2022 NEKDA Fall Meeting

New England Kiln Drying Association (NEKDA) Officers and Board of Director's have put together an excellent meeting program with important and informative topics and opportunities for kiln operators and managers, including an interesting tour of Milan Lumber Company.

Meeting location is the Town & Country in Shelburne at 2 Main Street, Gorham, NH. The Town & Country in Shelburne is conveniently located about 0.25 miles east of Gorham on the south side of Route 2.

The details of the meeting program is below or you can download the Meeting Program (PDF).

Registration

Please mail your Registration Form and check directly to Bill Smith, wbsmith@esf.edu (by May 6). All tour participants are required to pre-register.

Program

Wednesday | October 26

Milan Lumber

9:00 AM ET
Wednesday Plant Tour

Milan Lumber Company saws and kiln dries high quality spruce-fir dimension lumber, manufacturing over 70 MMBF per year. Our tour will include their sawmill, sorting, new kiln, new high-speed production planning and grading operations, and wood-fired boiler system.

Pre-registration is required.

Tour participants should bring their own hardhats and safety glasses and wear appropriate footwear.

The Town & Country Motor Inn

Welcome and Introductions

Chuck Sackett, NEKDA President (Kennebec Lumber, Wentworth, NH)

12:30 - 1:15 PM ET
Registration and Lunch

Meeting Room

1:15 - 2:00 PM ET
Custom Kiln Drying - Managing Variables

Expert Panel Discussion

2:00 - 5:00 PM ET
Kiln Operator's Clinic, Led by Bill Smith, others

Informal and practical instructions and discussion on the basics of kiln operations, maintenance, stacking, DH, conventional, and high-temperature drying, stain and discoloration, scheduling, changing species, wood-moisture fundamentals, kiln loading and baffling, moisture meters, restarting kilns, drying degrade, and more. Bring your individual problems, questions, and solutions!

Please note any particular interests for discussion at the clinic on your registration form.

3:15 - 3:30 PM ET
Refreshment Break

3:15 - 3:30 PM ET
Banquet

---

 

Thursday | October 27

The Town & Country Motor Inn

7:00 - 7:45 PM ET
Board of Directors Meeting

7:45 - 8:10 PM ET
Registration and Coffee

8:10 - 8:15 PM ET
Welcome and Introductions

Chuck Sackett, NEKDA President
(Kennebec Lumber, Wentworth, NH)

8:15 - 9:00 PM ET
Wood Moisture Meter Advancements

Tom Laurenzi, Delmhorst Moisture Meters

9:00 - 9:30 PM ET
Milan Lumber

Steve Halle, Milan Lumber, Milan, NH

9:30 - 10:30 PM ET
Steam Production, Utilization and Management

Sam Fox, FW Webb

10:30 - 10:45 PM ET
Coffee Break and Questions

10:45 - 11:15 PM ET
Heat Treatment and Certification

Matt Pomeroy, NELMA, Cumberland Ctr., ME

11:15 - 12:00 PM ET
Dry Storage of Lumber - Basic Knowledge for Best Quality

Bob Pope, SII Dry Kilns, Montpelier, VT

12:00 - 12:15 PM ET
NEKDA Annual Business Meeting, Elections

12:30 - 1:15 PM ET
Luncheon Buffet

---

Past Meeting Presentations - Please look to the Past Meeting link (to the right) to see some of the topics presented.

Click here to view the technical presentations from our past meetings.

Useful books and articles on Lumber Drying, Wood Properties and Manufacturing, and Wood Science.

Dry Kiln Workshop.

Our 2010 Jim Catterick Award was presented to Everett Rockwell, North Hudson Woodcraft, Dolgeville NY.

Our 2010 Bill Rice Acheivement Award was presented to Mark Strail, Harden Furniture, McConnellesville, NY, by NEKDA Life Member, former President, former Executive Secretary, and Professor Emeritus Dr. Bill Rice (below).

Our 2009 Jim Catterick Award was presented to Tom Graber, Baillie Lumber, Smyrna, NY, by NEKDA 2009 President Jeremy Jacquet (below).

• Our 2009 Bill Rice Acheivement Award was presented to Scott Ferland, Cersosimo Lumber, Brattleboro, VT, by NEKDA Life Member, former President, former Executive Secretary, and Professor Emeritus Dr. Bill Rice (below).

• NEKDA Student Scholarship Award Applications - Click here for an NEKDA student scholarship award application.
• Please contact Bill Smith at wbsmith@esf.edu if you have any ideas or suggestions for topics, tours or locations for upcoming NEKDA meetings.