Electric Food Dehydrator Plans

How to build an electric food dehydrator
by Courtney Meier
The majority of the text and plans provided here were originally obtained from the Oregon State University
Extension Service Circular 855, and were last revised in 1984 by Dale E. Kirk, professor emeritus of agricultural
engineering at Oregon State University. The original plans have been modified slightly with regard to wiring and
materials.
You can use a small food dehydrator in your home to
preserve many types of fruits, vegetables, meats, and
specialty items (e.g. tomato sauces, hummus, refried
beans). The dehydrator shown here provides 8 square
feet of tray surface, which can accommodate
approximately 18 lbs. of fresh, moist product.
The necessary heat for evaporating the moisture is
supplied by standard incandescent household light
bulbs, which are efficient, safe heating elements. You can
use either a 8-inch or 6-inch diameter air-duct fan from a
hardware store to provide the necessary air flow.
Nine porcelain surface-mount sockets with concealed

contacts
Nine 75-watt bulbs
Fifteen feet of #14 copper wire with insulation rating of
150 C or higher
Six feet of #14 wire extension cord, with male plug
One 36-inch length of heavy-duty household aluminum
foil wrap
One hundred sixteen (116) #8 1-inch flathead wood
screws
You can build the dehydrator with the following tools: a

saw capable of cutting straight lines (e.g. table saw or
skilsaw with a guide), a coping saw or jigsaw, drill,
countersink, screwdriver, Arrowhead T50 stapler, razor
knife, wire cutters, wire stripper, and scissors. You'll also
need a square and a tape for measurements.
Eighteen #7 5/8-inch roundhead wood or sheet-metal

screws
List of materials
Two standard light switches
The following items will be required to construct both the

dehydrator box and the food trays:
One 4-inch electrical utility box, with cover that

accommodates two standard light switches
One sheet of inch, 4 x 8 ft. A-C exterior grade

plywood, though higher grade inch plywood could
also be used if one requires a more fashionable look
Two -inch utility box compression fittings
Nine 8-foot pieces of 1 x 1-inch nominal ( x -inch

actual) wood strips.
Twenty L-brackets, for re-inforcing corners of food

trays
One 6-inch or 8-inch duct fan
Forty #6 -inch flathead wood screws
One pair of 2-inch metal butt hinges or an 18-inch

length of piano hinge
100-inch x 20-inch length of 1 mm nylon screen
One ball chain or equivalent door latch
One 10-amp capacity thermostat, 100-160 F range,

either air-type or hot-water tank type. I used a
thermostat suitable for the lower position on a
standard sized electric hot water heater.
Three wire nuts
One pack of -inch T50 staples
Figure 1. Cutting plan to obtain the necessary plywood pieces

with a minimum of saw cuts
Cutting plan
The cutting diagram at left shows how you
can obtain all of the -inch plywood
pieces from the single 4 8-foot plywood
sheet. It is usually most satisfactory to
measure from the factory cut edges as
shown. Be sure to allow room for the saw
kerfs between adjacent pieces.
Cut the plywood sections to size using
either a table saw or a skilsaw with a guide.
I was able to get reasonable results using a
skilsaw with no guide (and then some a
posteriori spackle), but it will be far easier
to achieve a box that leaks less heat out
the back with perfectly straight cuts.
Figure 2 shows, in part, how the pieces are
assembled to form the dehydrator box.
Detailed instructions are on the following
pages.
Figure 2. Front view of dehydrator construction.
Figure 3. Front view cross-section of dehydrator construction
Pre-assembly of sides and base

1. Cut the 1 1-inch wood strips into the lengths shown
in figures 3 and 4.
2. These pieces will be used for tray-support cleats
(brown in figs. 3 & 4), the tray frames (gray in figs. 3 &
4), and to hold the box together at the corners. Before
cutting the tray-support cleats to their final size, I
drew the correct positions on the left and right side
panels, placed the cleat over the drawing, and marked
exactly where the cut should be. Figure 5 illustrates
the drawing/layout procedure for the tray-cleats.
Figure 4. Side-view cross-section of dehydrator construction
3. Next, lay out the porcelain sockets, and fasten them

to the base, as shown in figure 6. Fasten the wire to
the porcelain sockets.
Figure 6. Layout of sockets and wiring plan
Figure 5. Cleats laid out on the inside surface
Figure 7. Assembly of front, left-side and base
inches in diameter for an 8-inch fan; about 6 inches

in diameter for a 6-inch fan), and fasten directly to the
bulkhead. The 6-inch duct fan I bought from Home
Depot (not a personal endorsement) did not have an
obvious mounting mechamism to attach to the
bulkhead, so I used tin-snips to cut out mounting tabs
(see figure 8).
9. Now set the bulkhead in place (5 to 5 inches from
the front panel, as in figure 4, and fasten it temporarily
in position by two screws through the left side panel.
10. Center the 1 inch diameter air vent hole in the front
panel, directly in front of the fan motor, about 1 inch
away from the motor. This will allow the relatively cool
room temperature air to pass over the motor and cool
it (figure 2).
11. Next, fasten the right side, back, and top in place
using wood glue and #8 1-inch wood screws.
4. Next, screw the left side panel and front panel to the
base (figure 7). I also used wood glue (Titebond) to
make the joints stronger.
5. Fasten the wire to the porcelain sockets. Connect the
wire that goes to the yellow screws on the sockets to
the thermostat, mounted near the rear on the left side
panel. The yellow screws on the socket connect to the
center pole, rather than the threaded wall of the
socket.
12. Enclose the heat shield in heavy-duty household

