Kiln-Stick Thickness Effect on Drying 2-Inch Western Hemlock Lumber

Increased kiln capacity in lumber dry kilns may be achieved by separating lumber courses with sticks thinner than is customary. Thin sticks may be made by impregnating multilayers of kraft paper with phenolic compounds or by laminating solid wood. Established advantages of such kiln sticks are longer stick life and increased stacking efficiency. In this study, criteria for evaluation were air velocity between courses of lumber and drying degrade with the corresponding moisture content distribution. Good drying conditions were obtained using kiln sticks as thin as 7/16 inch. Further reduction in stick thickness, however, decreased both velocity and the uniformity of air flow. In a commercial run, no significant differences in degrade were observed between 3/4-inch wood sticks and 1/2-inch phenolic sticks.

You must be logged in to download any documents. Please login (login accounts are free) or learn how to Become a Member