Eastern Sawyers uses a custom-built Solar Cycle Kiln Dryer to dry sawn lumber to an appropriate moisture content for furniture building or other purposes (generally dried to 6-8% moisture content) that simply air-drying cannot achieve.  Because of the natural daily heating/cooling cycles, drying in a Solar Kiln produces a high-quality, stress free wood product.  Of course, this process is slower than conventional kilns, but it has its benefits:

• Eco Friendly – uses no fossil fuels and less electricity than an LCD TV
• Produces more useable product due to nightly stress relief

 

Some statistics on our kiln:

• 1,700 bf capacity
• 16’ max length per board
• Collector surface area: ~170 SqFt
• Max kiln temperature: ~150°F

 

Due to changes in the strength of the sun’s energy we receive from summer to winter months, drying times are extended in the winter.  In our climate, product takes about 4 times as long to dry during winter months than during summer months.  It is still significantly faster than air drying however — for example, white oak lumber will air-dry to approximately 12% moisture content in about 1-1/2 to 2 years.  In the solar kiln, we can achieve approximately 8% moisture content in about 2 months during the summer season.

Please call or email for details and kiln availability.