Hi Laurie, I’ve been reading your request and the replies. Making a wood gasifier takes a good deal of knowledge, a lot of metal working skill or money to get someone to build. One of the easiest ways to convert wood to run an engine is to convert the wood to charcoal and then use a charcoal gasifer to run you equipment. You can build a Simple-Fire charcoal gasifier with no welding. You will need a bunch of pipe fittings, a drill, some silicone chalking and two air tight drums. For more information on this, go to the “forum” tab, then look for the “files” tab. In there you will find articles on making charcoal and on making a Simple-Fire charcoal gas generator. http://driveonwood.com/forum/files?page=1
I am currently running a 7Kw kolher generator using this gasifier design. The picture also shows a Farmall cub tractor I am converting to run as dual fuel (charcoal/dino juice)
Another project I am working on is a shop furnace that heats water for radiant heat floor and charcoal producer. I’ll see if I can get a picture of it up too.
Wood gasification has its advantages as does charcoal gasification. You will need to read around a little more, but knowing what I know now, let me suggest trying charcoal first. It is simple and give you a good introduction to gasification without investing a lot of time.
Gary in PA. I am not sitting next store to a volcano but I am sitting on the eastern continental divide for what it is worth 
I converted a gasoline powered Allis Chalmers tractor to run on woodgas to power a PTO mounted generator. Very do-able. If you can view the premium side here is my build thread.
http://driveonwood.com/forum/1206. Only thing I wish I would had done different is to mount the gasifier and related systems on the tractor itself. I mounted them together separately on a portable pallet. Pluses and minuses either way I guess.
Laurie,
I just got the book this week and I think I’m going to start a mini WK to power a small generator. The purpose is to educate myself. Like I said, I’m 100% off grid. I use about 30 gallons of diesel a month to keep batteries charged when solar wont suffice. I have more wood than it would take to get to the moon and back.
I hope to learn enough to conquer the challenge of a vehicle. I can weld, plumb, and electric circuits are no problem for me.
Those pumps really are the cat’s meow…
30 gallons? Wow! My water heater probably used close to that in propane. Wishing I would have purchased an on demand now, but my plumber talked me out of it. We have a thousand gallon propane tank, and fill it once a year. Some times we have 300 left and sometimes we have less than a hundred, just depends. Either way that is too much! I’m buying the book soon, and my brother is stocking up on parts. Just need to figure out where to start, and get moving.
Laurie, what size of genset are you looking to run on wood gas?
I have a Kohler 12res right now that I use to charge my batteries. I also have a 360 and an old dodge with a tired 318. Ultimately I would like to be able to charge my batteries and run a log splitter and milking machine.
what size of engine in the genset? what rpm does it run at?.. can’t say an truck sized unit will be optimized for a small genset… but you may be able to get your teeth wet with something small and simple… not a fema… but there are other systems that are out there and work.