10/5/2009

Free Plans for building your own Woo

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How to build your own Wooden Kiln at Home

Presented by seedman.com and Joe Windham Enterprises
For those of you that would like to
assemble your own wooden kiln at
home, we have put together the
following instruction guide for you
to use.
The first thing you will need to do is
decide what type of wood you will
use. We recommend using inch
cabinet plyboard such as oak, or
walnut, but others such as birch,
cherry, etc. can be used. We are
using fir in the pictures shown.
Once you have decided on the type
of wood, it is time to cut it into the
correct size pieces. ( Note that
many lumber companies such as
Lowes will cut your board for you
at a nominal fee, very handy if you
do not own a tablesaw or other
means of making precise cuts ).
You will need the following size
pieces of plyboard for constructing
a kiln with inside dimensions of
17x22 inches:

1 Ea. Top piece measuring 19

inches x 23 1/8 inches.
2 Ea. Side pieces measuring 18
inches x 22 inches.
2 Ea. End pieces measuring 18 inches x 19 inches.
1 Ea. Bottom piece measuring 18 inches x 22 inches.

Note, be sure to use wood glue on wood surfaces that join together, this is a must!
Apply a thin bead to each surface as shown. After joints have been attached, some glue
will usually be squeezed out, wipe this off with a damp cloth before it dries, otherwise,
it may affect the outside finish of the kiln if you decide to use a varnish or stain.

Plywood corners can be secured using a braid gun as shown, or with

wood screw or finishing nails.

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After attaching the two end pieces and the two sides together, add the
bottom piece.
Now add the piano hinge to the top piece. Turn the top lid piece upside
down and attach hinge to one side.

Now lay the top piece on top of the kiln and attach the piano hinge to
the back of the box as shown. ( you can pick it up at your local
hardware store )

Notice how the hinge fits under the top lid piece and attaches to the
back outside of the kiln.

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Now that the lid is hinged to the kiln, attach the short chain that
prevents the lid from opening back too far. ( you can pick it up at your
local hardware store )

Now it's time to measure and cut out the 1 inch hole for the electrical
plug. ( This type electrical plug is available at any Electrical Supply
store, we like the flush mount type for convenience ). Measure a mark 4
inches down from the top and 4 inches over from the front.

Drill a 1 inch hole using a hole saw bit available at any hardware
store. A cleanly drilled hole is important.

Now that the hole has been drilled, it is time to mount the Electrical
Control Assembly to the inside of the box.

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The Electrical Control Assembly is the heart of the kiln, it contains a
120 volt heating pad, an adjustable thermostat ( a hot water heater
thermostat available at most hardware stores ), a
hygrometer/thermometer gauge and the 120 volt male electrical plug
assembly.
Weve mounted all of this into a 4 inch square eletrical wall box found
at any hardware store, but you can use any configuration you like.

Notice that on the backside of the Electrical Control Assembly, you see
the 120 volt male electrical connector. The end of a standard electrical
cord will easily plug into this. This connector is aligned directly in front
of the 1" hole you have drilled into the kiln.

Attach the Electrical Control Assembly to the inside

of the kiln with wood screws through the predrilled aluminum angle brackets attached to the
Electrical Control Assembly.

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This is a photo of the Electrical Control Assembly

after it has been installed. Notice the thermostat
adjustment screw mentioned earlier.

This is a photo of the outside of the kiln showing the 120 volt male
plug.

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Free Plans for building your own Woo

Now attach the handles to each end of the kiln. ( you can pick these up at your local
hardware store )

Now attach 1 inch x 1 inch aluminum angle to the top of the lid. Y ou do
not have to cut angles to 45 degrees as shown, a square cut will work
just fine. You will need to put angle on the front and both sides of the
lid, but not the back as the piano hinge will provide enough strength
there.
You will also need to add the aluminum angle to each of the outside
corners ( see finished photo below ).
The angle adds strength to the box and helps prevent warping due to
the high heat and moisture inside the box.

We recommend making a couple of inexpensive legs out of 2 inch x 2

inch lumber and attaching to the bottom of the kiln to keep any heat
from the kiln from making contact with finished surfaces.

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Free Plans for building your own Woo

Now attach the thumb clasp assembly to the front of the box. ( Available
at your local hardware store ) You will notice that we made a small
aluminum filler plate to make the clasp flush out with the front of the
aluminum angle. This is for looks, the clasp will work fine without doing
this.

Drill a inch hole and install lock assembly. ( you can pick this up at
your local hardware store, we recommend it for those of you who have
small children around )

Your box is now ready!

Insulation is an option, and one that we strongly recommend. The kiln
will work without insulation, but it is much more efficient with
insulation, plus it protects the wood from excessive moisture which will
cause early rotting and warping.
We use 1" commercial air duct insulation ( same type material large air
ducts in homes and commercial buildings are made from ), as it is not
affected by moisture and heat. All corners are sealed with silver duct
tape.
This insulation and tape can be purchased from commercial heating and
cooling supply companies, but can be hard to locate in some areas.

This is a photo of a finished kiln that we have added a small sliding air
vent to the lid. This really is not necessary, but you may want to do it
for looks and convenience.
Excess moisture ( over 75 percent ) can be removed simply by leaving

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the lid cracked open slightly. Usually, the only time you have excess
moisture is when you initially begin curing the tobacco.
This leads up to the question of a humidifier for maintaining the 7075% humidity required. Do you have to have one?
No, you can actually control the moisture by placing a damp towel or
sponge at the bottom of the kiln and adding distilled water as needed.
But this requires daily attention, and it is rather awkward.
You may want to buy one of the Oshkosh Humidors that hold 10 ounces
of distilled water and has an adjustable top to regulate moisture. Once
you've used one, you will never want to try anything else.

