DIY Wood Kiln. No Nonsense Guide To Drying Your Own Wood. FarmCraft101

People hear the word "kiln" and immediately shy away, assuming something that is too expensive, complex, or massive. But a wood kiln is not any of those things. Simple and effective, you just need heat lamps, a dehumidifier, a fan, and an insulated are to set it up.
Drying wood is one of those endeavors where the do-it-yourselfer can actually do a better job than the commercial guys. The businesses have time pressure to get product out the door, so they dry their wood quickly, often case-hardening it. Case-hardening is when the outer wood dries too quickly and it builds up tension as it shrinks disproportionately relative to the internal part of the board. Then when the board it cut, the internal tension causes it to twist and bow. The best quality wood is dried SLOWLY, at least 2 weeks if not longer.
I've not had any luck using a space heater in place of the heat lamps. Most heaters have internal thermostat protection and won't run at the 120 degree temperature needed.
My moisture meter: amzn.to/2DbYsxT
Best dehumidifier: amzn.to/2RRKnxq
Also suitable dehumidifier: amzn.to/2Ck7neU
Recommended fan: amzn.to/2Dat5nm
Heat lamp bulb: amzn.to/2CovMA9
Heat lamp bulb set: amzn.to/2VVWHwa
Lamp rated for 250W: amzn.to/2FsUy5Z
(Don't use lamp rated lower, fire hazard!)
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[@budgillett9535]

Tremendous video! I’ve watched others which seemed so detailed and complicated I questioned the need and validity of the process. Yours seems simple and effective. Thank you and God’s best for you.

[@idontthinkso666]

God's best? Really? Who are you to go around handing out "god's best?" And best WHAT? Best advice on a kiln? This makes no sense. How about we either keep god out of it, or let god makes her/his own comments.

[@markhedquist9597]

This was exactly what I needed to see. Very informative and educational. Thanks, man!

[@yemiajala5364]

You don't know how much the information given is so helpful. God bless your beautiful soul.

[@susanconklin4945]

Thanks so much for a clear concise video. Every time I thought of a question you answered it.

[@kzltd]

awesome. you built your own kiln and looks like you made your own video. I watched 1 other vid on kiln drying lumber so far before yours and you made the other guy look like a beginner. 👍

[@craigwilson9560]

Great video on your kiln! Never looked at it like how you did. Thanks for the informational video!

[@DadTheGrreat]

This is excellent....thank you so much. I love the charts and the science behind it. Fantastic video. Now to find a cheap heat source...solar hopefully...geothermal?

[@delprice3007]

Am I glad I ran across your video! Many 🙏 🙏.

[@juancortez4726]

I always thought this was a complicated process... sure, it is a process that requires knowledge of what you're doing but the way you've explained it it simply doesn't seem that out of reach for the common man... thank you!

[@DracoOmnia]

Cool. Simple and relatively inexpensive. Much better than my crazy connex box idea.

[@luisvillalobos6517]

Envious as hell, you really do it all and have it all. Great info and delivery of it. Keep it up, you're always improving.

[@trentonpass]

thank you!

[@marcodsv]

Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge, great video! Take care!

[@dp91c]

This is great, I'm wanting to do a small version of this and this answered so many questions. Thank you very much.

[@4773phil]

I'm in the exact same situation. Thanks for all that information. It's very hard to get it at the diy level.

[@mieliepapET]

thank you, very informative.

[@yuriboiblu]

loved it!

[@dalemarsh942]

country boy kiln love it .

[@1fanofthesand]

Have you tried drying different species At the same times like walnut hickory ? Thanks

[@MrDtaylor099]

Good video! I am researching to build a kiln out of a shipping container, so this was very helpful.

[@FarmCraft101]

+Daniel Taylor Glad it helped!

[@BrentLink]

I am considering using a shipping container as well in conjunction with my outdoor wood boiler. We should compare note. This is a great video by the way! Simple and with the relevant facts!

