood.

 

[CRThomas]

I must kiln dry wood I sell thousands of bundle of firewood year round summer and winter

 

[NSMaple1]

Still waiting for the show & tell on that kiln of yours. I think lots would find it interesting & informative.

 

[Mr Black]

After 1 & 1/2 hours of sitting in my living room... Red Elm with waxed faces.... Just to show how much water you'll be introducing... This is only a 1.3"x 14"x 10" slab.... 6 of those per log... How many gallons of water do you want to have in your house?

 

[Oldman47]

Looks better than the average humidifier does to me.

 

[Mr Black]

Here they are 4 hrs later... Far left is .25" thicker