Popular Science Monthly 



carpenter can make one from a small 

 quantity of fine mesh galvanized wire 

 netting and a number of laths and strips 

 of wood about }/$, in. thick and 2 in. wide. 

 The screen may be tacked directly on the 

 framework to make the drying shelves, or 

 the framework can be made to support 

 separate trays. By using two laths nailed 

 together the framework can be stiffened 

 and larger trays made if desirable. This 

 form or any of the lighter makes of dryers 

 can be suspended 

 from the ceiling over 

 the kitchen range or 

 over the oil or gas 

 stove, and it will 

 utilize the hot air 

 which rises during 

 the cooking hour. 

 It can be raised out 

 of the way or swung 

 to one side by a 

 crane made of lath 

 when the stove is re- 

 quired for cooking 

 purposes, and low- 

 ered or swung back 

 to utilize the heat 

 which otherwise 

 would be wasted 

 when the top of the 

 stove is not in use. 

 Another home- 

 made cookstove 

 dryer that can be 

 used on a wood or 

 coal range or a kero- 

 sene stove can be 

 made easily and 

 cheaply as shown in the second illustration. 

 The dimensions of the base are 24 by 16 

 in., the height being 36 in. A base 6 in. 

 high is made of galvanized sheet iron. The 

 base slightly flares toward the bottom and 

 has two small openings for ventilation in 

 each of the four sides. On the base rests 

 a box-like frame made of 1 or 13^-in. strips 

 of wood. The two sides are braced with 

 iJ4 in. strips which serve as cleats on which 

 the trays in the dryer rest. These are 

 placed at intervals of 3 in. The frame is 

 covered with tin or galvanized iron which 

 is tacked to the wood strips of the frame. 

 Thin strips of wood may be used instead of 

 tin or sheet iron. The door is fitted on small 

 hinges and fastened with a thumb latch. 

 It opens wide so that the trays can be re- 

 moved easily. The bottom of the dryer is 

 made of a piece of perforated galvanized 



A cookstove dryer that has a metal base 

 for setting on top of a wood or coal range 



635 



sheet iron. About 2 in. above the bottom 

 is placed a solid sheet of galvanized iron 

 which is 3 in. less in length and width than 

 the bottom. This sheet rests on two wires 

 fastened to the sides of the dryer. This 

 prevents the direct heat from coming in 

 contact with the product and serves as a 

 radiator to spread the heat more evenly. 

 The first tray is placed. 3 in. above the 

 radiator. The trays rest on the cleats 3 in. 

 apart. A dryer of the given dimensions will 

 hold 8 trays. The 

 frame of the tray is 

 made of i-in. strips 

 on which is tacked 

 galvanized screen 

 wire, which, forms 

 the bottom of the 

 tray. The tray is 

 21 by 15 in., making 

 it 3 in. less in depth 

 than the dryer. The 

 lowest tray when 

 placed in the dryer 

 is pushed back, leav- 

 ing the 3-in. space 

 in front. The next 

 tray is placed even 

 with the front, leav- 

 ing a 3-in. space in 

 the back. The other 

 trays alternate in 

 the same way. This 

 permits the current 

 of heated air to pass 

 around and over the 

 trays. A ventilator 

 opening, about 2 in. 

 wide and 6 in. long, 

 is left in the top of the drye r , through which 

 the moist air may pass away. 



This principle of construction is followed 

 so that currents of heated air will pass over 

 the product as well as up through it, 

 gathering the moisture and passing away. 

 The movement of the current of air in- 

 duces a more rapid and uniform drying. 

 The upper trays can be shifted to the lower 

 part of the dryer, and the lower trays to the 

 upper part as drying proceeds. 



If fruits or vegetables are packed in 

 tight containers immediately upon being 

 dried thoroughly, they will remain just as 

 brittle as they were when taken from the 

 dryer. If, however, they are not dried 

 thoroughly, they will "sweat" and soon 

 mold. To prevent this the material should 

 be examined within 24 hours after packing, 

 and if it appears moist, dried further. 