[@famousforever8556]

@@BrentLink Those things are moisture magnets and need multiple dehumidifiers just to be able to store anything metal so it doesn't rust. I hate those things!

[@Dubya84]

A good inch of closed-cell sprayfoam in a shipping container can mitigate moisture condensation problems. (1.5”-2” is better for climate control, but an inch will stop the sweating)

[@jacquev6]

Awesome, thanks for sharing!

[@kookyflukes9749]

Good information here. Thanks. I'm thinking of using my greenhouse as a solar kiln using the opening and closing of windows and blanking off some of the glass to regulate the temperature. Don't know if this will work but it'll be fun trying. The green house is just 10x8x8 so just a small one but I'm just a small time hobbiest.

[@xxthegamecollectorxx4673]

this sounds great, let us know how it goes. I need a kiln and this sounds awesome.

[@WorkingTimbersCo]

Enjoy this thoroughly man! Thank you!

[@chapmanhere3397]

Thanks for the upload!

[@quintenpuckett7679]

That's a good idea sir

[@martinkoche4375]

Your video was great thank you for sharing your experience

[@treetop5752]

Thank you for taking yhe time to do this video

[@brojames6084]

Stop with your vile comments on monkey channel we have alot of info on you and will send your messages you have left to every one you know starting here

[@niklar55]

Useful info, thanks. Have you tried a fan heater? That would have the fan and the heat supply in the same unit. They can be in multiple heat ranges on the same heater, but probably a bit higher than your bulbs.

[@9254970981]

I seams like you could run an exhaust fan controlled by a humidistat. Then adjust the humidistat monthly or weekly depending on the rate in which you want to remove the moisture.

[@krumpetrov5323]

Great video, ma man!

[@johntcrilly241]

Great video you are a wizard thank you

[@MrGatorz61]

Most dehumidifiers I have looked at are rated to 90 degrees what brand and model do you use Thanks

[@marisazabala2596]

Omg i love you, thank you for this video!

[@MountainTopHomestead316]

Great video, started a firewood business this year and would love to be able to dry 2 rick at a time, I stack them in IBC totes so it would be easy to move them in and out. Any suggestions on heat source? Would like the drying process to be as fast as possible without case hardening. I'm told I'm safe up to 220F. I could use wood but then I would be stuck having to refill the wood every so many hours to keep the heat pumping. Seen another guy use a diesel floor torpedo shaped heater that seemed to work good, and i also have an old kerosene heater. Not trying to burn the barn down lol just wanna dry some wood for higher profit margins. Need to hit 20%

[@davegirard1302]

This video is great!! So, I'm really interesting about your references tables you presented in this video. I looked to find out something like that but didn't find yet. Couold help me to get this kind of tables?? Thanks

[@railingsalongtheway-clayma9963]

I noticed your list of materials for the items used to make this kiln. The only thing I don't see is your thermostat switch. Do you have a listing on Amazon where this can be purchased? Great build by the way. Thanks for the video.

[@linzierogers5024]

Like your idea.

[@jaqledesma]

hi great stuff. will adapt the idea but on a smaller version. just one question? does everything run around the clock for days or weeks? thanks :)

[@PW.1993]

I hope you still check these! . With a set up similar to this, how long would you guess it would take (roughly) a small stack of walnut to dry starting at 20-25%, but only going down to 12 or so

[@RickRabjohn]

Pretty slick set-up and thanks for sharing!

[@IntoTheDirtshop]

Thanks for the video! I considering making something similar, but I am concerned with the dehumidifiers life in a wet environment, have you ever considered a wet rated crawl space dehumidifier? Or had any issue with the cheap unit?

[@FarmCraft101]

I have not had any issues, but I don't dry wood all the time. I'll often go months between batches.

