# Small lightbulb kiln help?



## Flacer22 (Jun 13, 2020)

I'm wanting to set up a "kiln" per say to keep wood in for casting and stabilizing. I've been using a toaster oven and regular oven but I'm told that's pretty dangerous I've heard alot of guys use ovens or freezers with heat lamps on thermostat and vents with thermostats. I'm wanting to keep it a continuous 225 degrees and be big enough I can put stuff in freely. Anyone have something like this or know where I can get a thermostat to go high enough???


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## rob3232 (Jun 13, 2020)

Andy, only thing that I can add is that 225 is a really high temp for drying wood. Most of the people I know drying in light bulb kilns are running around 115 at the highest with maybe a bit higher (140) at the end of the schedule if worried about bugs. As far as heat lamps a 100 watt bulb is usually an overkill unless you have a big chamber. Just my two cents bud. :)

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Sprung (Jun 13, 2020)

Yeah, I don't know of anyone running lightbulb kilns at that high of a temp. They're good for drying green wood at the lower temps. The highest temp I ever saw in my lightbulb kiln was 155 - got a little higher than I wanted it to while running a bug kill cycle at the end of drying.Trying to dry green wood at 225 will result in loss of wood.

If you're wanting 225 for drying down to 0% MC prior to stabilizing, etc, I use an electric smoker. This is what I have, but mine doesn't have the fancy window in the door. It has worked well and I have done final drying (not from green - that would dry it too fast - but wood that was already at EMC) in it as well as curing of blanks I have stabilized. I stopped using my toaster oven and haven't looked back. It provides more capacity and nothing was near the heating element, so no issues there. I know there have been a number of others who have gone this route as well.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## Flacer22 (Jun 13, 2020)

Sorry I should have clarified I have an IDRY vacuum kiln myself so I'm NOT looking to dry anything green this little light bulb kiln is going to be set up to dry wood that's 8-10% down to 0 that's it nothing green at all in it. My idry will and can take stuff down to zero the problem is to get things to zero i I can i only do it at ends of the cycle as all the green wood at beginning of cycles will keep even already dry wood from going that low. Also I'd have to vaccum it up and down all the time every time I open door and I want the ability to just freely ad and subtract things from this when needed for casting and stabilizing. 

I've read on a few forems guys useing two hear lamps and a freezer to basically make a 225 degree oven and they just ad and subtract wood when ever. Problem is I can't find any thermostat that works at that temp or any set up or how they are making vents to hold the heat yet not let it over heat??

Reactions: Like 1


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## ripjack13 (Jun 13, 2020)

I'm not sure how hot it gets, but @Don Ratcliff made this one ....

https://woodbarter.com/threads/dehydrator-for-more-than-just-mangos.27742/


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## trc65 (Jun 15, 2020)

If you search for "high temp thermostats", you'll find several options. Most will require a 12VDC power supply, and will need a relay to switch the heat lamps. Here is one I found with a quick search:

https://www.mpja.com/High-Temperature-Thermostat-30-to-999Deg/productinfo/34687 MP/

This one is Celsius only, but I'm sure you could find one in Fahrenheit.

I've not made a kiln, but i think this should work for what you are planning.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Way Cool 1


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## Flacer22 (Jun 17, 2020)

Well I went out and found a cheap commercial oven bought it took out lights in back and wired in heat lamps. Went and got expanded metal sheared to size for racks and I have a kinda cheap lightbulb kiln. Seems to be working but atm I'm only able to get 160 degrees so my concern for too hot wasn't a worry least not yet haha. I have some 375 watt bulbs on order and working to better insulate the bottom part maybe a 3rd bulb???

Thinking the top section I'm going to do same with and try to get it to 190 degrees so I'd have one compartment for curing blanks and one for drying all in the same unit all not really capable of going over 225 degrees (if I can even get it that hot to begin with) and all I side of a commercial oven so dire risk is more limited.

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 3


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