China Voodoo's 2016 grow blog

[ChinaVoodoo]

Thank you professor. I appreciate the encouragement. The soil in the back yard and the rain has been a little frustrating.

But also, big thanks to Skychaser for the Ostrolist seed. This isn't the norm, yet, but look at this monster leaf!

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Don't want to start a thread for this question. Let's say I wanted to use cement board instead of osb for the outer wall of my curing shed for added fire proofing since its going to be right next the the house (and my neighbor's house). The shed is going to be 10'L x 5'3"W x 10'H. The plan was to do 24" studs, but then I'd have to use 4'X8' which are very heavy (75lbs). I would have to cut an extra 2' for every wall section. I could use 32"x5' cement board with 16" studs which would increase the lumber cost and decrease the R value of the wall. I think I can get 18" and 19" insulation and use 3'x5' cement board with 18"studs. Or, I don't know if I can get it, but I've seen 36" wide rolls of insulation which is meant for foundation walls and have 36" stud spacing-go 4x6 studs instead of 2x6studs with 3'x5' cement board and change the shed to 9' long. I don't know what to do. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Oh, I'm also planning on hanging deer and/moose inside and don't know if 36" studs is the way to go.

 

[Knucklehead]

Are your shed dimensions set in stone? Such as 12L x 8w x 8h, cost would be similar since you use full pieces rather than have so much waste if you went with 4x8 on your original dimensions. Also, rather than 3x5 cement tile backer board, could you use Hardy Board (or similar) which is a cement board used in a horizontal lap fashion and designed for exterior siding? https://www.jameshardie.com/

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Are your shed dimensions set in stone? Such as 12L x 8w x 8h, cost would be similar since you use full pieces rather than have so much waste if you went with 4x8 on your original dimensions. Also, rather than 3x5 cement tile backer board, could you use Hardy Board (or similar) which is a cement board used in a horizontal lap fashion and designed for exterior siding? https://www.jameshardie.com/

I've seen the Hardy Board. I assumed it would be more expensive. The dimensions are fairly set in stone. I could go 8' tall, but not 8' wide. Maybe 12' long.

The plan originally was: The inner wall is going to be that reflective rigid expanded foam. 2x6 walls with Roxul batt insulation which is more mold and fire proof than fibreglass and only appears to come as 24" pr 16". With osb on the outer wall, wrapped with the tyvec stuff and clad with vertical spruce 1x4 to make it look like one of those cool old curing barns. (one other reason i wasn't interested in the Hardy Board. I was just thinking i could replace the osb with something fire resistant.

 

[Knucklehead]

Hardie does have vertical siding. It would be more fire resistant than the spruce and you could eliminate the need for a backer such as the cement board or osb. Should nail right to some perlins.
https://www.jameshardie.com/Products/HardiePanel-Vertical-Siding

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I'll look into it.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

The only way the Hardie siding is available here is to get a quote from a contractor and I've seen installed estimates at around $10/square foot.

I did find this fire retardant paint which is made locally. I don't know the price. I could use it on all of the unexposed wood. There's a demo of them using a torch on a treated piece of wood that's pretty convincing.
http://paintedmonton.com/specialty/pink-sheild.html

 

[deluxestogie]

What will be the heat source inside your kiln?

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

What will be the heat source inside your kiln?

Bob

This is going to be a flue curing shed primarily and walk in cooler, thereafter. My kiln is 4'x4'x27" and in the garage. This is inside dimensions of 4'x9'x9'.

The plan is to use 4x500Watt infrared quartz heat lamps. I will connect / disconnect the number of them depending on whether I'm flue curing, air curing, or meat curing.
http://www.bulbscanada.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=1193_71_860_874&product_id=5822 I will install them inside a stove pipe which will have constant fan pressure blowing through it. The pipes will continue along the floor, thus blowing hot air down under the tobacco, and preventing excess condensation on the floor. The air intake will be in the ceiling, thereby ensuring circulation.

