How to Build a Poor Mans Wood Kiln!

Do you have some wood that needs to dry before you can use it? Maybe you're like me and want to sell some beautiful slabs. Either way this is an extremely cost effective way to dry lumber fast and easy. Below I've listed all the materials I used in this project
--------// links to the products in the video\\-------
Exhaust Fan with Thermostat controller
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Waterproof Gorilla Tape
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Pinless Moisture Meter
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Lowes Insolation Board
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Dual Wall Polycarbonate
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--------// $100 Beginner Woodworkers kit \\-------
Double-Sided Diamond Sharpening Plate 400/1000 Grit
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32 in 1 Screwdriver Tool Set
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Swpeet Powerful Speedy Hand Drill 1/4-Inch Capacity with 13Pcs Drill bits
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Slim tper triangular saw hand file , Black Oxide Coating, 6"
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Hand Saw, Wood Handle
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3-piece Wood Chisel Set
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3x18 Inches Aluminum Oxide Sanding Belts , 21 Pack
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Stanley coping Shaw
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Speed Square Layout Tool
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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (Amazon Affiliate links)
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Teespring store
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TikTok
/ dylanthecraftsman

[@IrishSchaller]

"don't need a wooden frame"? Where I live, west coast of Ireland, after about three days these panels will be competing with aircraft to land at Dublin Airport.

[@mrtinkertrain5997]

😂😂😂

[@jimsonjohnson3761]

You can box join foam board as well

[@adamredden2007]

😂 Yeah, I imagine that is very region dependent.

[@danielfowler3739]

Nothing better than a kid that is ok being themselves! Especially in today’s world. And thanks for the vid

[@earlzathome]

I put the dehumidifier on a timer.....ran 2 hours every 8 hours. Works perfectly. In a month you have kikn dried hardwood down to 8%!

[@tealmountaintrekking6141]

Awesome man

[@musitianreyes]

You got yourself a new sub based on the wholesome interaction with your dayghter. Thats what i hope to achive someday with my own daughter. Also extremely informative. Thank you

[@WyldeWoodworks]

Thank you! That's always my favorite part😊

[@cocina_viajera]

Great video. Just the info without any BS. Thanks

[@marccarlin1]

Love this. I’ve got access to some wood and I’m experimenting with sawing it with a homemade chainsaw mill. This is the perfect solution for me. I’m not looking to mill pieces longer than 30-36”. I’ll be using my unheated garage for drying my first load as soon as I’m ready. I’ll see how warm the dehumidifier gets the kiln and add a heat source if necessary. Thanks for your idea and proof of concept. 6 weeks is better than 12-24 months airdry.

[@jameshuntley428]

Nice work!

[@jennessalynam7682]

Absolutely love watching your videos! Great content!

[@jennessalynam7682]

Do you have a patreon account for your followers?

[@WyldeWoodworks]

I don't sorry

[@jennessalynam7682]

No need to apologize, was just wondering. Thanks for your quick reply.

[@darodes]

Painting can make a huge difference too if you’re worried about how it looks! Otherwise I think it looks fine! Hope you have a follow up!

[@diymanbelfast2897]

Love it lol good job

[@johnnycorn7225]

Awesome, subbed

[@planetmoving9180]

I Ran a dehumidifier for a few weeks and electric bill went up by at least $100. This Makes the polycarb seem practical. Would use old slider glass door except for hail storms. And celophane wrap wrap as glazing will degrade in the sun in a few weeks.

[@brucehansen7949]

Dehumidifiers don't cost anywhere near $100 for a month running 24/7 at most like $20

[@TC-bz9dz]

please do a follow-up video of the drying results....I need to build one of these kilns but I would like to see your progress and finished dry stock

[@nulledrust9809]

"Cheap" then he spends over $300 on it for very poor results. Fact is folks the reason our ancestors never used solar is because solar SUCKS. Just like this channel, they are telling you LIES so they can profit off your ignorance.

[@lohjonming1]

yes pls! i'd like to know the results. great work by the way. i must say, this is the best video to build a kiln because it demystifies the complexity of a kiln, since i always thought it needs to have a giant industrial dehumidifier!