[@xxthegamecollectorxx4673]

get a craigslist dehumidifier if you're concerned. virtually no loss

[@omegaman7241]

cool.. good videos thanks

[@seadoogti9288]

Good vid. Why 120 degrees? I dont think you ever explained where that temp came from. Thanks.

[@triveshhans]

What is the speed of fan that you use..

[@sethcatley6232]

How thick should wood be cut before going into the kiln? So it dries properly and also doesn't take so long

[@xxthegamecollectorxx4673]

great video, learned about case hardening. this explains why i ripped a 1x4 and it sprung and scared the shit out of me a few weeks ago.

[@famousforever8556]

Your kidding right? Some cupping, bowing, twisting, sure, but springing? A 1 × 4? 🙄

[@eyeswideshut2800]

Funniest comment thus far today

[@eyeswideshut2800]

Cut me and I'd spring up too.. I died laughing at this today.

[@jamesmkoenig]

I'm a little confused about the drying schedule. The left column shows RH. Is that the RH of the environment the wood will be in? Or is that the RH of the outdoor environment? I built a small kiln using 2" thick pink foam board and plastic sheeting. It's only 8 feet long by 4 feet tall by 2 feet wide. I put it in the back of my garage. Typical humidity where the wood wall end up inside will be around 40% The wood I'm drying is starting between 10 and 20% mostly around 12. Thanks for the video. Had helped me a lot!

[@CreagandMorwenna]

@farmcraft101 thanks for this, it's a beautiful thing. Did the dehumidifier last very long? I made something similar, but it seems to kill dehumidifiers. I spoke to someone at Ecor-Pro and then said that really you shouldn't use a home dehumidifier as they're not designed for these temperatures, so I'm looking at a dessicant dehumidifier that sits outside the kiln-of course it's a shame not to use the power that the dehumidifier is making!

[@lifeisneverthesame910]

have u tried desiccant type dehumidifier?

[@jamesbrady6676]

I am hoping to make my kiln next week, how much of a gap are you leaving around the sides for the air to circulate? Thanks in advance

[@FarmCraft101]

+James Brady depends on your fan setup. I have about 4". Good luck!

[@hansdegroot8549]

Great video. Thanks for sharing. How much electric power did you spend on drying the wood? Is the difference in moisture due the differences in thickness of the wood? Did you paint (or otherwise "protect") the end grains of the wood to prevent drying to quickly or unevenly?

[@FarmCraft101]

Not sure on electric. I think I calculated it at one point and thought it was around $10 for a good sized batch. Yes, the moisture difference is because of the thickness. Ideally the whole batch would be the same thickness, but I get along good enough this way. It is a good idea to seal the ends of the boards to prevent checking, but sometimes I get a little lazy.... ;-)

[@hansdegroot8549]

@@FarmCraft101 Thanks for your answers.

[@jeremymcclanahan2389]

Well done sir....sub earned

[@ShaggyRmz]

What conditions did you apply to wood inside kiln ? Temperature was aprox 100 Fahrenheit How about humidity inside the kiln ?

[@famousforever8556]

Have you kept track of the change in your electrical bill since starting? I'm curious how much the cost is and how much it varies from season to season. Cool little set up and the wood you have access to work with now must be amazing. I'd love to mill and dry wood that is totally uncommon and not worth industry focus due to low demand. Different fruit trees and such for smaller projects that would make them really unique. Maybe some quince tree vanities and such 😉

[@UsernameWasLost]

If he was running all 5 heat lamps for 2 weeks straight, that's 1.25kW for 336 hours. Average cost of electricity is 13.3 cents/kWh, so roughly $56 for that batch. That's assuming all 5 lamps running continuously for 2 weeks, which is obviously not the case with the thermostat controlling three of them, so it's probably only 40% of that, or $22. Add in a few dollars for the fan and dehumidifier, and it's around $25-30 for that load of walnut, which would cost you at least a couple hundred dollars.

