How to Dry Lumber for Quality and Profit

Kiln operators, supervisors, and others associated with industrial lumber drying have benefited from How to Dry Lumber for Quality and Profit since 1949. In this, the 76^th annual offering, there are in-person courses for kiln personnel and non-kiln personnel.

Why lumber drying is important

Reducing downfall from #2&Better to #3 by 1% can add $250,000 annually to the bottom line of a large sawmill.

Further, drying consumes 70% of the energy used to convert a tree to lumber and represents 10-15% of the cost. These courses emphasize improving grade, while reducing operating costs and maintaining or increasing production.

Lumber drying for kiln personnel

LUMBER DRYING ONSITE OPTION

Location: 107 Richardson Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR

Time: Dec. 14-16, 2026, 8 am – 4 pm.

Parking, campus shuttle and maps: Permits are required on campus.

See https://aims.parking.oregonstate.edu/

Lodging suggestions:

Comfort Suites, 1730 9^th St.

Best Western, 925 NW Garfield Ave.

Hotel Corvallis, 350 SW 4^th St.

Holiday Inn Express, 781 NW 2^nd St.

Hilton Garden Inn, 2500 SW Western Blvd.

Taught by Scott Leavengood and developed by Mike Milota, the onsite in person class first takes the learner through wood as a material and how it dries providing a basis for a discussion of kiln schedules.

Next, kiln design, operation, and maintenance are presented.

Finally, stacking, loading, running the kiln, moisture measurement, and collecting and interpreting measurements are covered. Written and USB drive handouts will be provided.

LUMBER DRYING ONLINE OPTION

The online course for kiln and non-kiln personnel was created by OSU College of Forestry Professor Emeritus, Mike Milota. The course is on demand and always available.

Online Option -
On demand. Access any time.

Onsite Option -
December 14 - 16, 2026
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. on OSU Corvallis Campus

Online and Onsite

Online Option -
$795

Onsite Option -
$725 + $70 registration fee

795

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Additional Information:

Enjoy peace of mind with our risk-free guarantee on online instructor-led courses.

Ask us about Team Training. We can customize this program to fit your organization's specific needs.

Instructors

Mike Milota

Dr. Mike Milota is the owner of Wood Moisture Solutions, LLC providing training and consulting for the lumber industry. He is Professor Emeritus, Wood Science and Engineering, Oregon State University. He is a registered professional engineer in Oregon. This is Mike’s 37^th year organizing the lumber drying training at Oregon State, and he has conducted many on-site training sessions for sawmills.

Dr. Scott Leavengood

Dr. Scott Leavengood is a Professor in the Department of Wood Science & Engineering at Oregon State and Director of the Oregon Wood Innovation Center. Scott has been providing training and technical assistance to wood products manufacturers in Oregon since he joined OSU in 1994. He and Mike are ‘tag-teaming’ the workshop in 2025 as Mike transitions (slowly) into retirement.

Past Students' Work

Take a look at some recent projects our students have created.