There are many advantages of vacuum kiln drying wood over other methods. Here are a few: It provides the quickest results – 1 to 3 days. It greatly reduces the likelihood of drying defects such as checking and cracking. Wood can be dried to any moisture content regardless of environmental conditions. Vacuum kiln drying can also save valuable shop space because the shorter turnaround time between acquiring and using the wood means less material in inventory. Additional advantages are detailed in the book. SawStop owners find out why you need a vacuum kiln to dry your wood!

Vacuum Kiln Drying for Woodworkers is written for people just starting out, with no prior knowledge of vacuum kiln drying. For people with experience looking to add to your knowledge, please note that this book does not include information on:
• multi-chamber setups
• water trap or cold trap setups
• commercial vacuum kiln setups
• stabilizing wood with polymers
• staining or dying wood

Vacuum Kiln Drying for Woodworkers provides clear and concise details on how to build your kiln, including where to get special parts unique to this project. In addition, you will need some common tools and supplies available from any hardware store, plus basic mechanical skills and a can-do attitude.

You can build the vacuum kiln to any size you want based on the size of wood you wish to dry. The example detailed in the book is 13" diameter by 3' long. A 24” diameter with lengths up to 9' can also be made with parts that are commonly available. You may also fabricate a container to whatever your preferred dimensions provided it can withstand the forces created by the vacuum.

A part-by-part cost chart is provided in the book—the total is about $500 including the vacuum pump and several optional items. Your cost could be $250 less depending on which optional items you include and if you already own a suitable vacuum pump. In any case, the overall cost to build the vacuum drying system detailed in Vacuum Kiln Drying for Woodworkers compared to the cost of wood used by most woodworkers is negligible.

Once you have all the parts, you could build the chamber in a single day. Drying a load of wood in the chamber takes anywhere from a few hours to a few days, depending on the beginning moisture content.

While no all-in-one kit is available at this time, Vacuum Kiln Drying for Woodworkers details everything you will need, and need to do, in order to build your own vacuum kiln drying chamber. It includes a resource directory and links to parts suppliers, as well as troubleshooting tips and answers to common questions.

You may return Vacuum Kiln Drying for Woodworkers for a full refund (less shipping costs and credit card processing fees) for any reason, at any time, no questions asked.