Any of you charcoal guys have a quick, easy ways of grinding up charcol? It really is my only roadblock right now.
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Easyest way is Garys grinder, l use a similar one too, pto powered. But if you need just a couple of galons of char for testing, you can put it in a bag and gently break the lumps with a hamer. Sift the dust afterwards.
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I have used a half filled plastic fertilizer bag then run over it with a garden tractor a bunch of times. It breaks it up okay. Something heavier like oh say a 1960s plow truck would probably crush it better. lol
The trommel I built didn’t work all that great mostly due to brands and the size of the inner screen and err craftsmanship.
If you want it really fine a meat grinder works… 
I also use Gary’s grinder, but since you started with 3/8th inch strips, you could smash around in the barrel with a shovel, then dump small amounts into a box with 1/4" (or 1/8th" hardware cloth) and shake the fines and ashes through while using your gloved fingers to bust the longer pieces into shorter ones. Put the fines less than 1/8" and the dust into your compost pile, or toss it into your chicken pen and let them take dust baths in it. I have screen tacked to a square from a bee hive super. This super was only 4" high, and makes an excellent shaker device. I shake over 1/8" hardware cloth, so I can collect char between 1/8th and 1/4". I put this into plastic peanut jugs and give to people for use in their greenhouse or for transplanting house plants. For gasifier use, the char should be greater than 1/4" or less than 3/4", and bone dry. It should ring like a bell.
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that is fancy! I just use a screen over the wheelbarrow and roll it back and forth.
I’m on lunch break from wiring my shop-- don’t have time to look it up but I posted a video of me grinding charcoal. TomC
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So, is the ideal size 1/4" to 3/4"?
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yes, i take anything between 1/8" and 1/2" with some 3/4"
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On grinding charcoal, “easy” is relative. My original easy to make and easy to use grinder was several old circular saw blades spaced a half inch apart on a long bolt. It looks like an Ab Roller. This was rolled over charcoal on top of 3/4" flattened expanded metal. The blades broke up the charcoal and forced pieces through the expanded metal screen. If expanded metal screen is not available, the roller can be used on any flat surface.
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I’ve seen that and collected saw blades this past summer. Deos this method make a lot more dust?
Bill, It does not make a lot more dust, but because you are leaning directly over the blades, you may be breathing more dust. Wear a mask. Using a fan to pull dust down through the screen or to push dust away from you is helpful.
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Hi Bill, I have found what ever method you use it will make charcoal dust. My grinder is like Gary Gilmore and I built a trommel below it and tried to dust shield it to keep the dust contained. Ha, it best to be always up wind and wear a dust mask. You don’t want to get black lungs. I’m planning on grinding about 3 to 4
55 gallon barrows today. I will need a shower when I’m done.
Bob
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Has anyone had a charcoal dust explosion? Perhaps a better word is burn
When I use my trommel to salvage char from the ash
There is the finest dust cloud, and a brush type motor can make sparks.
Another reason to stay upwind
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All forms of dust can explode, in Moses Lake where I was raised we had the U and I sugar factory silos explosion back in the early 60’s. Mrs. Dykes our elementary teacher husband was killed with others. Caused by welding sparks. If you get the right air mix with excelerant, and a spark = boom/or burn.
Bob
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Someone built a trommel that was enclosed with a shopvac/drywall dust collection system that had a lot less dust.
a high moisture content keeps the dust down as well, but that creates other issues like trying to dry out a material that absorbs water.
People are picking up on the Japanese culture and eating charcoal, maybe char dust baths will become popular with the hipster crowd. Maybe you are like a avante guard trend setting hipster. 
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Hi Sean, where I get to eat most of the charcoal dust is loading it in the grinder, after that it is mostly contained. From there out the trommel it is vaccum suck up and into my barrels and sealed with the barrels caps. The charcoal stays nice and dry. Back to the grinding.
Bob
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Hi all, I have also heard the warning about charcoal dust explosions and have tried to create one. After some experimenting my conclusion is… It cannot happen. Here is why. Charcoal is mostly carbon. When exposed to atmospheric concentrations of oxygen (21%) and a flame, the most it will do is glow as it converts to carbon dioxide. That is it, at the worst, a gentle glow.
Now compare charcoal to sawdust, grain dust, or sugar dust. These are carbohydrates which means each molecule of these materials is a combination of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. With oxygen in intimate contact with the two fuels of hydrogen and carbon, all that is needed to initiate a rapid burn is a spark and then BOOM. Charcoal cannot do this since oxygen is not in intimate contact with the charcoal or concentrated enough.
Put the charcoal dust in an atmosphere of pure oxygen and it will probably explode (rapidly burn). (haven’t experimented with that!) Does anyone have concrete knowledge of a charcoal dust explosion? If so, please share. I’m always looking to learn.
Gary in PA
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I agree with your reasoning.
It would be easy enough to put to the test. I heard years ago of a prof who would do a demonstration of a grain dust explosion with a metal garbage can, flour, blower and ignition source, it would blow the lid to the roof.
As for sawdust… 
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I’m planning on grinding about 3 to 4
55 gallon barrows today. I will need a shower when I’m done.
By the time I got all the ash and powder fines out, I only ended up with 1 1/2 barrels of beautiful charcoal. Still have 1/2 a barrel to process, the sun went down and it gets dark fast now that we are off daylight savings time. It seems that way anyway. Took a shower and washed the black charcoal off and down the drain. Sitting here and having a cool glass of charcoal filtered water. Boy is that good going down.
Bob
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Maybe you can supply us with a short video Bob?
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