IIAKDWOOD RECORD 



Methods of Computing Costs of Kiln-Drying Lumber 



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l.'.latively fen 

 . i 1 n c e r u s have 

 iiiaile an exclusive 

 liiiHiness of kiln- 

 drying luniher, liy 

 far tlie larger ma- 

 jority drying as a 

 side issue for ac- 

 commodation pur- 

 poses. Partly for 

 til is reason, ami 

 partly because the 

 dry kUn is one of 

 the least under- 

 stood parts of H 

 \v o o d w r k i a )j 

 plant, the prices 

 charged have been 

 guesswork. 



The writer has 

 known of drying 

 charges of .$1 ]ier 

 M at the mill and 

 $1.5 M in eastern 

 cities, and in 

 neither case was 

 any difference in 

 charges made for 

 varying thickness- 

 es or degrees of 

 dryness, or kinds 

 of lumber. From 

 $3 to $5 per M 

 has been the aver- 

 age charge, and 

 even under the la- 

 bor and fuel con- 

 ditions of five 

 years ago this was 

 hardly adequate. 

 Under present 

 conditions every 

 cost item is hav- 

 ing unusual scru- 

 tiny and lumber 

 drying ' ' accom- 

 niodators" are 

 discovering some 

 v e r y unpleasant 

 facts about the 

 actual cost of 

 drying. 



it is obvious 

 tliat the service to 

 be performed is 



the removal, with- skctkin of kii.x 



out damage to the lumber, of a certain number of pounds or gallons of 

 water per thousand feet, depending on the kind of lumber, its thick- 

 ness, whether soft or hard wood, anil its <legree of dryness or moisture 

 content. Costs therefore should vary with the amount of service 

 performed. 



Particular interest ha.s been aroustl in this subject by the leasing 

 -0 many kilns for government dryiii>;, and the consequent endeavors 



iind a basis of charging what w;i- I'air to the owners, and was not 

 ■ • profiteering." 



The figures given in the tables that follow are admittedly approx- 

 '.niate. and are intended more to enunnnite the various items, and give 



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STOff/K c£: 



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fair market val- 

 ues, than to meet 

 the actual condi- 

 tions at any par- 

 ticular ])lant. The 

 figures are pre- 

 |)ared on the as- 

 sumption of oper- 

 ating a battery of 

 three lx)x or com- 

 partment kilns, 

 18' 0" wide by ;!.3' 

 0" long by 10' 

 0" high (inside) 

 holding five cross- 

 l)iled kiln cars 

 each, as shown in 

 the center of this 

 I)age, as that is 

 the average size 

 of the kiln .hy- 

 ing plant. 



The kiln cars 

 will hold on an 

 average H,noo 

 feet of 1" lumber 

 of medium widths 

 and lengths of 

 from 12' to Ui'. 

 The total holding 

 capacity of the 

 battery is there- 

 fore 4.5 M board 

 measure. The ca- 

 pacity for thicker 

 lumber will be 

 somewhat greater 

 but this is sulTi- 

 ciently accurate 

 for practical pur- 

 poses. If all 

 boards on a kiln 

 ear were 16' long 

 and the widths 

 such that the hor- 

 izontal layers, 

 consisting each of 

 two thirds lumber 

 and one third ven- 

 tilation space the 

 theoretical capac- 

 ity would be as 

 follows : 



4" 



The initial (<• 

 loading and unit 

 being decidedly 



In the tables 



t of the buildings, kiln equipment, yard transfers, 

 iding tracks, sheds, etc., is assumed as $12,.500, this 

 ijiisen'ative. 

 liich follow, oak is taken as a standard, since it is 



