Kit for converting a fridge or freezer to a kiln
Chris Edmond
I am considering putting together kits to convert an old freezer or fridge
into a kiln. The system would be relatively foolproof and infinitely
controllable. Current cost for the kit looks like being in the $210 (£150
stg) price bracket.
The cost of running will be very low with solar power being an option.
There are company's such as Arrowsmiths in the uk that supply small scale
dryers but these can be pricey for the hobby turner or carver.
Depending on the response I will start to put these together or forget the
idea totally.
Please let me know your thoughts?
Best regards
Chris
Steve Tiedman
Are you in the USA? If so, I think your first hurdle to jump will be having
the refrigerant (Freon, usually) removed in a manner consistant with federal
regulatory standards. You would not want to be telling people to do anything
with the refrigerant that they were not supposed to be doing and risk yourself
to liabiltiy exposure. Dealing with this material can be pricey.
Other than that, if you can find your market and your market is willing to pay
the money, more power to you, I hope it works out.
Steve.
--
Steve Tiedman
stevet...@qwest.net
St. Paul, MN, USA
remove "NOSPAM" from address line to reply
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Chris Edmond
The refrigerant or refrigeration system would not need to be touched. The
system can remain as is. The customer would source there own insulated
chamber. By the way my e-mail address is c.ed...@ntlworld.com.
The web address for the company in the uk www.arrrowsmiths .co.uk for those
people who have e-mailed and asked.
Chris
"Steve Tiedman" <stevet...@NOSPAMqwest.net> wrote in message
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nick_todd
drying the air using solar power? Are you using a fan? Their has been
allot of discussion in in rec.craft.woodturning on making a freezer
kiln for less than $50 in parts.
Eric Tonks
these days have a lot of plastic in them, even the insulation is probably
foam insulation. Put much heat into one of these and you would have a large
puddle of melted plastic on the floor.
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"Chris Edmond" <c.ed...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
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Wilson Lamb
is done by a commom home dehumidifier.
Wilson
"Chris Edmond" <c.ed...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
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Knotsburls
de-humidifier.I
"burnt" mine out by removing too much moisture which according to the store is
not a good thing.Their answer to my problem was that a de-humidifier needs
moist air to operate and will malfunction if the air is too dry.Prolonged use
with this condition will send the coil to the scrap-heap.
Not sure if the explanation was correct or not,but perhaps someone could
enlighten me.
Chris Edmond
timber I know that you can't use domestic dryers for drying timber for the
following reasons
1. At the temperatures that you need to get to dry timber a standard
dehumidifier's life expectancy is measured in hours.
2 The atmosphere is so corrosive that a normal dryer won't last more than a
few months.
As for the store telling you that the dryer can't operate in a dry
environment. That's rubbish. The system should be designed to cope with that
situation. if not it was a design fault. If you did run your domestic dryer
at over 30 degrees C the dryer will expire prematurely.
If you still wish to follow this avenue see www.arrowsmiths.co.uk they can
supply dryers to dry as little as 50ftcu
"Knotsburls" <knots...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20010619072159...@ng-mr1.aol.com...
Kevin & Theresa Miller
You really don't need a dehumidifier at all. I wrote an article some time
back in More Woodturning that you can see at
http://www.alaska.net/~atftb/moisture.htm on moisture and wood. For drying
turning woods, particularly roughed out vessels, you really only need to
raise the temp a bit to lower the humidity. For this, a light fixture and
perhaps a timer are sufficient. There's a downloadable spreadsheet on the
page (MS Excel) that lets you play with the various values to get the
moisture content you need...
...Kevin
--
Kevin & Theresa Miller
Juneau, Alaska
http://www.alaska.net/~atftb
Knotsburls
make a style of drying shack similar to Kevins suggestion.I use a 6' x 8'
insulated shack with a thermostatically controlled heater ,which is a
successful set-up for me.
I rough-turn all my burl-work,spray them with WD-40,put them on shelves and
then finish, usually in 4-6 wk.average.
Don Thur
http://www.knotsburls.com
Chris Edmond
I've had a look at the links and your system is pretty similar to the system
I will employ. The only difference being the control aspect. I have designed
a temperature and humidity control sensor that will monitor and control the
temperature and humidity inside the chamber (either an old fridge or any
insulated chamber).
Chris
"Kevin & Theresa Miller" <at...@alaska.net> wrote in message
news:3B2FFA3E...@alaska.net...
Kevin & Theresa Miller
>
> Hi Kevin
>
> I've had a look at the links and your system is pretty similar to the system
> I will employ. The only difference being the control aspect. I have designed
> a temperature and humidity control sensor that will monitor and control the
> temperature and humidity inside the chamber (either an old fridge or any
> insulated chamber).
Be interesting to see when you get it ready for prime time. Going to do a
web page?
Dennis Adam
It sounds like you think you have a very good idea, and one that will make
you money. But considering what your kit would cost, along with removing
all the plastic parts from the "old refrigerator or freezer" to turn it into
a KILN, you would be better off using a 55 gal. drum.
Like I said, just my opinion!
Dennis Adam
PA Wood Carver
"Chris Edmond" <c.ed...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:cYaX6.31017$9t5.2...@news6-win.server.ntlworld.com...
Chris Edmond
comments if I may.
Firstly no plastic will need to be removed from the fridge or freezer. You
need not use an old fridge or freezer you could build yourself an insulated
chamber.
Secondly the cost will be mostly attributed to the control system which I
believe to be the key to successful drying.
Many of the drying systems described on this and other news groups are
fairly hit and miss (with certain exceptions). The secret to any drying
setup is airflow, temperature control and moisture extraction. Unfortunately
there is no easy way to control the drying process with ant degree of
accuracy, cheaply.
Chris Edmond
"Dennis Adam" <northe...@talon.net> wrote in message
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cindy drozda
box with holes around the top and bottom and a light bulb or 2 inside.
Convection causes airflow, moving moisture out (I think that's how it
works). The boxes are a quickly made one of 2" blue construction foam (no
plywood skin or anything) glued together with PL400 construction adhesive.
I drilled holes through the box to hold square section pieces of wood for
shelves. The next one is an old chest freezer on end with the freon
removed and similar shelves. Holes in the top and bottom are 1" diameter.
The quantity and wattage of the bulb(s) and/or the quantity and size of
the holes adjust the temperature (I like about 85 F) and airflow (drying
rate). Very low-tech and unscientific, very successfull! At least in this
dry climate. A 3/4" wall roughout stopped losing weight in 5 days, 5"
diameter freshly cut aspen is as dry as it will get in 6-8 weeks. Not a
way to reduce cracking in woods that are prone to cracking, however.
Try it!
-CD-
boulder, co