If I see them cheap I grab some. They are hard to find around here because there is a recycling place for them that snatches up everything.
3 Likes
Yeah I just checked and no listings that are local. 
What are the dimensions on the those military surplus. It sais 138 gallons? So wouldnt that be a bit big?
2 Likes
Amazon has a few listings for new ones for $150 ish bucks but that includes shipping so thats not bad.
2 Likes
Well I guess I have to use the ones I have those are free. Ill just have to come up with a different solution to store the charcoal as those are my storage for charcoal. lol
2 Likes
Found him, this is the guy I bought from last time. Dont all you guys come up here now. You leave my barrels be!!!
4 Likes
Okay that ticks me off! It didnât come up in ânearby areasâ for me, but all sorts of ones from chicago did.
However, it has been reallly really nice out⌠might be time for a trip to the beach in the truck. 
5 Likes
Yeah same here, then I just typed in âdrumâ and he came up. Yeah stop over here on your way.
3 Likes
If I end up going I certainly will. I need to get the âsoloâ stove working first that is imperative at this point. 
3 Likes
I was getting barrels from a local coatings supplier. Traverse City. 5 for 25 bucks. Requires some cleaning. Itâs been a while since I last bought any so I donât know it they are still going that cheap or at all. I could use some but my truck is no longer road worthy.
Some good prices on stuff on the Sportsmans site you linked Sean. I donât buy Ammo on-line but the prices are good.
5 Likes
The last ones I got were from a guy that worked for a powder coating business like 40 minutes from here.
I donât know about the prices. The barrel just came up in a search for the 110 gallon barrels which is probably large enough to heat Mattâs shop for the day and night.
The one huge caveat is when it stops producing gas, it cools, and sucks air back into the system which contains oxygen. A larger barrel makes it a larger issue.
4 Likes
So far I have not had this issue. I just let the burn box burn out and let cool. No white ash in the retort.
4 Likes
The pipe has to be long enough to hold the volume of air it needs, but honestly I donât know what that volume is. Nor how big of a ârealâ issue it is because you also get folks used to gas and oil tanks, assuming it will act the same way. The only way I thought of to test was to use a water trap, then see how far the water draws up a tube when it goes out, which also acts as a flashback arrester.
3 Likes
As another question, do you think the pipe down the middle is actually useful? When I started looking at doing it. I was just going to pipe it out the bungholes at the top.
3 Likes
Yeah you cant just punch holes in the bottom, they will clog and it will explode!
You must use a vent tube. That little bit of retraction when cooling isnt going to effect anything. Most of it will be Co2 from ambers cooling down. Dont over complicate it works as is. At least so far this is only two burns so far. But I dont see it working differently from this point on.
5 Likes
First fire box fill you want to run at a mild temp, Just enough to slowly cook out the moisture. Depending on moisture content you may need to run a second mild burn. This keeps the yellow bellowing smoke at bay. Second batch ramp that heat and then you start making burnable Pyrolysis gas that will burn clean and this reduces consumption of the wood fuel you need in the fire box. Im actually pretty amazed how eficient this thing works as a heater. Yesterday I only burned at most half of one of those 30 gallon garbage cans. I use those trash cans to move the wood around. So 15 gallons (at most) made 10 gallons of charcoal and the heat produced was used for shop heat
7 Likes
This is a double win type of retort Matt to help cut the high cost of heating a shop. Just in one winter you should have even extra Charcoal left over when the shop no longer needs heat. Then the operation goes back outside. Good thinking on your part.
I especially like the pyrolysis gases being use in the retort for extra heat source to heat the shop and to make Charcoal.
5 Likes
yes, I was just going to run outside the barrel instead of inside the barrel. which saves pipe material, and worrying about stacking wood around a pipe in the middle. Your system is neat because it is all self-contained, with two small barrels, you could just swap them out. and let the hot one cool down on itâs own. I guess it doesnât matter where the pipe is if you have chunked material though.
4 Likes
Ah ok yeah I suppose you could do that too. There is not a lot of room around inbetween the two barrels. About 2 1/2 if centered. The center tube works just fine it doesnt really get in the way you need to size the fuel down anyways so you can still pack it fairly easily. The nice about it is its already center down to combusion zone for even combustion outward. I think any otherway is just over complicating it and adding more complexity.
5 Likes
Yeah If we work 5 days a week thats 10 gallons a day = 50 gal drum a week. So now the issue will be where do I put all this charcoal? Ill be going to get some drums this week for sure.
8 Likes
I mentioned before that I started storing my fuel in those 27 gallon totes.
https://www.menards.com/main/storage-organization/storage-totes-bins/storage-totes/performax-reg-industrial-storage-tote-with-snap-on-lid/bbtote27-1061ky/p-60892918543-c-12667.htm
They go on sale often for a dollar less and then when they are running the 11% rebates it even cheaper. The thing is that you can stack them as high as you want or in any out of the way place.
7 Likes