Wood drying is an obligatory step in the preparation of building material before processing. So that the logs do not deform in the sun during operation, they are thoroughly dried in special chambers. You can make such equipment at home, if you know the principle of its operation and the list of necessary materials. In our article you will learn all about how to make a wood dryer with your own hands, as well as a lot of other useful information that is useful for home.
Why is it so important to dry a tree?
This question is asked by many novice builders when they are faced with the need to process building material before use. If you decide to make a mini-dryer for a tree at home with your own hands, then you should definitely familiarize yourself with the following theoretical information, which will not make you give up in case of the slightest failure.
So, furniture made of wet wood will very soon deform, dry out and become cracked. If the construction process uses material that has not been previously dried, then raw beams will eventually lead the structure to the side, and cracks will appear on the walls of the tree, about a palm wide. We should not forget that mold can occur in raw wood: this is why it is so important to dry the wood before using it for construction.
How is wood drying?
Have you ever made a clothes dryer with your own hands from a tree? If yes, then you most likely perfectly know the principle of its work. Drying of linen occurs with the help of hot steam or air, which is fed inside a wooden box. This process is considered quite lengthy, since one stream of hot air replaces the other, but as a result you get not only clean, but also dried clothes.
In almost exactly the same way, the drying step occurs with wood. In order for the lumber to be stored longer and not to lose as a result of the operation of its properties, it must be treated with hot air. The heat source in this case can be very different, but the principle in most cases is the same. Hot air from combustible fuel enters the compartment with the tree and dries it, and excess moisture leaves the tank with the help of an exhaust hood.
What to consider when building a dryer?
To make it easier to understand how to make a wood dryer with your own hands, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the basic wood drying modes that are used in modern dryers. There are a lot of them, since wood of various species needs special treatment. When choosing a material, the following factors must be considered:
- indicator of starting and final humidity;
- quality category of raw materials used;
- features of a dryer for wood;
- dimensions of lumber;
- wood species.
If we classify wood dryers according to the type of processing, they can be low-temperature or high-temperature. In the first case, the primary operation is carried out at an air temperature that does not exceed 100 degrees Celsius.
Low or high temperature for drying?
It should be understood that the answer will directly depend on the type of wood that you want to use for drying. Some building materials are best suited for gradual processing at low temperatures, while others are affected as quickly as possible. Also, do not forget that low-temperature modes can be divided among themselves into the following categories:
- forced - the material becomes brittle, the color darkens significantly;
- normal - the strength of the wood decreases slightly, the color changes;
- soft - the tree fully retains its properties and does not change color.
Each of these categories fits a specific case. For example, for decorating walls it is not necessary to use wood with good strength, but its color is of great importance. But for the supporting beams, it is best to use wood that has passed the stage of soft processing, otherwise the whole structure will simply collapse.
But for high-temperature processing, two stages of drying are characteristic. The first stage is characterized by a decrease in the moisture content of the feedstock to 20%, after which the wood cools down properly and is subjected to heat treatment again, but already to an indicator from zero to five percent. This technology is most often used in the construction of secondary structures that do not have special significance in the economy.
Two types of drying chambers
A do-it-yourself wood dryer for the house can be made using various precast metal or high-quality building materials. In the first case, you will be able to make the structure as soon as possible, without spending a large part of the budget on the purchase of expensive materials.
However, if you decide to build a brick dryer, then its service life will be measured for years, and in addition, such equipment forgives the beginner all the mistakes that he will make during the training. That is, if you overdo it with the temperature, then the tree inside, of course, will burn, but the refractory brick will withstand such heat without any problems. However, thin sheets of metal can quickly become hot and deformed. Just imagine how much more time you will spend on repairing the dryer.
Which heat source to choose?
Decided to make do-it-yourself infrared dryers for wood? Are you sure that this is the best option for this design? Perhaps, for starters, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the main sources of heat that are used in wood dryers:
- hot steam - next to the dryer is a container of water that heats up;
- hot smoke - there is a wood-burning stove near the structure;
- electric current - electric charges pass well through a wet tree;
- radiant heat - supplied from special heating devices;
- heated pipes - heat is removed from pipes with hot water.
Also today, it has become quite common to use a high frequency electromagnetic field as a power source for a dryer, but it will be extremely difficult to implement such a method at home, so we did not mention it in the main list, but keep it in mind.
Basic and additional equipment
Have you decided to build a vacuum wood dryer with your own hands at home? Do you know what elements this device consists of? Any wood dryer should be equipped with the following elements that ensure its operation:
- ventilation type;
- heat supply source;
- source of moisture.
But for the vacuum dryer, special equipment is also used that pumps out all the oxygen from the chamber. In addition, many devices of this type can also be equipped with the following elements: carts for laying materials, electric drive, psychometric equipment, insulation for doors and walls and so on.
Drawings for wood dryer
To make a wood dryer with your own hands from a container, it is recommended that you first draw up competent drawings that will take into account all elements of the future design, as well as the features of the site. The list below contains the four most important points that you should pay special attention to when drawing up the drawings.
- The room for the camera - in our case, the container will be used.
- Heat source - it is best to give preference to a conventional wood-burning stove.
- Hood - a pipe with a fan is suitable, which draws in air.
- Insulation - foam or glass wool will be an ideal option.
Remember that the drawing is a very important stage in the manufacture of any design. If you make even the slightest mistake, you will have to redo the entire camera from scratch. Therefore, be extremely careful and write down all the calculations on paper, even if it seems to you that they will not be forgotten.
Aluminum wood dryer
If you decide to build a separate room for the dryer, we strongly recommend that you take a closer look at the option of aluminum, since such a design will last a really long time, and it will not be difficult to build it. The frame is made of aluminum profile, after which metal sheets are screwed on the outside. Also, the structure must be insulated from the outside, so that the cold walls of aluminum do not lower the air temperature inside the dryer - this will save a significant amount of fuel. The thickness of the insulation should be at least 15 centimeters. Well, the floor must be covered with roofing material, especially if you place the dryer on cold ground. As an additional insulation, a thick layer of wood chips is sometimes poured under the roofing material and compacted well.
Thick metal mini dryer
Ideal for drying small boards or firewood for sale. An absolute advantage is that the design practically does not take up space, but very expensive materials will have to be used for its manufacture. The frame must be made of thick steel, since it will have to withstand loads of several tons.
Outside, sheets of metal with a thickness of at least 0.5 millimeters are attached. It is not necessary to insulate such a design, and it can be very dangerous. It is best to place it in a garage or shed so that it does not fall under the influence of precipitation and winds. As for the heat source, in this case, you can use almost any option. For example, since we decided to make a compact design, we can put several steam generators inside. In this case, the equipment can also be used to dry clothes. In general, if you decide to make your own a dryer for wood or linen, then you should definitely look at this option.
Video and conclusion
We hope our article helped you figure out how to make a wood dryer with your own hands. If you still have any questions or the information provided seemed to you a little, we recommend that you watch a short video that talks about how to make a dryer for boards in the attic for thirty dollars. The entire manufacturing process is described in great detail and is understandable, so you can probably get a lot of useful information from the video.
As you can see, to make a wood dryer in your home, you don’t have to have any special skills at all. It will be enough to responsibly approach this process and draw up competent drawings so that you do not have to correct your own mistakes in the construction process. And what do you think about what else you can make a wood dryer at home? Perhaps you have already done this kind of work or do you have your own interesting thoughts about this? Share them with our readers.