[@idontthinkso666]

@@UsernameWasLost Great math! I don't know what walnut was going for at the time you commented (2020ish) but around here DC/MD that pallet of walnut would be hundreds of dollars, if not into the thousands!

[@buckeyejake9014]

Well done, sincerely appreciate your video. I'm building a similar setup using one of the bays in my pallet shelving. Have you had any issues with your dehumidifier running at the 120 degree mark?

[@bradypost1587]

@farmcraft101, great video! How many board feet do you usually dry at once with this setup?

[@FarmCraft101]

I usually do around 1000 BF. You can do more depending on how big you construct the box.

[@bradypost1587]

Great. Thanks!

[@hobbyguy763]

Can you do heat sterilization at 135 or above in there ?

[@williamd.albertsonjr9864]

Hello! I have a similar kiln set up. Having issues with my dehumidifier shutting off at 104 degrees due to the thermitidor safety shut off. However I can still get the heat to 120+ with a rh% below 30%. My wood still seems to be drying extremely slow though 2” black walnut. Seems like I’m only losing about 1% a week. Not sure if I accidentally case hardened it and trapped the water in the core.

[@idontthinkso666]

The problem is that you are using a thermitidor instead of of a thermometer. Thermometers work much better.

[@frankbryson7746]

I have some air dried mahogany and walnut that has been air dried for many years. Moisture meter shows 6 to 8 %. What would you suggest for temp and kiln time, just to sanitize/kill the bugs? My kiln is 4' x 4' x 8".

[@FarmCraft101]

I've heard that to kill all the bugs and eggs you need at least 150 degrees, which my kiln setup cannot do. I haven't had any bug problems though, so I don't think that's necessary. Typically I kiln at 120 degrees.

[@jamesbrady6676]

Brilliant video thank you. it's difficult to see but what size dedumidifier and fan are you using please

[@FarmCraft101]

James Brady I have a thirty pint dehumidifier but any would work. Just might effect time needed to dry. Fan can be anything that moves a little air. Mine is just a little 10" fan.

[@jamesbrady6676]

Thanks for replying, appreciate it

[@billnatter5251]

FarmCraf

[@ronskancke1489]

I just started kiln drying two days ago. I had a hearthstone stove stored in a reefer semi trailor so cut a circle in the roof and ran black pipe within a foot of the ceiling and insilated through the roof. It gets around 125 degrees within 2 hours. Two fans corculating air and a 5x16" hole in the bottom of one doow for venting. I am concerned with drying too fast. Any ideas or advice? Im drying ash milled down to 13/16". Intended for a floor in my livingroom.

[@kartiksundar5531]

How long do you air dry the wood before putting into the kiln? Months? Weeks? Days?

[@FarmCraft101]

No air drying necessary, but you will have to spend a little longer in the kiln if it's totally green.

[@marisazabala2596]

If you would be so kind as to grace me with a moment i have a question. Could a kiln feasibly be built in a gutted bus? Would i need to insulate it like you've done here if so?

[@mike9672]

How is that moisture meter working for you? I’ve been looking at that exact one

[@FarmCraft101]

Awesome. Love it.

[@RADMAN752]

video helped, thanks!

[@MrThenry1988]

Awesome. I have wood stashed everywhere. Lol. Air dry

[@timspence7843]

I recently lost my source for kiln dried maple and I just purchased some green maple. It's rather cold here in Nova Scotia (Dec 15) and the wood will be delivered within a month. Where is the correct place store it as we have snow here now. I have 3 options, 1. Store the wood in the basement (Older concrete, heated at around 50F. 2. My new garage that is kept at 65F using a mini-split. 3. stack it outside if there isn't too much snow! I would appreciate any advice and/or directions to where I can get information. Thanks! (Subbed & Liked)

[@FarmCraft101]

Maple will spalt if left wet too long, so I wouldn't leave it outside (although if frozen probably wouldn't be a problem). You want to allow air to circulate all around the boards. I would stack it either in your basement or garage with stickers between each layer (like the wood is stacked in this video when loaded in the kiln). The warmer/drier it is, the faster it will dry. If either space if damp, run a dehumidifier. You can air dry it if you leave it long enough in a dry space. I've read 1 year per inch of thickness will do, but I've never tried it. But to prevent spalting definitely stack it to dry and you can kiln dry it later any time you like. Whatever drying occurs beforehand will just be a head start. Good luck.

