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Post by Vortex on Nov 2, 2023 11:41:32 GMT -8
Must be the Calcined kaolin clay and Silica that gives it the same look. Expensive enough. |
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Post by pancakes on Dec 8, 2023 21:48:25 GMT -8
Hey all. Just wanted to post a progress update. The uncut tank. Already turned the bottom section into an outdoor firepit.  Cutting the tank to size with a plasma cutter. I couldn't find a good way to get a straight cut the whole way around, but i tried with a bent piece of round bar.  After cutting off the crown, welding close the ports, and hours of grinding/sanding I finally could paint with ceramic high temp stove paint.  Moved the old wood stove out. This is the stage for the new RMH.  I'll skip the brick progress picks, but here's the brickwork done and the core set in place. I used a fireclay/sand mix for the mortar. If you think the pointing looks bad that's because it is.   Oddly enough the top concrete cast is what took me the longest to figure out. Had to build the form and make SURE my measurements and inserts were right. I cast upside down with a GFRC mix. Flow control and dye on the first layer, then added fibers for the backing.   Casting placed and foam removed. You can see the lip the tank will sit on and the hole for the chimney pipe behind it.  Mostly complete at this point.  I forgot to take a better pic of the T in between the elbow and the concrete, but there's one there for starting a draft if I need to. I'll clean up the fiber wool gasket later haha. You can also see the fiber wool seal in between the concrete and the brick here.  I was lucky enough to be able to scavenge my door from my old wood stove. Just rotated 90 degrees, stole some hinges from a different door, welded up a frame and voila!  I decided to hang the door frame from the concrete by welding on some angle iron. I also drilled two small holes into the concrete and glued some bolts in there to use nuts/washers to pull the frame into the fiber wool as a seal and to give the door a little more stability.  I got a bit lucky again as my firebrick protrudes and so the frame sits flush on the top and sides, but there's an opening at the bottom roughly the size I need for primary/secondary air. I think it's a little big, but it's working well as far as I can tell.  |
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Post by pancakes on Dec 8, 2023 22:00:05 GMT -8
Other things of note:
I've had about 5 fires so far and they've all gotten progressively better and 4 without a proper door (was closing it with some fiber wool to test). First burn sucked. Bad draft and got a good amount of smoke in the house. But it draws very well now and gives out much more heat.
The concrete did crack, but in the best place possible (right above the door frame). It's not in a spot where gasses can come through as it's sitting on fiber wool and is the furthest from where the gasses want to go. It happened the very first fire.
I might paint the concrete with some high temp paint to cover my mixing mistakes.
Not sure how long the bolts/glue will last. Will keep an eye on it.
All in all I'm loving it! Thanks everyone for your help/insights and please feel free to drop any more ideas/critiques you've got!
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Post by martyn on Dec 8, 2023 22:47:27 GMT -8
Looks really good, can you tell us a few temperature readings on the bricks and steel and if at all possible a video would be fantastic.
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Post by fruitbat on Dec 9, 2023 0:25:52 GMT -8
Cutting the tank to size with a plasma cutter. I couldn't find a good way to get a straight cut the whole way around, but i tried with a bent piece of round bar. Just in case you ever need to do the same again, I've cut something similar by fixing four castors upside down so the tank lies on its side on them and can be rotated. The torch can then be held stationary (or fixed in place) while the tank is rotated to make the cut, like a crude lathe I suppose... |
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Post by fiedia on Dec 9, 2023 2:26:44 GMT -8
Very nice and neat!
I am sure that the barrel is radiating heat very well. Are the bricks storing heat as much as you wished (6-8 hours) ?
