Post by ranchermech on Nov 26, 2016 7:17:14 GMT -8
I would like to share with you my journey down the path of learning about Rocket Stoves/Heaters. I live in North Eastern British Columbia and have a 36'X48' (11mX14.6m) shop heated by an electric boiler and wanted a supplemental heat source. I have access to wood on my property so that was the logical path to pursue. I had considered a remote outdoor boiler but was not prepared to lay out the cash or put up with the smoldering burn that goes with them. To install a wood stove would have required the space for clearances and the cost of the insulated pipe and a stove. We can have temps ranging from -40 to well above freezing with normal probably around -10C (14F) average November to March. I first learned about J-Tube Rockets and proceed to build one out of square tubing I completed it and even before firing I learned metal was not the answer lesson number 1. Continuing my learning I came across this website and was intrigued by the volumes of solid reliable data (thanks to all who shared). I settled on a 4" as space was limited where I wanted to set it up by the existing boiler. Using the Peterburg Batch Box Dimensions I started assembling my material. We are a smaller city so there is not a lot of choices at time for building materials and I like to see and hold the materials before buying them I'm not a fan of internet purchases shipping seems to take away any savings and delivery is a nightmare. So I chose a 4"X1"X8" brick designed as replacement for stove lining that was on the shelf at the local building supply. I started out cutting the bricks with a metal abrasive blade in the table saw to build the octagon shaped heat riser as I couldn't justify the cost of the proper masonry blade after much struggling with this setup the wife wanted landscape bricks cut and so the purchase of the proper blade was justified what a difference! I assembled everything using a refractory adhesive in a tube and it seemed to work ok. I fabricated a metal box to hold the hearth and a tube to surround the heat riser and contain the vermiculite insulation. I made the bell out of a discarded 100lb propane cylinder the outside dimensions of 14.75"(375mm) after hauling everything outside for a test firing I was able to get a satisfactory burn. when I went to dismantle it to take it back in to the shop all most all the joints fell apart lesson #2 need different adhesive. by this time spring had arrived and the projected was abandoned due to lack of need. As fall approached I rekindled my interest in the project and settled on making a homemade refractory cement using 1 part masonry cement mix and 2 parts sand as recommended by local mason. I was able to use the existing pieces I had made as a form and I packed the heat riser in layers of 4-5" of vermiculite and a 1" of cement and so on to hold the bricks together. The hearth I wrapped wood in plastic and filled between it and the firebreak with the cement mix and after the cement cured I pulled the wood out and filled the area with perlite. I used perlite and vermiculite depending on what was available when I needed it. this time everything seemed solid. I then made a mix of the masonry cement, sand, bentonite clay and perlite to fill in any areas that needed support and insulation. I then moved it outside and test fired it again it took quite awhile to get it to warm up and burn clean more research told me I needed a larger bell, 5 times heat riser diameter and I was only 3.7. Back to redesign.
A number of people have successfully built 4" batch box systems using a 55 gallon drum as the bell.
You bell might be a bit to narrow. The gasses need space to spread out and slow down. The tall narrow bell might be a bit too turbulent an environment for the gasses to free-stratify. Also, batch boxes can be pretty twitchy racehorses. As Drooster suggests, if your core is still damp that can be enough to evoke a crash-smoulder.
Strong flue draft and over-wide transitions in the curves are important factors as well
Post by ranchermech on Nov 27, 2016 6:09:35 GMT -8
I would love to share the photos I have with you but I haven't mastered the steps required to post them. I've created a Photo Bucket acct but haven't mastered loading photos to it yet. Continuing with my story I built a bell out of a 55 gallon drum and set everything up in it and test fired it once again it was all outside and it seemed marginally better. I then moved everything inside and prepared to temporarily set it up inside to try it. as space is limited at the last minute I decided to try my original design using the old propane tank as the bell and venting out a window almost instantly it quit smoking and started to burn cleanly. I'm now thinking that the temperature difference between the warm indoor and cold exterior was enough to create the draw I needed to make the smaller bell work. I've fired it for several days now and it seems to draw well and burn clean in a very short time from cold probably less than a minute. my long term plan is to heat fluid and circulate it through the slab I have a pump on the system but I'm hoping it will thermos syphon and I won't have to circulate it. I noticed after reloading the fire box and it starts burning well you can actually hear the secondary ignition almost like a gas appliance lighting. I hope this serves as inspiration to some other hopefuls. I will try and master the photo uploads and answer any questions about it.
With Photobucket the links for full size or thumbnails are listed next to each photo. Just copy them to the clipboard and paste direct into the text in your message on here.
Post by smartliketruck on Nov 27, 2016 22:57:23 GMT -8
Neeto ranchermech
Nice rams horn in the burn tunnel
Thats pretty much what I'm thinking of making for my little foremans office trailer that I have for a workshop but I'm planning on using the small grease barrels for the bell.
Use these buttons up top and the IMG addresses from photobucket to embed pics and video right into your posts
How far north are you, Peace Country? I'm down in the PG area.
Last Edit: Nov 27, 2016 23:04:04 GMT -8 by smartliketruck
Post by ranchermech on Nov 29, 2016 4:37:51 GMT -8
I'm in the FSJ area of the Peace Country. Were you going with the 4" also?