You will need to make some type of tray for your kiln. The purpose of
the tray is to keep the tobacco from touching the heating pad on the
bottom and to allow an air space for heat and air circulation.

This is a photo of the tray setting in the bottom of the kiln, notice that
the heating pad does not make contact with the wood. The center piece
is notched to prevent contact.

Components for Building your own Wooden Kiln at Home

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#M20 Electric heating pad

A commercial grade heating pad identical to the one show ed photos above. It has 2 18 long leads. Must be hooked to a
thermostat that you supply. ( a standard hot w ater heater thermostat w ill w ork fine, and can be found at almost any
hardw are store ). 120 volt, 100 watt. Measures 6" x 10".
$49.95

G98 Digital Hygrometer/Thermometer

This Digital Hygrometer/Thermometer is the most precise instruments for monitoring temperature and humidity on the
market today. W e think this is the best device for kilns, and can be removed and used in humidors as well. This neat and
modern Digital Thermo-Hygrometer provides precise readings on a large crystal display. Measures about 2 inches by 3
inches, has a self adhesive strip or can simply be placed in the bottom of the kiln. Comes w ith extended life battery.
$49.95

M24 Oshkosh Humidifier

This one of a kind humidifier not only allow s you to use distilled w ater ( a large 10
ounce capacity not found in any of the other humidifiers w e tested ), it also has an
adjustable top that allow s you to precisely control the humidity in your kiln. This is
extremely important as slight adjustments to humidity may be required during different
stages of the curing process.
The humidifier sits in the bottom of the kiln, below the stainless steel mesh tray, about
center.
We include a free 4 ounce bottle of glycolene with the kiln. This humectant/preservative is the same additive used to make
the special care solutions used in most cigar humidors. Simply add a half ounce of this to the distilled w ater ( about 9
ounces ) in the humidifier to help prevent mold and encourage even humidification. Additional bottles of glycolene can be
purchased from us for $3.95 per bottle, but one bottle w ill last for several curing processes.
$50.00

F21 Large Cotton Gauze Bags with Drawstring

These large 13 x 17 inch virtually w eightless, reusable cotton gauze bags are the perfect bag for use in our curing kilns.
Very handy w hen cheesecloth and burlap are not available. Natural unbleached cotton.
Item # F21 13 x 17 Cotton Gauze Bag $3.95 Ea.

#G99 Glycolene
4 ounce replacement bottles of Glycolene
$3.95

What to expect from your Home Tobacco Kiln

With the Home Tobacco Kiln, anyone w ho has a garden can now process some of the finest tobacco possible. Home cured
tobacco is free of the thousands of chemical additives included in commercial cigarettes and the delicious, full tobacco flavor
cannot be compared with anything on the market today.
On average, you can expect to cure a little over 2 kilos ( about 5 pounds ) of tobacco at a time over a 3-4 w eek period.
Each commercial king size cigarette usually contains a little less than a gram of tobacco each. This means that you can
expect to cure enough tobacco for about 2,500 cigarettes each time.
The kiln can be used continuously, meaning that you can start curing a fresh batch of tobacco the same day you remove a
cured batch. You can kiln cure tobacco that has been air drying for months. We mention this because you may w ish to cure
tobacco for your neighbors or community and recover some of your cost for the kiln. If you do charge to do this, make sure
you abide by your local, state and federal law s.

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How much does it cost to produce a carton of cigarettes better than store brands? We get asked this a lot, and here is a
general answ er:
1. In order to start processing your ow n tobacco, you w ill need the follow ing equipment: A kiln, a cutting machine, and a
rolling machine .
2. Once you have these items and your first crop of tobacco, all you w ill need to purchase for cigarette production is
flavoring, filters and papers. If you use a rolling machine that uses filters, the cost of filters and papers w ill run about $5.85
a carton. Adding flavoring ( we strongly recommend this ) w ill add about a $1.00 to the cost or a total of just under seven
dollars a carton for filter cigarettes, or just under five dollars a carton for non-filtered cigarettes.
3. We did not include the cost of the kiln, cutting machine and rolling machine as this should be absorbed over the length of
time you process your tobacco. If you currently pay $25.00 a carton for cigarettes, and smoke a carton a w eek, you w ould
realize a savings of about $936.00 a year ( probably more since you w ill not be paying you local and state taxes on this as
you do store bought cigarettes ).
Of course this savings will only get larger each year, because prices are only going to go up on cigarettes, not dow n.
We m ust stress that the real savings is to your health, as you will not be consum ing the thousands of additiv es
that are added to com mercial brands.

How to use the kiln for Herb Drying

Kiln drying is the fastest, most efficent w ay to dry herbs. You should never use a microw ave oven to dry herbs, as this can
ruin the oils inside the herbs.
Herbs should be collected just before they bloom. Collect herb leaves in the afternoon after all dew has dissappeared.
Make sure to shake herbs and remove any insects, dirt, etc.
It is preferrable not to w ash herbs, but if you must, lightly rinse herbs and spread leaves to dry until all visable moisture
has disappeared.
Place herb leaves lightly into cotton gauze bags or pillow case and set on top of the mesh tray at the bottom of the kiln.
Leave the top lid of the kiln blocked w ith something so that the lid w ill not completely close, but instead leaves about a one
inch gap at the front of the kiln w hen the lid is closed. This is for moisture release. Plug in the kiln and let set for 12 hours.
Then remove the bag(s) of herbs, stir the leaves so the leaves that w ere in the center are now on the outside, and place
back into kiln.
Inspect and stir leaves every 12 hours until leaves are dry and crisp, they are now ready for use. Small herb leaves can dry
in as little as 24 hours, larger leaves may take 2 days or longer.

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