homestead.fyi / DEHYDRATOR

Solar Dehydrator

A 4 ft solar dehydrator: a plywood box on 2x2 legs with a sloped plastic-covered lid, two cloth trays and a vent low in front and high in back.

Draft plan, generated from the model. Not yet build-tested.

48 x 26 inSize

2Trays

25°Lid pitch

12 to 24 inHeight

5 to 8 hrBuild time

$249.13Materials

Drawings All dimensions in inches

3D viewfinished

3D view, framingsiding and roof removed

Front elevation

Right elevation

Plan viewfrom above

Cut list: lumber Long-point lengths; angles noted

Qty	Stock	Length	Part	Cut
1	2x2	50	Lid rail front	laid flat
1	2x2	50	Lid rail back	laid flat
2	2x2	45	Tray 1 rail	laid flat
2	2x2	45	Tray 2 rail	laid flat
1	2x2	27 1/2	Lid stile left	laid flat
1	2x2	27 1/2	Lid stile right	laid flat
1	2x2	27 1/2	Lid stile middle	laid flat
2	2x2	20	Tray 1 end	laid flat
2	2x2	20	Tray 2 end	laid flat
4	2x2	6 3/4	Leg	screwed inside the box corners

Cut list: sheet goods

Part	Stock	Size	Note
Floor	3/4 ply	48 x 26
Front	1/2 ply	48 x 12
Back	1/2 ply	48 x 24
Left side	1/2 ply	26 x 24
Right side	1/2 ply	26 x 24
Vent screen front	cloth	38 x 0
Vent screen back	cloth	38 x 0
Tray 1 cloth	cloth	45 x 23	staple over the top of the frame
Tray 2 cloth	cloth	45 x 23	staple over the top of the frame

Lumber cutting diagram Lengths chosen for the lowest cost; 1/8 in kerf, 1/2 in end trim

2x2 x 8 ft

Lid stile left 27 1/2Lid stile right 27 1/2Tray 1 end 1 20Tray 1 end 2 20

2x2 x 8 ft

Lid stile middle 27 1/2Tray 2 end 1 20Tray 2 end 2 20Leg 1 6 3/4Leg 2 6 3/4Leg 3 6 3/4Leg 4 6 3/4

2x2 x 8 ft

Lid rail front 50Tray 1 rail 1 45

2x2 x 8 ft

Lid rail back 50Tray 1 rail 2 45

2x2 x 8 ft

Tray 2 rail 1 45Tray 2 rail 2 45

Sheet cutting diagrams Dashed = openings to cut out

Sheet 1: 1/2 in plywood, 4 x 8 ft

Sheet 2: 3/4 in plywood, 4 x 8 ft

Shopping list $249.13 checked / $0.00 estimated

Item	Store	Qty	Each	Line	Note
2x2x8 furring strip	Home Depot	5	$2.97	$14.85	see lumber cutting diagram
15/32 in (1/2 in) sheathing plywood, 4x8 sheet	Lowe's	1	$32.26	$32.26	see sheet cutting diagrams
23/32 in (3/4 in) CDX plywood, 4x8 sheet	Lowe's	1	$46.57	$46.57	see sheet cutting diagrams
Hardware cloth 1/2 in, 2 ft x 25 ft, 19-ga	Home Depot	1	$30.40	$30.40	uses about 166 in of the roll
6 mil greenhouse film, 20 x 25 ft	Walmart Business	1	$83.99	$83.99	covers the lid
Galvanized 6 in strap hinge, each (5-pack $32.99)	Home Depot	1	$6.60	$6.60	lid
Exterior wood screws #9 x 2.5 in, 5 lb box	Home Depot	1	$29.97	$29.97
Poultry staples 3/4 in, 1 lb	Southern States	1	$4.49	$4.49
Total before tax				$249.13

Filled dot: price read from a store listing on Oct 20, 2026. Hollow dot: estimate. Prices come from the master price list, so they change when it changes.

Build steps

Cut the plywood floor, the front and back and the two sloped sides from the sheet layouts.
Screw the four 2x2 legs inside the floor corners, then screw the sides, front and back to the floor and legs every 6 in.
Cut a 36 x 3 in vent in the front low and the back high, and staple cloth over each from inside.
Build two 2x2 tray frames, each 45 x 23 in, and staple cloth over the top. They sit on 2x2 cleats inside the sides.
Build the lid from five 2x2s laid flat, staple 6 mil plastic over it and hinge it at the back.
Paint the inside black with a food-safe, high-heat flat paint and set the dehydrator in full sun facing south, tilted to the sun.

Before you start

Air enters low in front, warms under the glaze and leaves high at the back. A 4 ft box dries about 6 lb of fresh fruit at a time.
Use only food-safe paint inside and do not dry anything on pressure-treated wood.
The trays go in the shade of the lid, not in direct sun. Turn the fruit every few hours.
Cut produce thin and dry it to leathery. Store it in jars.
Draft drawings generated from the model. Build one before selling this plan.