Rebuilding my garage/shop that was lost in the Santa Cruz fire last August. Doug Fir timber frame, with timbers ranging from 6x6 knee braces to 8x12 beams. Most elements are 7x7, 6x8, 6x10. Total BF is ~2,200, of which ~2,000 just started baking the past few days in a solar kiln we built a few weeks back from the VT plans. Kiln's net inside dimensions are ~22' long, 4' deep (front to back) and height ranges from ~4' to 8' in a ~37 degree slope matching our latitude. South facing, on a newly poured slab, sealed well and 2x4 + plywood walls insulated with R13 glass batts. Roof is dual pane polycarbonate sheets. 1" foam panels put on at night to help retain heat. Internals include on Honeywell residential 70 pint dehumidifier, one 1500W electric space heater, and four cheap box fans for internal recirc (two on each end). Exhaust fans on east and west ends of kiln, with gravity-driven vent flaps (closed when fans off, blown open when fans on). All electrical elements controlled by WiFi-enabled 110v outlets. Inside temp and humidity reported by WiFi-connected weather station indoor unit. Hygrometer going in tomorrow, as a check on RH reported by weather station unit.
I've read lots of the technical literature, studied the tables, schedules, recipes, etc., and would appreciate expert input on how many days or hours at various temp and RH settings. Goal is MC in the 9% to 11% range. Timbers milled within the past two months from DF logs dropped in late January, killed by the fire 4 months before being dropped. So to some sense they "air dried" before being dropped. Most are new growth, in the 24" to 50" diameter range. Several are old growth, with 200+ rings. My cheap $40 pin moisture meter says ~28% MC the moment my mill slices them open, and a couple months air dry stickered on the deck yields MC's ranging from 16% to 19%.
What other data can a provide to guide one of you black belts to recommend a "recipe" for achieving our KD timber frame goals?
Having a blast with this.