Giorgio,
I think it is ancient. There is someone out there who calls himself Dr. TLUD, Paul S. Anderson. My brother was a Boy Scout in 1970s. He told me about an upside down fire. it burns for a long time and makes little smoke.
Here are more clean ways to burn wood: Rocket stove, Dakota fire pit, Bengali pit stove.
Here is a clean candle: candle caper.
I think if you study this kind of thing a long time you begin to really understand combustion. This is valuable I think.
Rindert
I also made a candle capper. You will not smell anything.
RindertW. I recall reading that Paul Anderson (or one of his 1970’s contemporaries) relates that top-lite burning-down was done by Norwegian Resistance fighters in their mountains in the winter to make smokeless fires to not be German Occupation hunters found.
This is also how you make warming/cooking fires sitting on top of deep packed down snow. So actually, a very, very old technique. Ask an Innuit. Or a native Siberian I am sure.
S.U.
That is a nice set up! I would probably look for an old water softener tank or plastic 55gal drum as a shroud for the outside of that. if you get it mostly sealed you could add a vacuum, but having it so most of the dust is coming out the opposite end you are standing is a bonus especially if you have the wind at your back.
I usually wait until we have a fairly good breeze before I grind char but do occasionally set up a box fan behind the grinder or when I’m sifting out the fines. I built a trommel sifter like that as well Giorgio, for sifting compost and worm castings. Mine uses galvanized lath for a screen but only goes to quarter inch. I’ve never seen material like your drum is made of.
tom, the drum is from a old crop- wheat- sive , i have found long time ago, the complete engine was just no more existent - further i have used the drum for malt roasting for my house brewery…smoked dark malt beer…
every year a highlight harvesting our wheat for the bread…again the field was blessed from our beloved lord and god father jesus…
my son found this mushrooms , we eat today…
Not a whole lot to burn north of 60.
Speaking from experience drilling up north.
YIKES frozen hell unfit for man.
Back in the 00s Cominco offer the left over buildings from Polaris mine to the feds for use as a prison… A Canadian Gulag and to this day I think it was the best idea ever turned down.
There is absolutely nothing there…
And the remaining Ore could have been used to subsidies the prison operating costs…
With free labour it might have even turned a profit.
But as I said nothing grows up there you can burn, except maybe whale oil.