[@timspence7843]

Thanks So Much!!!

[@lifeisneverthesame910]

How many lamps do i need to dry 60 m cubic of wood(teak)? Thank you..

[@famousforever8556]

You know that cant be answered without knowing all of the details about the size of the area of the kiln, temp, insulation, humidity in location, and many other factors right??

[@baberkhan4946]

humidifier works between 5 to 35 degrees how its working on ur side at 120 ?

[@whirled_peas]

Are you maybe thinking Celsius? This is fahrenheit.

[@adamc5489]

Do you have a rough idea of how much the electricity bill runs you? Also, What kind of winter temps do you get and does it still work ok if you are at 0-20 degrees outside or would it have a hard time keeping the heat up at that temp? Thanks!

[@FarmCraft101]

Electric isn't much. I might see 10 or $15 dollars more. Not sure exactly, but I can say I've never been surprised with a big electric bill. If it's cold you will need more heat to keep it at 120. I've dried in 20-30 degree weather without a problem with my setup, but I need all my heat lamps on. If you live in a really cold climate and plan on using it in the winter, I would use thicker insulation and use great stuff foam on any gaps to really seal it up. Good luck.

[@adamc5489]

Thanks. That makes sense. It would be potentially up in MN at a friends if we did some day. I was looking at solar kilns too, but this would seem to be a bit faster if I'm not mistaken? And for the cost comparison I really can't see a huge savings over solar especially if a guy did it in the fall and not when its 0 degrees out. From what I have seen solar can take a month or so with decent temps outside.

[@trex283]

The dehumidifiers are no longer at your link. Can you please recommend another. Thanks.

[@retireddiyguy]

I want to make a kiln dryer. So your dryer is completely sealed? I was looking into making one with a vent and having a roof with a clear top to pick up the heat. Could your setup be run off a deep cycle battery? Mine is going to be much smaller (10 X 6). Would I need as many heat lamps?

[@FarmCraft101]

You couldn't run it off a battery for any length of time. Maybe a solar kiln would work better for you.

[@retireddiyguy]

@@FarmCraft101 bummer. To be able to dry that much wood in such a short amount of time is impressive. I could use a battery for the fans on the kiln dryer. A solar panel can keep get them going. It should only be for a little while till the temperature cools down. Down here in South Texas it is warm most of the year. Rarely does it get below 50 degrees. My concern is humidity. We have very high humidity here (80 percent or higher most of the time). It is over 100 yards to the nearest power source. Running power to it would not be a good option for me. I just don't know how long it would take to dry wood in such high humidity using a solar kiln.

[@hadleymanmusic]

Cant this be Similar for makin beef jerkey?

[@hr1551]

My question, is 120 celsius vs fahrenheit? I figured it was F but want to confirm. Thx!

[@FarmCraft101]

Yep, Fahrenheit. Sorry for not clarifying.

[@Joestacemazjojo]

Any concerns of bugs?

