|
Post by daniel on Nov 4, 2015 13:41:32 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by daniel on Nov 15, 2015 7:52:38 GMT -8
This is the first time I build a fire about 3/4 of the height of the firebox with scrap pine wood and a handfull of small pine cones, I put them on a an egg carton in such a way that air will circulate underneath an lit it. The fire started right away and in a few minutes I had 460 degrees Celsius on the glass door surface. I was worried about the glass which resist to 800 since the fire was growing. The whole firebox was cleaned by this fire from some black deposits in higher parts of the box. The corners left and right side of port remained a little black. I am pretty sure I had a very high temperature in there, I wish I had a way to measure it. I was standing about 1 yard away from the door and the temperature got unbearable
|
|
|
Post by peterberg on Nov 15, 2015 8:26:50 GMT -8
Your chimney stack is obviously very good. Probably, the primary air intake could be smaller. Now you've seen for yourself what this simple looking design is capable of. Pretty darn good, hey?
|
|
|
Post by daniel on Nov 15, 2015 13:26:54 GMT -8
Yes Peter, it is an amazing design, I am still contemplating all the variables from the way wood is loaded to firing cycles, I see differences in the way it burns depending on how and what you put in the fire. Today I tried only pine cones and the fire sounded like a locomotive perhaps due to the fact that air could not go through the cones and burned up and then sideways.
|
|
|
Post by daniel on Nov 15, 2015 13:31:38 GMT -8
The chimney I have is a 200mm inside diameter of refractory sleeves and surrounded by a thick brick wall around it with rockwool between them in the upper part and without insulation in the lower part. It is about 8m high but we are I think 400m above sea level and should have perhaps a higher one.
|
|
|
Post by daniel on Nov 23, 2015 11:49:12 GMT -8
Hi everybody, I have seen some videos of j tube rocket stoves and sometimes I live with the impression they they have a better draw and I hear these stories of a shopping bag of ashes after 5 months of burning, perhaps a j tube having a narrower system draws better than a large firebox. Any opinions on that?
|
|
|
Post by Karl L on Nov 25, 2015 14:26:41 GMT -8
Daniel, what are you using to form the top of your bell?
|
|
|
Post by daniel on Nov 28, 2015 14:01:47 GMT -8
The top of the bell is covered with refractory concrete slabs which I have supported additionally with angle iron
|
|
|
Post by Karl L on Dec 9, 2015 13:37:06 GMT -8
Thanks - did you buy the slabs or did you have to cast them yourself?
|
|
|
Post by daniel on Dec 10, 2015 14:02:55 GMT -8
Hi, I cast them myself, is not that hard provided you follow the instructions which are quite different from regular concrete. Beside following the exact amount of water agregate and cement the part where you have to watch out the most is mixing it with a electric drill or mixer very well, it will look pretty dry but trust the recipe and place it in the mould pushing it down, then vibrate it with a vibrator or an electric vibrating sander, it will start to settle into the form, then scrape the top to level with a straight edge, don't trowel the top.
|
|
|
Post by daniel on Dec 18, 2015 1:20:44 GMT -8
I waited for the weather to get really cold outside, the water is frozen in a bucket and see how the heater is heating. I have to mention that I still have some additional entry holes in the stack that and primary air that is not final as well as a uninsulated top of the heater. What I can say is that I fire the thing twice a day but not full load, perhaps half to a three thirds, and the heated area which is about 8.5mx5mx2.8m =119 cubic meters is still have a lot of little holws for the heat to escape, one part of the wall is directly to a very cold area without windows and the chimney has a double wall which draws heat out. So I think it is pretty amazing what a difference it is. I used to heat with cast Iron small heater which I had to fire continuosly in the cold weather and through the night and woke up really cold in the morning.
|
|
|
Post by daniel on Jan 21, 2016 0:54:18 GMT -8
peterberg I have a space of 33cm between the bell and the chimney exterior wall, do you think that little space would allow the gases to rise or will they be sucked to the chimney provided that the entry and exit will be opposite with the entry about 1/2 higher. Do you think is worth trying a second bell there?
|
|
|
Post by peterberg on Jan 21, 2016 3:22:25 GMT -8
Hard to say, what is the temperature about 4' high in the chimney? And what is the available width of that space between the bell and chimney wall? It all boils down to what space you'll get, the more the better.
|
|
|
Post by daniel on Jan 21, 2016 6:44:49 GMT -8
Between the bell and the chimney I have 33cm, I could cut another exit into the bell but then the entrance end exit will not be quite opposite facing each other but rather in diagonal. Right now the exit to the chimney is on the riser-chimney axis, if I cut another exit it will be in one side of the firebox. Inside the bell the space above the 2. Would it be better with a second bell or a dead bench?
|
|
|
Post by peterberg on Jan 21, 2016 13:02:53 GMT -8
I think my question wasn't clear. One dimension is 33 cm, now I ask for the other, making together the footprint of the proposed bell. A dead end bench is tricky for most people because of the indispensable height difference between in- and outlet. But on the other hand: a bench is always a much appreciated item...
|
|