I like harvesting and drying smaller pieces of wood for making furniture. I am also interested in harvesting and using smaller limbs, shrubs and trees, maybe with the bark still on. I have books by Peter Galbert and Drew Langsner, chair & furniture makers, with designs for drying small pieces for chairs, maybe table parts. Most of these designs are for indoor kilns.
I am interested in building a more insulated outdoor kiln, capable of handling a little larger pieces, say 5-6 feet long. I am moving to the North Georgia mountains to a log home. My shop will be in a large two car garage, with an apartment/guest house over it. There is a porch/deck at the rear exit to the garage, which is actually two stories, with a roof over the top story. I am thinking about building a kiln to reside on or next to this porch. I am thinking about a small electric heater or intense lights to warm the interior to a thermostat controlled level, under 200 degrees.
I am considering building the kiln out of rock/ brick/ engineered rock or maybe galvanized/painted metal or some combination of those materials. Leaving wood in a wood kiln, even a "fireproofed" wood structure, for long periods makes me nervous. I also have my doubts about how well such a structure would stand up to outdoor elements. I am wondering if anyone on this forum is familiar with a design they can point me towards or advise me on?