Daucie,
I know what you mean by using what you have to make it by. I spent all my savings a few years ago to buy a waste oil heater for my business. I don’t generate enough oil to keep it full but my friends bring me their oil and I get by. That set-up cost me just under $9,000.00.
I couldn’t afford that today, but I can afford to put my time towards free fuel for driving. I am lucky to have a lot of wood around here, that’s why I’m doing it.
After reading your post, I decided to take full advantage of all my scrap wood and to not take anything relating to fuel for granted. You are a very resourceful guy to be working with tumbleweeds.
As far as the oaks, I was surprised to see so many down the road at Gorman, We were there to ride at Hungry Valley a few years ago.
Sorry to hear that the gub’ment had a hand in turning your land into what it is today. As they say, it is what it is, but it aint what it was.
Take care, Tim J
Hello Friend DausieR
This is very difficult for me to say.
I have the utmost sympathy for those just doing the best that they can with what they have got. My, “Make DO, or do without.”
I have been to Bakersfield California several times. A natural very, very slow growth dryland area. Exactly like most of eastern Washington and Oregon States. Oh yes, now to suit the purposes of builder/beaver Man to build and feed and water bigger and bigger human ant piles like LA County, and other West Coast Urbans cultural swamps turned into a manmade sucked dry desert just like Owens Valley, California. Been to both of these places too and seen it.
John Cleveland is right: living in a hot sun 300+ plus days a year place 90% of your focus should be on direct solar energy and wind. You have the electrical background to be able to do this easier than most. Need that for the 70% of the year AC cooling and air filtering needs. 10% of your energy for rainy/overcast winter heating could be your invasive tumble weeds. Now THIS would be fully untilizing what you DO have available. This is your more than half glass full of local energy resources. Now; you ignore 90% of your local energy possibilies.
And you did say,
“Much need to be done on trash fuels”
“If you cannot solve this problem, Then it is only for the Elites”
"I put this out there to shake up your minds. And to (make you) figure out how to make it work for everyone . . . "
2nd time now I’ve been called an Elitist along with everyone else whose worked to have our own trees for fuels.
Do you really realize just how very offensive this is for those of us like my wife and I who have sweat worked and set aside, tax and regulation struggled very hard to finally own these trees for more than three decades? And in her family’s case, worked and sacrificed for three generations to grow these trees back up from 19th century slash and move on logging, and then early 20th century wildfire scorches to have have this available for us to be able to carry forward??
Recall you did intentionally say these things to, " . . . shake up your minds."
Luck was not a factor. Except as bad luck in three bad forest fires and 2-3 severe ecomonic collapses to recover from.
For us U S of A citizens especially; where we do live, and the resources we have, IS a chosen voluntary choice.
30 miles from where I sit typing this is where I grew up. Then, it was fields and cows interspaced by remaining intenionally left 3-5 acre woodlots/windbreaks/wildlife refuges. ALL Forest with Indian and game trails 100 years prior. Now today this is all housing developements, asphalt roads, concrete curbs and sidewalks, with consumer feeding strip malls and cluster shopping centers. Great bright strips of light at night that cause the sky to glow on the cloud undersides viewed from the rocky forest hills tops from where I now live. Not 1/4 mile from the house where I grew up (still there almost unrecognizable surounded by boom’em and bust’em housing devloments) live three of my now adult neices and a nephew. Each, when they finally grown up enough, were offered a five acre buy into our property up here or on an ajoining nieghbors properties to get them out of the people soup pot, free from under their upside down crushing debtor loans for a postage stamp housing development lot. All these 5 acres were with some trees and had deer passing through. One by one they ALL declined: “Too far out” -?? Really?? 45 miles to downtown Portland OR and an International airport, “Rains too much up there” ?? Well, yeah, Duh. Thats how you get all the green valuable trees., “My husband/my wife won’t let me” ?? - I moved my very reluctant wife out of her own happy bought over half paid for postage stamp house Back up here SO she could help her parents to age in place so they would know there would be someone to be here come the time it was down to only ine remaining standing, “He/she/I will hate the job commute” ?? Been the same drive for the last three generations needing to do it. Sure gasoline prices have triple now. Park the full sized pickup for this, and now over triple milage capable 40 MPG mini-car it like all the smart ones up here do. Geo’s are very popular commuter car up here. The last 10 miles of scenic mountain river road is worlds class; roll down the window, smell and listen. It is much cheaper than after work Bar unwinding time, or a weekly shrink therapist., “You do not even have cable TV and High Speed Internet” ?? We do have a little local 63 channel mon & pop cable TV service. We’ve always had better satellite reception with less Urban EMF interference - just have to pay the buy-in for the hardware set-up; and now even sometimes have 3G service most of the time.