 

[Brown Thumb]

I don't think you will get the temps you need for flue curing with bulbs.
i forget the size of my walk in cooler 5x6x6 it sucks up the electric with the electric heating coil in the ductwork.
Im all ears tho.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I don't think you will get the temps you need for flue curing with bulbs.
i forget the size of my walk in cooler 5x6x6 it sucks up the electric with the electric heating coil in the ductwork.
Im all ears tho.

It's based on a huge amount of insulation, and the law of conservation of energy. It's going to be very energy efficient. --> Since no visible light escapes the bulbs, even that visible light must be transformed into heat/infrared and either radiated by the stove pipe or circulated by the air floating through it. This is nearly 100% efficiency. The reflective interior walls and R32 insulation, perfectly sealed will ensure a low loss of energy through transduction to the outdoors.

I'm maintaining my 32cubic foot R12 kiln at 123F with 100W of standard halogen light bulbs using these principles. This curing shed will be 320cubic feet with 2000W.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I'm considering different, more efficient ways of removing humidity instead of venting. One is to have a heat exchanger blowing air through a pipe which enters the wall and exits back again with no air exchange. Water would condense on the pipe and could be collected. Heat would be removed, but most of the heat would be that which was in the water.

The other way would be to have pelletier devices running. They are a small semiconductor chip that gets cold on one side and hot on the other. They produce more heat than cold, so it's a net heat input. However, the cold side would condense water out of the atmosphere which could be collected.
http://vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/eB...75746&category=4660&pm=1&ds=0&t=1468908310603

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

 

[deluxestogie]

Hornworm's eye view.

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Hornworm's eye view.

Bob

Little bugger tried to get away with my camera!

 

[Brown Thumb]

I'm considering different, more efficient ways of removing humidity instead of venting. One is to have a heat exchanger blowing air through a pipe which enters the wall and exits back again with no air exchange. Water would condense on the pipe and could be collected. Heat would be removed, but most of the heat would be that which was in the water.

The other way would be to have pelletier devices running. They are a small semiconductor chip that gets cold on one side and hot on the other. They produce more heat than cold, so it's a net heat input. However, the cold side would condense water out of the atmosphere which could be collected.
http://vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/eB...75746&category=4660&pm=1&ds=0&t=1468908310603

Venting is only a small percentage of the time. The heat takes a lot of the moisture out.
A Idea is to put a vent out from the top of the chamber and pipe it to the bottom outside of the chamber put a hole in the bottom pipe for water drain and then back up and into the chamber.
Getting a inline fan to due the job has been a issue.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Venting is only a small percentage of the time. The heat takes a lot of the moisture out.
A Idea is to put a vent out from the top of the chamber and pipe it to the bottom outside of the chamber put a hole in the bottom pipe for water drain and then back up and into the chamber.
Getting a inline fan to due the job has been a issue.

I'm not sure I understand. Are you saying one pipe system? It takes air from the top, blowing it back up through the floor all while having a drain for condensation?

 

[Brown Thumb]

The vent would be all by itself. Recirculating the air from the top.
A big U pipe with a fan in it on the outside of the chamber.
Recirculating the warm air while the condensation drips out a hole in the bottom of the pipe.

 

[Knucklehead]

I'm not sure I understand. Are you saying one pipe system? It takes air from the top, blowing it back up through the floor all while having a drain for condensation?

Unless I'm misreading his post I think you bring the exit pipe out of the top of the box, down toward the floor, U-turn back up and install the inlet side back into the top of the box. One pipe. The theory is that the distance of the pipe adds enough time for the heated humid air to cool down and condense back to liquid. (Removing liquid from the kiln air) The liquid runs down the inside of the pipe to its lowest point (the U). The hole in the bottom of the U allows the moisture to drain from the pipes' lowest point. Make your hole only large enough to quickly remove the water from the pipe as fast as it collects in the U, but small enough to hold in as much heated air as possible to prevent heat loss and increased cycling of the heat source to get the job done but keep electric costs down. Too large a hole will suck in more cooler outside air degading kiln efficiency, increasing heat cycling, and raising electricity usage. It sounds like a very efficient method of moisture removal.

Edit: BT beat me to it.

 

[Brown Thumb]

Thanks Knucks, at least yours makes more sense