Specialty Products Kiln Drying

Profitable Drying of Small Quantities of Lumber

WERC, Princeton, West VirginiaSeptember 26th, 2013

Sponsored by:US Forest Service’s Wood Education and

Resource Center and NC State University’s Wood Products Extension

Harry Watt

Discrimination Policy Statement

The work upon which this project is based was funded in whole or in part through a grant awarded by the Wood Education and Resource Center, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry, U.S. Forest Service.

In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

• Sawing specialty products can be profitable as a marketing to a special niche where buyers value high quality special wood products

• Drying is a critical item for success as quality products demand stability, free of stain and splits, etc.

Specialty Products Work Well for Small Sawmill Operations

• Thick slabs• Dowels• Veneer• Turning squares

and blanks• Timbers• Logs

Lots of Specialty Wood Products

Thick Slabs• Thick slabs are often greater than 2”, 3” is a common thickness

• Want to use thick stickers, such as kiln dried 2x4’s

• Want to end coat with thick paint or sealer to reduce splits

• Can use top weights or bands to restrain warping

• Want to put space between edges of slabs

Typical to air dry for up to 1 year per inch of thickness for woodworkers wanting to be conservative in drying

Turning Squares and Timbers

Thick stickers and spaces between squares and timbers

When have large quantities, leave spaces between piles

Vacuum Kilns for Turning Squares and Thick Lumber

Older model Woodmizer vacuum kiln used for turning squares and thick lumber

Faster than conventional drying with less degrade

• Can dry like lumber in a conventional dry kiln-works well for yellow poplar

• Can stack veneer to 1” thickness-treat as lumber

Veneer

Logs

Can kiln dry large home logs as well as smaller poles for rustic furniture

Home logs can be round, square and D shaped logs

Killing Bugs Can Be a Revenue Source• Homeowners and other buyers of wood products understand

that bugs in wood cause problems

• Heat treatment typically require a core temperature at 135 degrees or more for a specific period of time

• Can quickly heat treat previously kiln dried wood products but have to carefully manage the EMC in the heat treating kiln

Tarps Are Disasters!  Open Sheds Are Better

• Sheds keep sun and rain off what needs to be dried

• Must think of air flow through sheds and get the right amount of air flow to avoid stain and checks/splits

What Other Specialty Products Are Of Interest?