They each in their own time’s said NO for thier own reasons.
This same then happened with some of the wife’s family “kids” come to adulthood and had their offered times.
This was just the same for everyone who stayed back in the Old Home Country or back East, where ever, when ever. The 99% majorty stayed with thier known problems rather than strike out, take a chance and try to better themselves. Nothing new here. Previous generations all show this same pattern. So . . . are the 1% willing to take a chance to be able to work for a better life, a better planet the Elites?? No Say I.
My Nieces and Nephew are your Elites addicted to top of the resource pyramid, easy turn key, non-sustainable enegies, foods and mind numbing spoon fed to them entertainments.
Addicted to lifestyles of get-it-today, and pay-for-it for monthly for Life, with your actual Life years. Two of them actually did lose their postage stamp house/lots buying into the instant gratification culture with no saved down payments after the 2007 predictable Morgages meltdown. NO, you cannot turn back for credit or refund 3, 4, 5 years of thousands of dollars of shiny new wheels, oversized tires, bought out dinners, lottery tickets, bling-bling must latest have froo-froo’s and such to make just even one more mortgage payment. That wolf only wants fresh $ blood and flesh every single month.
So . . . "And (you need to) figure out how to make this (gasification) work for EVERYONE . . . “.
These are your Everyones.
Am I suposed to help them learn to gasifiy their Dino fuels made plastics, consumer trash and forced Green urban yard wastes generated by thier chosen unsustainable lifestyles?
I’m the bad guy? Why? Because I recognized the Home Place I once knew was changed, roofed, asphalted and concreated over and could never be gotten back?
I’m the bad guy because I faced reality and moved on to a rocky, stony colder, wetter place that maybe, just maybe we could stave off the madness of a Modern throw away culture for another decade? I think not.
I/we here with our lives and living style have shown them the way to be truly truly free, clean and self-entertained is by daily, up by your bootstaps productive meaningful personal daily working it up here in these forest stony hills.
It is they who choose to live in a soul numbing, spiritually cultural urban wasteland of thier own making on what was once the productive, sustainable fields and forests of my childhood. Thier names are Anna, Josh, and Kelly. Wife’s family side are Leeland, Brenda and Jason. They are real people. So you will understand I hope I do take this stuff very personally. Woodgas to me is not just a “Keep the Hubby Happy Hobby”, a life stress diversion - those were the fishing and hunting I used to do back when I was urban people soup immersed too. For me it is not even a save the planet as we know it obsession. Nope.
Save the Individuals who by thier choosing are willing to personally work for it with blood, sweat and tears to be counted among the free. THIS IS THE TRUE lesson of America - only those who choose, demand and with thier own blood, swaet and tears to live free will ever actually be able to be free. True today for the last van load of illegals paid to be smuggled in by a human Cyote as for the first stepping off the boat on Plymouth and Johnstown with 7 years indentured for the passage here.
Ha! The Cake Eaters always stay back “home” fed dumb and stupid. 'Safe” . . . unill . . .
No Sir. No Sir. I will build, develope and communicate with those who chose the same as me to use Ma’ Natures intended perfect fuel in woods to power thier lives.
And I kinnda’ think this is why the principals here chose to put the word Wood in the site name.
Try here for you high silica useage fuel information:
http://biomassenergyfndn.org/bef/
And they say with real good maths proofs that there is ONLY enough USA TOTAL BIOMASS for 20% of us now at maximun possible utilization.
The rest would have to be Solar, wind, water, wave and geothermal. And even then, either whole lot less of us needing to be energy fed. Or individually a whole lot less energy used per person.
The true Anarchists and ultra radical Greens fringe are the ones now going the Less Humans route at the predictible horrible costs history teaches us.
