Two kiln drying programs are used to dry sapwoo d and heartwoo d of a one inch in thickness Douglas fir boards. Programs effectiveness and in process defects in terms of final moistur e contents are evaluated. Tested woo d was selected from 90 dominan t and codominan t trees in thre e stands of Las Palma s forest in the Valdivia province , X t h Region, Southern Chile.
Timber was sawmilled at the gang-saw mill of the Forestry Experiment Centre . Tests were conducte d a t the experimenta l kiln of the School of Forest Sciences, Universidad Austral de Chile.
Lumber reached the predetermine d moistur e conten t and defects appearanc e was no t significant. As far as defects is concerned , this were twisting and at a Íesser degree splits in faces and ends.
Final average moistur e conten t was a 1 4 % for conventionally dried lumber and a neighbouring 6 % for thos e dried at hight temperature.
Total drying process took 42.5 h and 53.0 h for sapwood and 24.5 h and 30.0 h for heartwood with conventional drying.
As for high temperatur e drying, rised grain was noted.