[@warrenwerks]

Curios on this too, I understand wood needs to be held at 140 degrees for a number of hours to ensure all bugs are dead

[@lewiskoaco.7372]

Great video,thanks for Sharing. I have a couple questions if you could help me out. I live in Hawaii, our humidity is about 70-85%. I'm shooting for about 35% in the kiln.I have a 4' x 8' x 4'H kiln, 70 pint. Dehumidifier, high velocity fan, a heat lamp and hydrometer. My goal is to reach about 6% lumber. I'm having case hardening on smaller batches, 150 foot and under. How can I prevent this?Is my goal of RH to be a consistent 30-35% while it's running or am I attempting to reduce it to 35%, then when it reaches 35% the wood is done?Do I need to do some sort of adjustment to make sure I pull only a gallon a day? Once you reach the amount of water per day, do you just manually turn your humidifier off? If not, how do I adjust it to only pull one gallon a day?I'm not sure if my dehumidifier is suppose to be constantly running. I have a 100 degrees right now, fan, dehumidifier set to 35% and one heat lamp. My RH level is at 56%. Do I need to add another lamp to bring down the RH?When my kiln is completely full i don't have these problems, just for the smaller batches.Thanks in advance, I appreciate your advice.

[@FarmCraft101]

+tamara lewis you need to decrease the amount of water taken off per day. Should be able to just turn down the dehumidifier so it doesn't run as much. Will likely have to adjust it multiple times during the drying process.

[@mieliepapET]

the 120 degrees - is that Farenheit or celcius?

[@FarmCraft101]

Fahrenheit.

[@Brian-mc4pd]

Do you always air dry before putting in kiln and for how long?

[@FarmCraft101]

Not always. But a week or two out in the dry air will make things easier on your dehumidifier.

[@Brian-mc4pd]

IS that what you normally do, about 1-2 wks outside to air dry first?

[@richardmaraziti4929]

I have looked repeatedly for Thermostat and I have not found one. Please Help.

[@SVROverkill]

So how much was the electric bill after two weeks of those heat lamps running 24/7

[@beautydailyusa8832]

Hi, how long does it take to dry a slab out?

[@dalemartin7886]

How thick is the slab? What is the starting moisture %? How hot is your kiln?

[@lifeisneverthesame910]

@@dalemartin7886 1000 bf. 2 inch thick. 30% mc.

[@collinmc3694]

how is this on your electrical bill?

[@FarmCraft101]

Collin McMillan I don't notice it. Not much.

[@collinmc3694]

great news than!

[@lifeinthephilippines7945]

Hey your moisture tester only can read up to 3/4 of an inch. You were reading 1/4 of an inch. You could see it on your reading, it had 60 the wood and 1/4 measure on it. I read up and only good to 3/4 inch, the prob goes 3/4 of an inch, why is your better, I’m making a kiln love your video,don’t want to waste money if doesn’t make that much difference. They are $200.00 now

[@fiendeng]

He understood the assignment

[@endangeredentertainment8584]

Anyone ever tried "kiln" drying in a grain bin with a dryer?

[@treetop5752]

It works BUT YOU NEED TO INSULATE IT, spray foam is the only way i would know. There's a guy in

[@rainbowsix4818]

The beginning of the video looks like a miniature toy version

[@michaeltrivette1728]

This is an old vid. Just wondering if you caught that thing on fire yet?

[@patmatt975]

This is what I call stupid frugal. For a couple hundred bucks he could make it safe, but he's trying to save money.

[@NecropsY1]

THERE ARE 4 LIGHTS

[@HokiHumby]

lmao so this is a "kiln" for drying wood, as opposed to a wood / wood-firing kiln for firing pots. haha.

[@Actias1974]

Let the sun power your kiln. You are missing out on free energy.

[@christjulipds13]

My works too. Used stodoys handbooks and build it with no problems.

[@clintmaldonado5820]

1 gallon of water is 7.43 pounds not 8.3.....

[@bigdbearkiller5115]

water weighs 8.34 lbs or 3.78 kg at 62 °F (17 °C)

[@idontthinkso666]

idiot

[@gorkemchess]

How dehumidifier works above 100 Fahrenheit? Most dehumidifiers I see only works up to 100 fahrenheit so what if I want to increase temperature to 130-140, will the stop ? I am a little concerned on picking up the right dehumidifier. @Farmcraft101

[@chavirawiser5010]

I have done very similar with Stodoys designs.