A Look at MOTHER's Solar Wood-Drying Kiln - Part One

(Page 4 of 4)

September/October 1984
By the Mother Earth News editors 
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How does it work? Well, we're still monitoring its performance with a Lignomat wood-moisture meter and a hygrometer, though we've already been rewarded with a supply of finished lumber (we were also taught a lesson in the importance of proper stacking when part of a charge mildewed because of inadequate and uneven airflow). A new batch—500 board feet of oak and an equal amount of yellow pine—is undergoing tests right now, and we'll have some hard figures in the second installment of this article ...where we'll examine moisture levels, analyze the 60-day drying cycle, and determine if the quality of the finished product in fact warrants our expenditure of $1,000 or so in building materials and $360 in electrical components. We're not about to champion our design without data, but the proof of success—or disappointment—will be in our next issue.

RELATED CONTENT

See Mother's Solar Wood-Drying Kiln Part Two.

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  • Michael Hilliker 7/10/2009 9:19:07 PM

    As an old mother from the 70's, I remember when this article was first published. I used rough cut lumber to build my home. I build a solar lumber dyer using old window and doors. Much of the dryer was built using the description I read in the magazine. It worked well and the house was built in 1984 and there was no shrinkage was ever found.

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