Popular Mechanics and Popular Science are the ones still monkey simple beating the same New Tech will save us ALL drum, “Nuclear Power So Cheap It Will Not Be Worth Metering!”. Just so very 1950’s simplistic. They were much smarter in the 1930’s having bounced into to many limits of growth walls.
I’m staking my life on good old Ma’ Natures proven trees and woodgas. This is the true “Back to the Future” wye in the road.
Different choices made by me and the wife, and just a short hop, skip and jump 90 miles east, accross the Cascade mountain crest in the dry treeless rainshadow side of Washington State I’d be a Mr Solar man and not be here on the Drive on Wood at all. So I am not trying to be stinky on my advice to you. Neither was JohnC. It is well thought out, practical and today proven usable by those who did chose to live in dry, treeless desert areas of the world.
Regards
Steve Unruh
Steve, Another great rant. We need to talk again soon on the twisted pair. I have unlimited long distance now so can call and yank your chain. Only problem I have is health and time. I limit my money making hours now so I can have some time to play and build which is way more satisfying. I have had pneumonia the last 3 weeks and am almost back to somewhat normal. I’ve been in a coma of sorts. Air goes in and out of my lungs fine but the scarring in there keeps the Oxygen from getting into my blood as before. Hopefully things will regenerate in the next few months. People always seem to assume they are going to have all this time down the road to live the dream. Almost every day I see the local rural post man. Our ongoing joke is “LIVING THE DREAM” … We holler it at each other when we pass each other around the countryside. I am usually walking or surveying … I am glad I took all the time I did to do all the EV and woodgas stuff I did when I did. I do not have the health or strength I did in 2002 to take on the challenge. Sure I can still build stuff but at a fraction of the pace. When people tell me they are not going to apply for their SSI at 62, I tell them that they are nuts. Oh, I’m waiting till I’m 66 I hear all the time. It would take them till age 77 or 80 to make up the money they are passing on. 61 is a pretty common death age around here for folks that live the tough life … You young guys better take my advice and make tracks while you are young. Don’t put anything off until you “retire” … That’s my rant … Ask Wayne if you have any doubts. He’s like my older brother right now. Look what he has done in the last 10 years or so. Now he is signing books :o) … Pretty cool … Mike L
God bless you both Steve and Mike
How goes the repair Chris? Hope it’s not to big of a job. Good thing is, your in the best place for it.
Jim, we’ve got the gasifier painted and the guts repaired and back in place. We’re inside warming our fingers a minute, it’s a bit chilly in Alabama today.
Pretty much all that’s left is to reinstall everything and fire it up. If all goes well then I’ll be headed home tomorrow.
I would post pics but I haven’t taken too many. I have a few videos to post when I get back to my main computer
Sounds great, I know you’re excited. Safe journey Chris.
Good luck Chris hope the repairs work and keeps your truck up and running a long time and stay safe on your way home!
Neil
Chris, You call that chilly ?? :o) There’s a foot of snow and ice in the bed of my truck … Mike L
Tit for tat, Mike!
I remember reading a comment Wayne made about somebody up North he was planning to visit during a summer month, and they warned him “It sometimes gets up into the 90’s here!” and Wayne told them he’d be sure to bring his coat.
I have family in Michigan who complain loudly when it gets above 80 degrees - we have four months of the year here when it never gets BELOW 80 degrees.
Thanks Chris,I am interested to see the damaged area.Hope you took a pic of it.
Hello All.
It has been a long day here in Alabama, cold ,windy and even a little snow could be seen.
We got Chris’s gasifier put back together and running great . We took it out on the road yesterday and he held it down just a little and it ran up to 65-70 mph right quick.
We found where the gasifier had not been welded in the main part of the system but we got it fixed.
This morning as we were about to load Chris up for wood for his return drive home we noticed a low tire and before we could get it near my air compressor the tire had come off the rim . I was able to use my tractor and pick the truck up so we could get the tire back on and aired up.
Chris left out this morning and a short while later he came walking up my driveway. The truck had died and the battery was dead. He thought it may have been from running his blowers. The last couple of days he has used my battery charger to boost his battery because he thought his blowers pulled the battery down as we were building his char bed. I took a truck to where his had died and charged the battery and he was off again. I went back to farm chores and feeding cattle and about and hour later he called and said the good news was his truck was running like a wild cat on wood and the bad news was it died again and battery was dead.
