drying firewood tips

[mrMellors]

I’m hauling a heavy load of fresh split firewood in my 16' trailer and want to speed up the firewood seasoning process before I deliver it.
I’m thinking about DIY solar wood drying. maybe covering it with a black tarp and using a blower, or even building a custom collector box with black corrugated metal to preheat the air.
Has anyone tried a setup like this to kill the moisture content fast?
any tips on airflow or better ways to use the sun to dry a trailer load of green wood?

 

[cut all.]

I've heard that fresh logs can lose 40% to 60% of their weight in moisture within just the first couple of weeks

I’m not sure about the exact figures, and I'd bet it varies a lot depending on your local climate and the time of year. Still, it’s an interesting perspective on how fast wood dries out. it might be worth looking up the specific drying rates for your area and wood species

 

[BrahneRaza]

I have not built a full solar box, but from what I’ve learned the big lever is airflow, not just heat. A black tarp can help, but if it traps moisture it can slow you down or make things funky. I’d be tempted to cover the top only and leave the sides open, then let wind do the work.

 

[What]

Airflow is the key.
You need it under a roof, but open to the wind from the sides, so it can blow through.

Make stacks longer, more than too many beside each other , and space them out, not tight beside each other. If you keep them 2 or 3 feet apart, air moves better.

If say the typical wind where you are blows from the west, stack your piles north to south.

 

[Alan]

If you want the quickest improvement with the least build work, get it off the trailer deck a bit if you can, stack single rows, bark side down, and cover only the top like a roof. Leave the sides wide open and point the stack so it catches the prevailing breeze. Sun plus wind beats black tarp plus no ventilation.

 

[What]

If you want the quickest improvement with the least build work, get it off the trailer deck a bit if you can, stack single rows, bark side down, and cover only the top like a roof. Leave the sides wide open and point the stack so it catches the prevailing breeze. Sun plus wind beats black tarp plus no ventilation.

You sir are here forth charged with plagiarism