How to build a solar dehydrator.

How to build a solar dehydrator. Solar power can be utilized to preserve fruits and vegetables to prolong shelf-life. Post harvest losses can be prevented if better preservation methods are used . Vegetables,tomatoes,herbs and fruits can be preserved by dehydration,likewise meat,fish and other sea foods can also be preserved by this method. In Malawi,a woman makes millions by using a solar dehydrator to dry fish and extend shelf-life. see INSTRUCTIONS PREP THE MATERIALS. Spray both sides of the sheet metal with 2 coats of the paint; let dry for 24 hours. Using the circular saw*, cut the cedar 2×2s into four 48″-long pieces and four 21″-long pieces, then cut the pressure-treated 2×4s into two 48″-long pieces, two 21″-long pieces, and two 5″-long pieces. Employ the tin snips to cut the sheet of corrugated metal roofing down to 48″× 24″. BUILD THE FRAMES FOR THE COVER, FOOD TRAY, AND BASE. Arrange two 48″-long and two 21″-long cedar pieces so they form a flat 48″× 24″ rectangular frame, with the shorter pieces sandwiched inside the longer ones; attach using a wood screw** at each corner (as shown). Repeat with the remaining cedar pieces to build a second, identical frame. Repeat once more, but with the 48″-long and 21″-long pressure-treated pieces and 2 wood screws at each corner, to build a third frame. more