He was about 35-40 miles out on I-59 on the road side. I threw a few more sack of wood in the v-10 and headed north. We charged his battery from my v-10 and was able to get him off the road. We took his alternator off and went into town and got a new one and installed and he headed north again . I got a call from him a couple hours ago, he was near kentucky and said he had been running in the 60s and the truck was running strong.
I put a quick 70-80 miles on the v-10 almost all on the interstate highway and was in a hurry. Instead of stressing the gasifier I drove some using about 10% gasoline .
Murphy was strong for yous.
WOW, what a day! Above and beyond the call of duty! Glad it’s fixed, and he’s almost home.
Now that’s a woodgas adventure!!!
Glad to hear everything worked out okay SWEM
Home now! Nothing else very exciting to report beyond what Wayne mentioned. Flat tire this morning. Dead battery. Multiple jumps from random freeway drivers. Bad alternator, and Wayne rescued me. Later on I got pulled over for a tail light out. Officer was very friendly and asked about the gasifier. Auto parts guys were also interested, when I bought new bulbs.
8 hrs/400 miles seems to hold true in the old truck. About 15-20 minutes was stopped at the parts store. At least it’s not any slower on wood than gasoline. I was running 55-65 no problem with a 10-1 plugged grate, about 200 miles like this. Did some stretches with gasoline idle feed, and some with just woodgas. Adding the gasoline idle seems to add about 10mph to the speed (from 50 up to 60).
After running about 100 miles pure woodgas wide open throttle due to plugging, I noticed some paint starting to burn off around the grate and ammo can. The gasifier outlet never went over 200. But I finished the trip at lower speeds and with some gasoline assist. Not that I had to, but I want to break in the gasifier slowly without burning it up (again).
I think the grate area heat and the char bed plugging are related. When we reassembled the gasifier, it got hung on the grate shaker rod, which was left in place. We worked it around and it seemed like it went in properly, fitting into a hole in the grate. But I suspect the grate is not able to move or shake. I can’t hear or feel any char falling when I hit the rod. Thus the plugging and the hot area (no char) under the grate.
So I’m gonna hit the sack. I’ve got lots of video to post later.
I’m also making a list of things that are BROKEN on this truck and I’ll be making some upgrades in the near future. 
Hello steve,
I am still working on my tumbleweeds. The “ELITE” word will be filed with the “N” word
Never to be said in public.
I only ment that that the trash fuels need speachial prossesing and care to purifie it
into a useable fuel. Your open cell chunks are the perfect fuel for an engine gasifier.
But most of us don’t have that Privlege to be able use it.
Weeds grow everywhare; you cannot stop that and the only thing you can do is
to l earn how to use them in your stuggle to make your life work.
I know full wel that you have put trash into your gasifier and clogged up.
Otherwise, you cannot advise us on our persute of this science.
I am an “Old timmer” myself and I get impatient with the wild apprentice
that wants to prove himself early…Sometimes you have to tell them “No”
But don’t you realize that If you have clean workable fuel, Then you re “ELITE”
You are Blessed only by the work that you have done refusing the"subdeviders
and encrochment of the population that want to take over your land.
I want to be as you are today; But it is too late and I live in a deasert.
All I have to work with is the weeds. But I am a surviver, and I am doing well.
And my"trash fuel" gasifier is doing better and better every day.
All you good wood chuncker out there; Us desert dwellers are catching up.
And soon we will be able to hold our heads up with the reast of you
Just a thought... DAUCIEEpic trip Chris, glad you made it home safe and sound. You and Wayne’s posts generate some questions for me: first I’m wondering if Wayne, or anyone has any stories to tell about Dakota (Dodge), fuel pumps? From Wayne’s post I gather they don’t seem to mind running “slow” for extended periods of time, but I suspect there are limitations. What is normal fuel pump pressure? Has anyone monitored the turned down pressure, or any data covering MPG @ 10% or 25%. ? Just wondering. P.S. The book rocks!
Hello Carl, you mention MPG. There are 310 Dodge Dakotas tracking MPG on fuelly.com.
http://www.fuelly.com/car/dodge/dakota
It would be really cool to see some data points start showing up at 50 or 60 mpg!
Hi Ray, that is a really neat site. I guess we should contact some of those 12-14 MPG’s and see if they would like to sell their “gas guzzler”!!