To those that use a feeler rod instead of a poker, how do you tell when a char bed is tight or loose? Is it based on how hard it is to poke through or to stir it around?
Good morning Cody .
Hope you are feeling better .
I think a poker rod and feeler rod would be one and the same.
I like to feel before I start poking or stirring.
If the char bed needs punching or string it will feel as if you were pushing the rod into sand or loose dirt.
If the char bed is correct you should be able to feel individual pieces as the rod is pushed down .
Itâs very important that the gasifier can breathe well. The motor canât breathe if the gasifier is not .
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You guys saw in my last video my big grate shaker tube Ihave taken to using this not only for grate shaking but also as my feeler/ poker rod. When going through the wood chunks I have to wiggle it around and kind of guide it through. When I hit the top most layer of torrified wood it starts to push through with its own weight. And when I get nozzle level I can feel the charcoal in larger pieces and it really starts to glide down inside. When I get near the grate I can feel the fine smaller sized char about maybe 3-4" to the grate and it takes a little wiggle to push through this and find the grate. Only problem is the large diameter tube will get some char stuck inside so after i light up I bang on the tube with my hand to clear the char and let it fall back into the hopper no sense waisting some extra char I think. With my regular doug fir and pine softwood and a 1" grate height and about 1/2" grate holes the v10 doesnt seem to be able to clog up, it always runs at a near perfect 2:1 vacuum ration
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Just a random 40 mile roundtrip errand.
Back home and the gasifier already warmed up, I parked on the generator-ramp, fueled up one more bag and let the engine run for another half an hour. Profit: Almost $1.5 
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Thanks JO !
You are having too much fun !!
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Is there any way to seal outside the restriction and the grate?
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Thanks for the video Jan. I enjoyed it even if I had to put more wood on the fire and put my coat on . 
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This afternoon wife and I went out for about an hour ride on the back roads
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Thanks for the ride Wayne.
I understand if you are a little jealous of our snow, but you donât have to be, it will disappear this spring I hope.
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Our ancestors thousands of years ago must have been really stupid. Living down sunny south with all sorts of exotic fruits hanging from the trees and they say:
- Naw, letâs go north! To where you hardly have time to grow a carrot before itâs frozen stuck.
Wayne, I remember your wonderful porch. Up here thereâs no point having outdoor furniture. We just sit down on our sleds for a little while.
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It ainât all bad boys. As it gets colder I can easily add a layer of clothes but there is only so much you can take off in the heat. Plus I believe it is better to come in out of the cold and see the glow of a fire in the wood stove than coming out of a hundred degree open air sauna where the air is so thick you can barely breath it and sit down in front of the air conditioner vent. 
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I agree with you Tom, when it gets hot in the summer, I use to sit in the shade and suffer, donât like too hot weather.
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I think a lot about that JO, how harsh was life in those days? And how easy it is today, switch the light on, turn on the thermostat and run for the supermarket if you want foodâŠâŠ
And no wonder there are so many ralley champions from scandinavia with roads like that 
. You guys are really having to much fun.
Personally, i can take the heat. It seems the (little) cold is more difficult every year.
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Hello Jan .Thanks much for the video .
It is 61 F outside 78 inside my house and while watching your video I slide my chair a little closer to the heater but was able to avoid the coat
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Hmm, Iâm a little jealous of you and your wife
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Wayne, you better put your coat on for this one.
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In 1973 I owned a 1962 VW factory converted camper van, but the engine was on itâs last legs and I was running about 20 percent STP in the oil. I tried that charcoal heating trick on cold morning and went back in the house. i guess some oil or grease dripped into the pan because when I looked out the window the whole back was gas fueled flames. That thing would be worth fat bucks today.
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Hey Don .
Thanks for the video and warning .
The only reason I can think of to start a truck in that weather is to point it South and haul ass 
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