How to build a cheap drying cupboard

Take, for example, a dryer of 3 m² in total, or six frames of approximately 50 x 50 cm.

For the reinforcement of the frames, an economical and very solid solution consists in using 13x27 mm Landes pine boards, unplaned, which sell very cheaply (less than 50 cents per meter per ten meter bundle).

For the bottom of the frames, an excellent formula is to take 10 mm square mesh welded mesh (13 maximum) covered with plastic. You can also take the same unplasticized mesh, but the contact of the products with the galvanized wires is not ideal. Plastic can be cleaned better, simply in the shower (to rid the screens from time to time of dried residue that remains stuck).

In a pinch, plastic mesh without metal reinforcement, which is cheaper, can be used. However, it has two drawbacks: it stretches more under the weight of the fresh produce, and the ratio between holes and threads is smaller, resulting in less good drying.

How many frames, and which dimensions to choose?

The dryer I just built includes 16 frames with exterior dimensions of 101 cm X 50 cm. For a small model, I would recommend dimensions of 50.5cm x 50cm. These dimensions are not exactly the same or double, for the following reason: the trellises that can be found on the market, either 1 m wide or 50 cm wide, are not quite regular, and the The adjustment is easier if you have the choice between two positions on the frames. I give here the quantities for a single frame, but we can build a series of them at will (for example 6).

To build the frames: saw for each frame two 49.2 cm blades and two 48.7 blades. The above dimensions will be obtained by coupling the ends, the previous one covering each time the next.

To assemble these boards, the best solution (the simplest and still solid) consists in making a notch at each end (see next paragraph), and to connect them by small pieces of glued wood of 7 or 8 mm d ’ thickness, depending on the wood you have. I took remnants of 7mm beech planks from old drawers for this, but any hard enough wood will do. They can also be sawn in the waste of the pine blades by cutting strips 7 mm thick.

It is best to prepare small pieces of wood 7mm thick x 13mm x 26mm first before making the notches on the frame planks. You need 4 connecting pieces per frame.

How to make the notches in the ends of the frame slats? They must first be drawn with precision, 7 mm wide, with a well-sharpened pencil, in the middle of the rectangular section (this one measures 27 mm x 13 mm, the notches must be 7 mm wide, thus leaving 10 mm thick wood above and below). Their depth should be 13 mm.

To make these notches, you have to follow the line with a rigid and thin saw (miter saw) while sawing straight. To properly adjust the notch so that it just clamps the 7mm thick piece of wood, it is best to make it a little too narrow, and then widen it with a wood file (this is very quickly with a wood rasp) until the connecting piece enters, forcing slightly.

To detach the sawn part (which therefore measures 7 mm thick X 13 mm x 13 mm, there are two means: a wood chisel 7 mm wide maximum, or failing that a bit and a drill (it is not necessary). it doesn’t matter that the bottom of the notch is rounded, it will fill with glue, but be careful to center the hole, not that it weakens one of the thicknesses by 10 mm).

Now it remains to assemble these pieces of wood. If possible, a square is needed to adjust the right angles. you can also take a rectangular packing box (smaller than 47x47) that you tape to the table to assemble the frame around it.

It is now necessary to make a first test: assembly of the frame without glue, in order to check if there was no error. The ends should be held in place by pinching the connecting pieces if possible. Proceed on a flat surface, to ensure the flatness of the frame.

If everything is in place, we can move on to gluing. Take a Sader kind of glue. Take out one of the connecting pieces (without opening the frame too much), coat it with glue on both sides; also coat the inner part of the ends of the boards and the two faces that will be in contact (13 mm x27 mm). Insert the connecting piece into the end of one blade, then bring it also into the end of the other blade, and adjust the angle to 90 ° making sure that the two blades are in good contact (possibly give small blows with a light hammer at the end of the blades to bring them together without deforming everything). Allow the glue to harden, so as to permanently stabilize the 90 ° angle (to be checked one last time before hardening).

Then proceed in the same way for the other three angles (except that in principle the right angle does not need to be adjusted any more, because a parallelogram having a right angle is necessarily a rectangle …). Once gluing is complete, check once again for flatness (the frame must adhere to the table on all sides) and right angles. Then let the glue harden well.

In order to ensure the connections of the angles, it is possible to hammer in a small 25 mm point which crosses the three thicknesses of the connections while being well centered and straight (be careful not to

blow up the wood by pushing in the tip). One solution is to insert a point at each end of the blade after the first adjustment (therefore before gluing). It is then possible to continue nailing after gluing but before the glue is hard, which is preferable. Make sure that the boards and the connecting piece are in place when nailing!

It now remains to cut the mesh so that it can be stapled to the underside of the frames. For this adjustment, place the mesh on the frame, putting some 27 mm thick part in the middle of the frame (so that the mesh does not bend during assembly). Make sure that one of the wires of the trellis is always close to the middle of the faces of the four boards (faces 13 mm wide), so that it can be stapled into the mass of the wood.

To do this, it is possible to temporarily staple the mesh on one side of the frame, and unroll it by applying it to the others, while placing a few staples so that it does not move too much. Once properly placed, it must be cut with the cutting pliers. Normally, with a 50cm wide roll of mesh, two sides can be attached without cutting, so there will only be a hundred threads to cut (on the two remaining sides), which is quickly done.

So that the ends of the wire do not protrude, take a good screwdriver or another tool that is well in hand, and run along the wooden blade so as to bend the small ends inward.

If you want to make the frame more pleasant in contact with the hands, it is possible to glue four strips of 13 mm x 13 mm to it, making sure to alternate the ends with those of the frame slats. We will ensure the gluing with 25 mm points every 10 cm: insert the points into the sticks in advance (5 cm from the end of the stick, then 10 to 10 cm), and finish the nailing after having glued the faces to be put in contact. The frames will then be a little higher, which is preferable for fruits such as figs or plantains. Above all, they will be more pleasant to handle.

See if you want schematics detailing the points above