[@WyldeWoodworks]

I've done a few videos showing the wood that came out of this kiln

[@danvankouwenberg7234]

Very cool.

[@MildarValsik]

Well i was looking for a good way to dry wood that is on a scale that's not so involved it breaks the bank. I might do something that's probably similar but with some wood structure. With easier break down and retrieve over all i like this style a ton too.

[@TheHillsHaveFPV]

the insulation went up in price like mad 2 years ago. I was buying it cheap one summer. The next summer it was almost 2x the cost.

[@andersonolive4553]

New subscriber here, absolutely loving these videos! Especially this one as I may be copying your build! Thanks so much for sharing!

[@WyldeWoodworks]

Thanks!😁

[@nulledrust9809]

"Cheap" then he spends over $300 on it for very poor results. Fact is folks the reason our ancestors never used solar is because solar SUCKS. Just like this channel, they are telling you LIES so they can profit off your ignorance.

[@andersonolive4553]

@@nulledrust9809 you ok dude?

[@WyldeWoodworks]

@@andersonolive4553 Yeah that was wierd. For the record it was $200😂 and the first 2 batches were successful

[@nulledrust9809]

@@andersonolive4553 Yes im ok, I just like to call our scammers who only want youlose monetization so badly they make these long drawn out videos full of bad information.

[@r0land014]

Could you do this with firewood and use a less powerful fan? Maybe even just like a vent

[@LightSpinAngler]

I would recommend painting the inside and out black for more efficiency and curb appeal.

[@SomeSkillStudio]

Nice! I'm going to store this in my memory until I have room to build one.

[@mkmulin13]

I remember when I was in elementary school I would wear a jacket most of the time; no matter the temp. Ironically, my 11 yr old son wears a jacket or long sleeves a lot. I asked him why and he stated it’s cold at some places. He also says, “I’m fine, it’s comfortable.” I always wonder if he gets hot but he doesn’t show any signs that he is hot or uncomfortable. I tell my wife he reminds me of when I was young and she says we both are crazy!

[@blokescancooktoo]

Hey man how long did it take for your wood to dry? I want to do something similar for my bbq wood

[@WyldeWoodworks]

Firewood is way easier to dry but the thickness of the wood changes it drastically so if you're working with 1" thick slabs it takes about a month and a half to 2 months to get it to 10%(which is lower than you need for firewood). The 2" thick slabs took about three months.

[@jacksikes4825]

Nice job!, I have dry lumber, but I need to kill some bugs in it. How hot does this / can this rig get?

[@WyldeWoodworks]

The highest I've ever got it was 150. Depending on your region and time of year it could get hotter.

[@Rosie_The_Border_Collie]

Whats the temperature you are aiming for inside the box ? Great video btw, thx !

[@WyldeWoodworks]

Thanks! I usually aim for 110° but that is based on a ton of variables. For instance, if you need to kill some bugs in the wood you'll want to hit it at about a 150° first. Also every species of wood needs different treatments. Generally, if you stay at 110° It's easier on the wood and more likely to yield a quality result.

[@danielbuffington2041]

So what were the results? If you filmed that, would love to see how effective it is. Living in Utah this would be very useful to dry the wood

[@WyldeWoodworks]

Go find my walnut table video from 8 months ago👍

[@nkuete]

How hot did the dehumidifier get the box? I found your video trying to come up with ways to kill bugs in air dried lumber i got for free

[@WyldeWoodworks]

It got a bit over 150. The solar kiln by itself can get that high on a very sunny day. Great temp for killing bugs

[@chad534]

What temp does the kiln get to? Does it kill of potential bugs like powder post beetles?

[@JakePlisskin12]

Poor mans? Hey styrofoam board is pretty darn expensive. Haha That fan for sure sure worth the money. My kids would be doing the same thing.

[@mariavallecillo-dunn145]

Does your homemade kiln kill any wood boring insects that might be in the woods? And if so, how long do you have to put it in the kiln?