Yes when I took the video it was just after I had lit it for the first time and it was just a small hand full of kindling after I've fired it a few times and let it burn the inside of the heat riser is completely clean and still the original firebrick grayish white. I was using some cedar scraps and it gives off a horrible greyish black smoke when its first lit and as soon as it warms up after 20-30 seconds it burns very clean.
Post by smartliketruck on Nov 29, 2016 18:44:41 GMT -8
Yes, 4" batchbox is what I'm going to try first for the little office trailer. I'm a little worried it might be too big. If it's too big/hot I'll use it in a scrap bbq for cooking and pasteurizing mushroom substrate, then build a little 3".
I've been rigging in FSJ area for the past handful of years.
Post by ranchermech on Apr 19, 2017 18:34:55 GMT -8
An update on the project I used firebricks for the inner core of the fire box and heat riser surrounded it with perlite and or vermiculite mixed with bentonite clay, sand and Portland cement mix to support it. Initially the results were quite satisfactory but as time went on the firebrick started to break apart and crumble. Then it became harder to get a decent burn as the bricks became dislodged and fell into the heat riser and burn chamber. I'm not sure if it was a poor quality brick or if I was too rough loading the firebox and created the problem myself. I'm considering using a castable refractory and building a 10" model this time. It's hard to get decent Birch in this area as it's either green or rotten it's hard to find any even semi dry wood so I think I will be forced to use pine as I have access to a bunch of standing beetle killed trees. I'm wondering has there been updates or changes to the batch box dimensions since they were last commented on?
The crumbling bricks are due to poor quality, for sure. A 10" model is quite a step up, even an 8" version is already a very powerful heater. Pine is fine for a batch box, you need more of it as the only downside. Pound for pound dry fuel, all woody stuff is alike within a few percentage points. Volume is quite another matter, though. And no, dimensions of the batchrocket design didn't change, up-to-date information is on batchrocket.eu/en/.
Post by ranchermech on Apr 20, 2017 17:36:18 GMT -8
Thanks for the reply. I will rethink the idea of the 10 inch. Has there been any comments on an acceptable castable refractory from a Canadian Supplier?
deadstarsstillburn: moreover, the house has 3 storeys (large attic) so I assume if I get very efficient heating on the ground floor, that will go a long way toward heating the upstairs as well, no?
Oct 21, 2020 6:53:59 GMT -8
BenAlexanderT: Happy new year everybody. I wish you the best
Dec 31, 2020 15:06:14 GMT -8
Solomon: Anybody in Southern Oregon, in Jackson or Josephine counties?
Jan 16, 2021 21:54:43 GMT -8
gnomedome: i realsie this is from 2009
Apr 14, 2021 8:30:44 GMT -8
gnomedome: i realize this is from 2009 id love to see the photos from this ..as im looking to build a sauna soon similar to this .... if anyody sees this post obomartin@gmail.com..... the photos in this post did not show up
Apr 14, 2021 8:32:00 GMT -8
dcoyte: I am planning to use a cast iron heat exchanger out of a hydronic boiler set on top of my rocket stove, flue out the top. There will be a pump moving the water through the heat exchanger into an unpressurized 2000 gal tank. Any thoughts?
Dec 31, 2021 6:45:55 GMT -8
syekoms: Yes just found this forum am in Josephine county.
Jun 17, 2022 12:53:32 GMT -8
ecoenergyman: Hi new to forum I was wondering where to buy a masonry stove kit I could install myself ? Fran in ireland
Aug 1, 2022 17:39:58 GMT -8
natureman: I have been following this site for years
Aug 28, 2022 10:58:59 GMT -8
nendo: Can anyone on this forum point me in the direction of detailed plans for a rocket water heater please?
Oct 22, 2022 15:15:43 GMT -8
fierolepou: Hi everybody! Starting a project from scratch, this is a goldmine!
Dec 10, 2022 5:20:09 GMT -8
Solomon: Best way to not die in a house fire is to build a stove where the really hot stuff isn't near the flammable stuff.
Jan 10, 2023 11:34:39 GMT -8
beppe: Hi to everybpdy. I'm new about the rocket stoves and this forum
Aug 30, 2023 22:17:32 GMT -8
beppe: I have a living room+ kitchen of 75 square meters that was heated by an ordinary pellet stove with a power of 8KW.
Aug 30, 2023 22:19:29 GMT -8
beppe: I want to switch to a DIY pellet rocket stove but I haven't found yet a project that is really suitable for my situation. Is there anybody able to indicate to me a good detailed project?
Sept 4, 2023 9:05:15 GMT -8
sksshel: Yes, very happy with my DSR2. I had not heard about the DSR3. I probably won't be using it but I will look into it.
Oct 16, 2023 9:15:37 GMT -8
rockinon: I have some questions about a Rocket Mass Heater, as I am in progress of getting a place built in Arkansas in the mountains of NW Arkansas and it will be very helpful. How can I add pictures to illustrate what I am requesting
Jan 23, 2024 11:01:07 GMT -8
dd24: Bonjour, Quelqu'un expérimente t-il sur les poêles "bubafonya" ou "stopuva"? merci pour votre réponse!
Mar 2, 2024 10:32:32 GMT -8