aluminum wrap. This provides a reflective surface to
protect the plywood heat shield. It also provides a
smooth surface on the top of the shield for easier
removal of juices that may drip from the drying trays.
Figure 9. Completed drying tray, assembled from -inch

wood pieces and 1 mm mesh nylon screen
6. Connect the wire that goes to the white screws on the

sockets to the white wire in the extension cord (see
figure 6).
7. Connect the ground wire (green) in the extension cord
either to the ground wire coming from the fan motor
(as in figure 6), or directly to the junction box.
Figure 8. Fan mounted onto bulk-head via tabs made with tinsnips
8. If you're using a duct-type fan, which I recommend,

cut the necessary hole in the bulkhead (about 8
13. To build drying trays like that shown in figure 9, I used

1 1-inch nominal ( -inch actual) pieces of
wood, cut to the lengths indicated in figures 3 and 4.
Use L-brackets to re-inforce the corners of the trays
and prevent twisting of the wood pieces (figure 10).
Lay the 1 mm mesh nylon screen over the finished
tray frame, and cut the screen around the tray frame,
adding 1 to 2-inches of screen to the overall
dimensions.
Figure 10. L-bracket used to re-inforce corners of drying trays
Meat (jerky); start at 100 F, increase to 165 F

(internal temperature of 155 F; follow professional
advice for your situation)
Fruits; 135145 F
Vegetables; 140150 F (max. 165 F)
During the early stages of drying, open the door about
to inch to allow easy escape of moisture laden air. As
moist air exhausts at the top of the unit, fresh air will be
taken in along the sides of the partially opened door.
Test to determine when the first, high-moisture drying
stage is completed. Hold your hand or a mirror at the
opening at the top of the door. When moisture no longer
tends to condense, close the door. The air exchange
provided by the two 1 -inch diameter vents should be
sufficient to complete the drying process.
14. Staple the screen to one side of the tray frame using
-inch staples, then staple the opposing side after
pulling the screen tight. Staple the remaining two
sides in a similar fashion. Pull the screen as tight as is
practical, as the weight of the fresh fruit will cause
some sagging. Finally, trim the excess screen using
scissors or a razor knife. It is possible that metal
screen would be a better alternative to nylon, as metal
screen would likely sag less, though nylon has worked
fine for me.
Maintenance
Wash trays with hot water and a detergent when they
become soiled with dried-on juices. Scrubbing the
screens over a flat surface (e.g. a large cutting board) will
allow you to clean the nylon mesh without stretching it
and causing excessive sagging.
15. You'll need some type of adjustable latch to hold the

door in a partially opened position during the initial
stages of drying, when the moisture is being removed
rapidly. I used a small length of chain and a hook, but
a standard ball-link chain with a catch would also
work, as would a length of velcro glued to the side of
the unit.
16. As a check on your thermostat setting, you should
have a thermometer capable of reading within the
range of 100 160 F. A kitchen-type meat
thermometer works nicely.
Operation
For most moist fruits and blanched vegetables, load the
trays at the rate of 1 to 2 lbs. of fresh product per square
foot of tray surface. Place nuts and meats only 1 layer
deep on the trays.
The following thermostat settings are suggestions:
Nuts; 100105 F

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How to build an electric food dehydrator

Nine porcelain surface-mount sockets with concealed

You can build the dehydrator with the following tools: a

Eighteen #7 5/8-inch roundhead wood or sheet-metal

Two standard light switches

The following items will be required to construct both the

One 4-inch electrical utility box, with cover that

One sheet of inch, 4 x 8 ft. A-C exterior grade

Two -inch utility box compression fittings

Nine 8-foot pieces of 1 x 1-inch nominal ( x -inch

Twenty L-brackets, for re-inforcing corners of food

One 6-inch or 8-inch duct fan

Forty #6 -inch flathead wood screws

One pair of 2-inch metal butt hinges or an 18-inch

100-inch x 20-inch length of 1 mm nylon screen

One ball chain or equivalent door latch

One 10-amp capacity thermostat, 100-160 F range,

Three wire nuts

One pack of -inch T50 staples

Figure 1. Cutting plan to obtain the necessary plywood pieces

Figure 2. Front view of dehydrator construction.

Figure 3. Front view cross-section of dehydrator construction

Pre-assembly of sides and base

Figure 4. Side-view cross-section of dehydrator construction

3. Next, lay out the porcelain sockets, and fasten them

Figure 6. Layout of sockets and wiring plan

Figure 5. Cleats laid out on the inside surface

Figure 7. Assembly of front, left-side and base

inches in diameter for an 8-inch fan; about 6 inches

12. Enclose the heat shield in heavy-duty household

Figure 9. Completed drying tray, assembled from -inch

6. Connect the wire that goes to the white screws on the

8. If you're using a duct-type fan, which I recommend,

13. To build drying trays like that shown in figure 9, I used

Figure 10. L-bracket used to re-inforce corners of drying trays

Meat (jerky); start at 100 F, increase to 165 F

15. You'll need some type of adjustable latch to hold the

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