new drying technique

[cryostallion]

hi y'all
i was just looking into designs for a heat box for quick seasoning of my staves and thought maybe this would work.  i've never seasoned staves before and don't want to mess them up if i can help it, so if this sounds like a bad idea to anyone let me know.
i have an enclosed trailer sittin outside and it gets nice and toasty in there.  i don't have a thermometer in there yet so not sure just how hot, but i am in western mass where the summer is pretty mild.  cools down a lot at night.  so i doubt it's as hot as inside a car all day in the west texas sun (which i read about in TBB1).  i put a fan in there blowing over them because i've read that helps.  what do you think?

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[JackCrafty]

Looks good to me.

I grew up in NH and I know how humid the summers can get.  The staves will dry much faster if you put a de-humidifier in the trailer.  JMO

[sailordad]

cant see it hurting anything
nice use of a trailer that aint being used at the moment too
not to mention,ifn ya wanna go to bow building event your staves are already loaded to go  

[cryostallion]

Looks good to me.

I grew up in NH and I know how humid the summers can get.  The staves will dry much faster if you put a de-humidifier in the trailer.  JMO

I just moved up here in june and there's been a few really humid ones.  but after living in some really humid places it doesn't seem too bad.  i don't have a humidity meter yet but i guess i should check it.  all my other wood is drying in the cool, dry basement.  so which do you think is better?

i'm going to look online for a cheapo dehumidifier now 

[cryostallion]

not to mention,ifn ya wanna go to bow building event your staves are already loaded to go  

haha good call

[JackCrafty]

Tests have shown that moving, dry air is the thing that will dry wood the fastest, not heat.  The dry basement is a great place.

[cryostallion]

good to know
thanks patrick

-patrick

[SA]

i dried a couple in my car this spring and summer one twisted it was elm . is drying them in a car bad? i live in central oklahoma and its been  in the 100s latley. i have some mullbery and osage was thinkin of doin that to some of them but not sure now ...any advice.

[Stingray45]

I definitely get a dehumidifier. That's what I plan on doing. The only thing I would say with that would be to check the moisture fairly often to make sure you dont suck out too much. If you dont have one I got one on eBay for like $10 with shipping from China. Came in about 5 or 6 business days.

[JackCrafty]

sa, I've dried staves in my car too but they sometimes warp and check badly, especially when they are very green.  Some wood, like ash, will dry out nicely in a hot car.  Google the type of wood you have and try to find data on how fast the wood will kiln dry at the lumber mill.  It's no coincidence that most lumber available at the "depot-type" stores is wood that can be force-dried quickly.

There are also many references that show that a sinew backing can be force-dried with heat, although I don't do it myself.  The climate here in west Texas is dry enough.

[SA]

thanks jackcrafty, i have some ash i  think ill car dry

[JW_Halverson]

A side benefit of running the dehumidifier in the enclosed trailor is that the motor will create more heat as well.  Save the water from the pan for watering house plants...nice soft water without any dissolved salts or minerals.

[aero86]

car drying is how i dry my stuff.  works great in NE texas