[@WyldeWoodworks]

Yes it does. You have to get the temp pretty high which isnt too hard in the summer. The time frame depends on a ton of variables but 2" usually takes a few months

[@ladyt2588]

Did I see the vent temperature set to 119°? How you determine the temperature of that vent?

[@WyldeWoodworks]

I like to try to keep the kiln between 100 110. That gives me fairly slow drying. It mostly just comes down to how fast you want the wood to dry. The slower the less case hardening you'll get.

[@Kiltedwoodsmith]

how long did it take to dry out all the boards

[@pistolpetephotography89]

Love the concept to save money. But how are you suppose to open it back up to remove wood?🤔 Then reuse it.

[@WyldeWoodworks]

I actually just started my 3rd rotation now. The box can be torn down as far as you need it to so you can load it back up. Then you can tape everything back together. The process takes about an hour to fill it up and retape the seams. The cool thing about this design is you can make it whatever shape or size you want each time you put it back together. I just extended mine and extra 2' feet to put larger slabs in.

[@NightimeDan]

Awesome! Would this work good for seasoning firewood, or would it only work good for thinner cuts? Also, maybe a dumb question, but you have the vent to exhaust the air at a certain temperature.. so what happens to all of the moisture if that temperature isn’t reached? Say you have an overcast day.. would you be better off just running the vent constantly?

[@WyldeWoodworks]

It would work fine for fire wood. If there isn't heat in the box then it shouldn't create that humitity. Dny downtime it has in the heat cycles gives the wood a chance to equalize the moisture inside reducing it's tendency to crack or warp.

[@NightimeDan]

@@WyldeWoodworks Thank you!

[@nulledrust9809]

"Cheap" then he spends over $300 on it for very poor results. Fact is folks the reason our ancestors never used solar is because solar SUCKS. Just like this channel, they are telling you LIES so they can profit off your ignorance.

[@cferrara1125]

If I'm keeping it in the basement. Can I use Insulation on the top. Also will it get hot enough to kill insects? Thanks

[@WyldeWoodworks]

The heat depends on your dehumidifier so you might have to use some heat lamps as well to get up to a high enough temperature to kill the bugs. In a basement you can definitely use insulation instead of the polycarbonate.

[@DrvenoArt]

how long does it take to dry? Wood is now 30% moisture?

[@tatkinsful]

how long did it take to dry ?

[@robertpronovost3839]

How long that batch of wood take to dry

[@MCEdziits]

If you have solar panels - I see this as an absolute win. Probably half the wood price is because of drying.

[@Morpha-Ahprom]

💖

[@user-dr6tm4wc4m]

Don't you need to strap the wood together to keep it from warping?

[@paulcrutchfield8185]

Does it require direct sunlight? I live on a very wooded lot.

[@WyldeWoodworks]

Fairly direct sunlight yes

[@ogiejii7885]

It seems that the exhaust fan would draw humid air from outside into the chamber, not a good idea for us Floridians. Am I wrong? Am I missing something? I really like the simplicity and would like to have a kiln of this size and budget.

[@WyldeWoodworks]

There's a lot of variables to consider but low humidity isn't necessary to dry the wood. Heating up the wood is what expels the moisture. If you control the humidity levels you can get the wood to dry faster but generally you don't need to worry about that with a solar kiln.

[@TheSateef]

why not slope the roof to the south to improve heat input and drain rain and snow?

[@kenwiggins1725]

I need to build a kiln to kill post Beatles, what is a good CHEAP heat source .. I plan on using walk in freezer panels for the box.... I need 180 core temp for 12 hours

[@WyldeWoodworks]

Most bugs can be killed at 150ﾟover a few days. If you need more heat than that I'm really not sure about a good heat source. Heat lamps are probably the cheapest but I wouldn't really call them cheap to run for too long

[@2Ryled]

You didn't say how long it took to dry it. Also can you di it in winter?

[@WyldeWoodworks]

It wasn't meant to be a drying tutorial. I don't know enough about that yet to make a propper video but my first batch took about 6 weeks. You can use it in winter but the drying will slow down considerably. I'm in the process of converting it to electric heating for the winter

[@phillipcowen4]

How long did it take to dry the lumber?

