[Travis]

Just put a heat lamp in an old locker to make a kiln. This is the same set up my dad had to dry walnut planks when he was making rifle stocks. I don't know how much faster this will dry sticks so I bought a moisture meter to track the progress. I had been using the locker for storing wood. Tomorrow I'll clear out the locker and trim some new cut sticks so they will fit and get the process started.

 

[LilysDad]

Looks like it would work. I have a commercial hardwood mill near me that uses a solar kiln. Like a green house with a vent to regulate the drying.

 

[CV3]

It looks like a good idea. Do you rotate the shanks to equalize the drying of top and bottom of the sticks?

 

[dww2]

Cool idea. The handles of the last few sticks I've done I dried in the microwave, but that obviously wouldn't work for a shank. It would be interesting to know how much (if any) checking you get in the cut ends. Or do you wax or paint them to reduce cracks?

 

[Travis]

This is the first full day I've had the kiln going. My dad had used it for about 25 or so years but didn't use it for the last 5 years or so he was living because he had slowed down and had 200+ blanks dried -plenty to pick and choose from. He was drying walnut heartwood planks so I assume a shank with sapwood and heartwood (basically a section of a whole, yet small tree) is more likely to crack. Very rarely, if ever, did he have a plank check. He always dipped the ends in wax. Every once in a while rotating the wood but I think there would be enough airflow through the locker that it may not be necessary if it is not very full.

Basically this is just a metal box with a 250 watt heat lamp with a 12 inch reflecter hung in it. Not counting the moister meter I got just to satisfy my curiosity $17 + electicity is all I have invested in this. A pretty simple set up so I'll be happy with however long this cuts down the wait for sticks to dry. At least I feel like I'm doing something about it.

For now I'm drying some shanks I cut last winter and dead limbs from earlier this year just to finish them off before getting started with the new cut sticks. I just didn't have as much time today as I thought I would to trim and reseal the new stuff. Should get to it this weekend.

 

[Travis]

I havn't kept track of the moisture levels like I had thought I would but started working on a hiking stick I cut from a redbud tree that was knocked over by a dead tree between Thanksgiving and the 1st of Dec. The moisture reading is at 9%. It is a little thinner than most of my cane and stick blanks start at- 1 9/32 at the top and 3/4 on the bottom. Everything that is larger in the kiln has a higher moisture content 10%-19%. No issues with checking if it is sealed on the ends. Not sure how much this has shortened the drying time but at least I feel like I'm doing something positive about it. As it is I took the heat lamp out of the kiln and put it under the house for just over a month this winter to keep the water lines from freezing.

 

[Gloops]

I have used a moisture meter for a few years and use when reading is 14% or less, in the uK we tend to leave bark on and also straighten our shanks and at the14% moisture reading and have no problems with cracking when heating and straightening. Used a similar chamber when home wine making and fitted a wired in thermostat to maintain a more constant and controllable temperature (one used for home central heating), also a small computer fan linked in to create an air flow to eliminate/reduce hot and cold spots - worked well. The added bonus of the thermomstat is it reduced running cost, the cupboard was also insulated to reduce heat loss.