FPRS Annual Review . . . Developments in Wood Drying

Raising of the minimum wage rate to $1.25 per hour and the new proposed moisture content and size standards in 1963 have made a considerable impact on the wood drying industry. Mechanization and automation are beginning to be the thing. Packaging after drying is becoming popular because of no need of storage sheds and the use of mechanical stress grading. Two major factors in research right now deal with faster drying and less degrade. Predrying has been used by many investigators and is found to produce better lumber, decreased kiln time, and a more uniform final moisture content. Many deviations have been made from normal kiln-drying. High temperature kiln-drying has been shown to be effective above the fiber saturation point. Advantage of solar drying makes it competitive with air-drying. Direct heat kilns are now desired over the steam heat kilns. Jet veneer dryers have become the fad in veneer drying because of reduced drying time. Education and research seem to be important factors in producing improvements in wood drying. Short courses and kiln classes are spreading new information. Much research is being done on things such as air blockage, moisture movement, sapwood and heartwood permeability, and fluidized bed drying, all of which may shed new light on the subject of wood drying.

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