I thought I put another post up thanking wayne and both terrys as well. I typed it but I must have not saved it. Thankyou wayne and both terrys for the advice! However I am not satisified with the performance of what I have built. Let me explain. The blower and barrel have some nice wood tar in them. It would be a great wood treatment for outdoor wood! The hayfilter with the tar CAKED in it would make a great homemade napalm! The lid that has a silicone seal on the inside and outside got pinhole leaks in them. This was sealed with silicone so I could remove it to replace the grate. The grate is thin gauge metal that will fail sooner than later. There is no air preheat which is a mistake. So I have some rebuilding to do. I have a 6 inch diameter, 1/4 thick pipe that I am going to use for a reactor body. I am going to put a 3 nozzle system to hopefully eliminate this tar problem. I am going to use the welded tanks as an air shroud around the reactor body. So no loss here. I am going to have a nice preheat shroud for the outgoing gas/incoming air. I am still going to install the chimney stack because it works good and can add additional air if needed plus operate in updraft mode for making charcoal. I am going to weld thick steel bars to the bottom of the reactor tube to make a perminant grate. Then I can weld the 4 inch pipe nipple lid to the reactor body and not have that leak. Glad I had this experience so I could find out that woodgas works but is fussy and demanding. It must be female! And you guys were right about the aluminum tubing. It is no good as woodgas tubing. It had leaks in it. Maybe it could be an air shroud but not woodgas tubing. Thankyou everyone for the advice!
Hello JonanthanT
I was wondering now 3 months later if you have had any modification progress??
I’ve reread your last post and would highly recommend instead of a three nozzle system going with four nozzles instead. I had my best successes with no more than 4 inches peripheral between the nozzles. And keep the nozzle tips fairly tight into the hearth body.
I also detail read back and could not see any noting of the fuel wood types and sizing you were trialing with??
I stongly recommmend using an air dried chunked up limb wood to begin with. Even if later you wish to use a chipped form wood. Your life will be so much easier. Save the diifcult for after you set your gnerator engine setting sorted out.
Ha! Ha! Have a niegbor just pruned trimmed up their yard white paper birch that be excellent. Very rare, rare wood for here or Georgia. Conifer pine will be just fine. Sizing for your system would be about 1 1/2 inch chunks.
Use a good bagged hardwood lump charcoal hacheted up into 1/4" to 1/2" chunks on the pre-loading to avove the nozzles hieght. This will give you the longest system warning up time with the least downstream warming up tarring/sooting.
Best Regards
Steve Unruh
Hi All
I’d had to search out and drag this thread out of a dust-bin storage site to get my re-new inquiry post above to stick.
Some really good info here that would have been lost active DOW lost.
PeterS’s sage advice about water gas washing. Actually the best on the whole DOW now.
Ha! One of the longest well expressed written out posts that I’ve ever seen Mr Wayne put up.
Good, good practical advice put up be both TerryG and TerryL.
I believe JohathanT has members quit the DOW.
A shame. He was a paid in Premium member too. An actual builder DOer.
I feel that I have failed to “host” protect this man and his work. Certainly failed to protect his good name.
He was bushwacked, insulted and defamed by a fellow who came onto the DOW for this express purpose.
THAT fellow broke the Rules of Conduct at least three different ways.
I do NOT consider him now a member in good standing. I’ve now researched back his divisive ways of pitting member against members on two other sites since Feb 7th 2014. He is now consistently farming out of context and putting up other sites members names and conversations on his own blog site. With one pitted against each other.
I expect now that we are next.
So him as not a member in good standing but a troll I warn that I will not be constrained by the Terms of Conduct concerning this man.
Guys . . . this opera ain’t over with this yet until the fat lady sings.
Steve Unruh
If I remember right April Woods posted something to the effect of “playing with refractories” a few months back. You can purchase some really good refractories that would serve you well and give much better service than your mixture. Speak with some refractory techs if you can get one on the phone. Most refractories do not stand up to the reduction zone for some reason. They will soften, crumble, flake, and pit. Just in the reduction zone. If you cannot find one recommended for reduction then I would advise you purchase some of the refractory protective paints which when fired turn into a slick glaze. Use that for a sacrificial layer to protect the refractory underneath. Good luck.
Uh. Hi JohnB,
Hey man it was one of those other 12 North American Steve Unruh’s who called you a stinky old goat. As any can see you are a REAL fine upstanding fellow indeed.
Good to hear that the hogs did not really get your goat after all.
Best Regards
Steve Unruh
Steve,
Good to see you’re still here.
Just goes to prove that old goats never die. They just smell that way.
You oughta see my nice fedora that I wear all the time to keep the ultra-violet off my bald head. It started out a nice slate grey. Now it’s a soft solid charcoal soot black. Wear it with pride. Get near anyone who gasifies and they can smell the long chain aromatics.
I see terry g that you are from Michigan. What part? I am in the southwest corner.
Hi Andrew. You are a lot closer to Doug Drost and me. Terry G is from Lapeer.
Hi Andrew we are located in Muskegon if you are ever up this way Id be glad to give you a tour.
Sweet, If work slows down this winter maybe I can come and check out your rigs.
I am surprised how many “west siders” are here on the forum.