Pictorial Tour Once at John's mill, the logs are cut into boards of various sizes and readied for the kiln, where they will spend several weeks drying to a moisture content of 6-8%. That's quite a wait, and loggers have to eat. Thus, we find an empty pizza box in John's mill. While the wood is drying in the kiln at left, John checks the depression of the air in his kiln, daily. Watching the needle of his kiln's hygrometer (an instrument for measuring humidity), coupled with his knowing the temperature in his kiln, tells John exactly how much moisture is left in his wood. Unlike many other mills, John does not inject water into his kiln to equalize the moisture content. Instead, he prefers to let things move a little slower and more naturally, allowing the water that is already in his wood to evaporate evenly, producing superior boards. Next