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Post by pancakes on Dec 9, 2023 18:10:14 GMT -8
Here's a video with some temp readings: www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_8n6PcPDBoThe bricks are storing heat for 6-8 hours, but not as hot as I'd like. I think the tank is just too good of a heat sink. About 5 min after the vid, the top of the tank got up to 1000. I've got an idea to make a curtain out of a welding blanket to drape like a cape around the tank and place some fiber wool on top to try to push the heat down into the brick more/stop the tank from emitting so much heat up. I tried just putting some fiber wool on top for a few min and this happened:  Yup that's glowing 1/4" steel. My temp gun max's at 1000 so I have no idea how hot that is. My paint is rated for 2000 so I think it should be ok, but it makes me a little worried about my slightly insulating the tank idea. |
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Post by josephcrawley on Dec 10, 2023 10:32:21 GMT -8
Looks super good. Nice job
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Post by pancakes on Dec 10, 2023 16:24:27 GMT -8
Cutting the tank to size with a plasma cutter. I couldn't find a good way to get a straight cut the whole way around, but i tried with a bent piece of round bar. Just in case you ever need to do the same again, I've cut something similar by fixing four castors upside down so the tank lies on its side on them and can be rotated. The torch can then be held stationary (or fixed in place) while the tank is rotated to make the cut, like a crude lathe I suppose... Great idea. I've still got one more tank I need to find a use for so I'll make sure to remember that! |
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Post by pancakes on Dec 12, 2023 21:50:22 GMT -8
So I did insulate the top/sides of the tank. Only thing is I'm getting a little worried with how hot it's getting now. It's well above 1000 I'm sure as my temp gun couldn't read it when it was barely glowing.  That's 3/4" fiber wool it's bleeding through. The right angle hotspot to the right of the image is a cutout area for a stove fan that's probably not long for this world with those temps. I'm also starting to get some kind of off-gas from the welding blanket I think and it's smoking up the house. Smells like burning crayons. I should be worried correct? |
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Post by fruitbat on Dec 13, 2023 0:20:09 GMT -8
Try to avoid breathing in any of the off gassing fumes, the temperatures seem beyond what the naterials are designed to cope with. Steel barrels placed over heat risers often glow, so nothing too unusual there.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but there doesn't seem to be anywhere near enough mass to effectively use the heat from the batch box. A compact solution building on the great work you've already done could be to do away with the steel tank, and extend the masonry upwards to make a completely hollow bell enclosing the batch box. You could go with a roof of thick steel plate if fast warm-up is required at the expense of some stored heat.
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Post by martyn on Dec 13, 2023 1:18:51 GMT -8
I think fruitbat could be right!
Also bear in mind any ceramic fiber products can be dangerous once heated above a certain temperature.
Your set up looks more suitable for a 4” than a six inch batch box, a lot of batch box stoves use more than one barrel and a lot more mass.
You could try to treble the thickness of the cement bell surround and sit the bell on top of that, you could give it more overhang as well.
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Post by pancakes on Dec 13, 2023 7:31:36 GMT -8
I'm seeing the truth in not having enough mass. Especially in the right place as my insulation efforts are proof of that. I've got two main issues with extending the brick bell. One is I just don't want the heater any bigger and the second is I really like the unique appearance of the tank. Though it's tough for me to settle knowing what the problem is AND how to fix it lol, my goals were to replace my old wood stove with one that was more efficient, heated the house for longer, while still looking aesthetically interesting. And I've accomplished those  I'm sure I'll keep thinking of ways to improve that I'm happy with too. Good to know the glowing steel is normal. Thanks fruitbat & martyn |
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Post by martyn on Dec 13, 2023 9:58:05 GMT -8
In my own case I had a similar issue a few years ago when I wanted a bit more mass on my J tube, I did what I suggested to you. In fact my present stove is quite similar looking to yours but, my top slab is 6” thick and made from five big blocks. I cant be bothered with linking photos but I have some videos. I dont think my idea would change the overall dimensions very much at all apart from raising the steel 4“. If you dont want to raise the steel then the stove would hardly change at all! Doubling up the brick thickness would help too but that would increase the bass size . youtu.be/LbZTkuiMBRU?si=U8txQZufoCB6I7v9 |
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Post by pancakes on Dec 13, 2023 10:20:06 GMT -8
I do think I would try that idea first as you're right it wouldn't change the appearance significantly. Also just wanted to say I've learned a lot from your videos! Not sure who all on the forum here is connected to which youtube channels, but I've watched quite a few and your iterative approach & explanations were particularly helpful.
I also removed the welding blanket for safety for now. It only seemed to smoke at the hottest point of the burn, but I don't want mess around with the fumes.
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