[@WyldeWoodworks]

About 6 weeks

[@MillerMade]

would be curious how it has preformed. Any updates?

[@WyldeWoodworks]

I'm on my 3ed rotation so far. It works well. I'm interested to see how well it works this winter

[@MillerMade]

@@WyldeWoodworks that would have been my follow up question. Instead what percentages are you going from/to? I'm about to open cabinet/ furniture shop and I am having trouble finding dried stock, but have found plenty of freshly milled. So this my be a good solution

[@zackbourgault6073]

How long did you let it sit? What was the starting moisture vs the ending

[@nickford5549]

Raptor liner makes foam bomb proof

[@WyldeWoodworks]

What is raptor liner? I am intrigued

[@nickford5549]

Bed liner for trucks. Military uses it to make plywood bomb proof literally. You can stand on cardboard box once dry

[@nickford5549]

Makes anything solid as a rock and 100% weather proof

[@FuzzyOne37]

My daughter is the same way. Sweatshirts on an otherwise HOT day. Kids????

[@ladyt2588]

What should the moisture reading be?

[@WyldeWoodworks]

That depends on your location and your particular drawing process that you want to use. Generally you should aim between 10% and 8%. But that's only a rough guide.

[@ladyt2588]

@@WyldeWoodworks 😃 Good enough Thanks!

[@chuckthecanuck828]

What kind of time frame for drying the wood?

[@WyldeWoodworks]

It's necessary to measure the moisture content as you go to a very loose time frame would be 6 weeks per inch of thickness of the material

[@chuckthecanuck828]

@@WyldeWoodworks ok, furthermore what kind of climate/area are you in - thinking of how it could differ from my own and how it may effect the drying time. Finally could you add a link to that exhaust fan? I'm in the process of building my own Alaska mill. I

[@WyldeWoodworks]

@@chuckthecanuck828 That sounds awesome! All links are in the description

[@WyldeWoodworks]

@@chuckthecanuck828 If you're worried that you are going to have too high of humidity you should really plan on building an indoor kiln with a dehumidifier. If you run into any troubles with it let me know and I can help walk you through it.

[@chuckthecanuck828]

@@WyldeWoodworks awesome, thank you very much. I lack space at the moment for an indoor kiln, I'm milling for the lumber to build my shop

[@grant8653]

I live in an area with not the most direct of sunlight would making this in a black material to absorb more heat ok not ok no difference?

[@thumbsup9208]

I need an update

[@danbuffington75]

4:40 I was really surprised to hear that you thought the de-humidifier put out too much heat. I thought that was the point of using the sun, for the heat?

[@The_Bearded_Lady]

too much heat can cause the outside of the wood to crack and check and just heating it too fast makes it heat unevenly which can also affect warp etc. goal is to stay like 100-110 degrees and not above (which is why thermostats are helpful in any type of kiln cause it will shut off components when it is too high and turn them on when starting to get low)

[@talithacumi1639]

Building supplies are definitely more expensive. Inflation is caused by the banks and the government.

[@canifixit3504]

You should of had and end to it of the wood been dried

[@xLopez210x]

Poor man's kiln... $200 later lol.... just kidding Im stirring the pot. This was a great video find, I have a crap ton of wood on the grandparents farm that needs this.

[@WyldeWoodworks]

Nice! lol. My origonal design would have cost about $1000

[@xLopez210x]

@@WyldeWoodworks most thing people say "you can go as cheap or expensive as you want".... I tend to get carried away all the time lol

[@kpmathis71]

How much does relative humidity matter? Here in US Southeast, we often have 90+% humidity. I'd hate to make the wood worse! What temps are you going for? What is too low/high?

[@WyldeWoodworks]

At that point I would make an indoor kiln with a dehumidifier. 90% is too high. I aim for 100° -110° inside the kiln.

[@JonOleOlsen]

First! 👍

[@WyldeWoodworks]

You win!