- 1). Purchase a used, broken upright freezer from a local used appliance supplier and use a bucket of half bleach and half water, a sponge and rubber gloves to clean it out, as used appliances are usually not clean enough even to serve a non-food related purpose.
- 2). Place the freezer in the location chosen for drying wood.
- 3). Drill four 1/2-inch holes on each side of the freezer at the top, for a total of eight holes. Then open the freezer and drill eight 1/2-inch holes in the bottom of the freezer.
- 4). Mount a waterproof electrical box on the inside of the freezer at the top to house the thermostat, and a box at the inside bottom center of the freezer for the light bulb. Mount one final box on the outside of the freezer for an on/off switch for the inside light.
- 5). Follow manufacturer's wiring instructions to wire an electric water heater thermostat into the top inside box and a light socket into the bottom box. Then attach a hooded light fixture to the bottom inside socket to prevent water from dripping on the light bulb, and screw a 40 watt incandescent bulb into the socket. Finally, install a light switch into the outside box and wire it to the inside light socket. For all electrical work, use UF wire and waterproof connectors to prevent water shed from the drying wood to damage the kiln's electrical system.
- 6). Replace the interior freezer racks.
- 7). Paint the wood's end cuts with green wood sealer. Place the wood inside the freezer kiln on the freezer racks and close the door.
- 8). Turn the kiln on by turning on the interior 40-watt bulb. Leave the wood sealed inside the kiln with the light on for one week, then periodically open the kiln and check the interior moisture level with a pin moisture meter until the moisture level decreases to between 14 and 16 percent.
- 9). Change the bulb to a 60-watt incandescent bulb and let the kiln run until the moisture level decreases to below 12 percent, then change the bulb again to a 75-watt incandescent bulb. Let the kiln continue to run until the moisture level inside the kiln is between 6 and 8 percent. Turn the kiln off and let the interior cool for three days to one week until the wood is completely cool.
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