Cody, lm still waiting to get my hands on something even better, a propane tank. Much thicker steel, and biger volume. Maybee you can get somethink like that?
Ha, he comes to inspect whenever he hears stuff being done around the kiln. This time he sayd if he didnt see it he wuldnt belive it. Indeed, it was an energetic run.
If some patreon wants to buy me a high temp thermometer l wount mind l do it by feel. And spit if l spit on the end of the kiln, and it sizzles its drying. If it slips right off its starting to pirolise, and if its so hot and smoky you cant stand close enaugh to observe your spit… well… you guess
Haha, sounds like a fun neighbour
I like your spit-thermometer
If you get another tank, would you rebuild it so you could have the same whole side door open? It seems like quite some hours of work to get that to work properly or would you settle for a smaller hole and say some chosen words while loading and unloading.
But now when I write this I realize I am complicating it, just cut open a walk-in-door weld two hinges and some steel to seal the gap. Done.
Kristijan, how much does the volume shrink? How many m3 of wood for every produced m3 of barbeque coals?
I always thought you judged the kiln temp by the number of turns your mustache curled
JO, shrinks about 50% by volume, 30% by weight. Then also about 10-20% is not sellable, walnut size forge char, smaller engine grade and dust for the fealds. Those last products actualy make the whole operation worth while, just selling charcoal and have no use for the rest wuld be barely worth the extra work, money wise.
One more question. First time trying a diesel/tar mix? Or have you already tried that before? If you have - does the mix penetrate better and how long before you can sit down on the porch stairs in your white Sunday suit?
Does diesel mix well with tar?
Ops, that’s more than one question
No, first try. Experiment. And on oak boards, worth about one month sallary by todays prices. Am l crazy? You out of all probably know the answer
It does not like to mix wery well. It thins the tar but then there is always a lair or diesel on top. But when you stroke both on the wood they seem to blend well and even. Certainly it penetrates/dryes faster thain pure tar. But l wuldnt sit on the bords for a few days
I saved a bit of the tar you sent me for my bday for a sepecial occasion. This is it. Your product will be a part of the porch JO
Balsam turpentine, coldpressed linseed oil and tar, one third of each is the classic recipe in Sweden, called false mahogany and is used for weatherproofing wood. You can even mix in pigments and use it as paint. (Why not soot and make a very black paint)
Fine pulverized soot (kimrök) is actually used in old recipes, especially for roofing, it both collect heat, and make the tar penetrate deeper, and the chrystalline structure reflects uv-light.
Yes, glittering, it’s reflecting back, and saves some heat, this was understand already in 1700:s probably, i will look after a document from the Swedish laboratory of hand crafts, lot of interesting stuff about tar as protection of wood.
Edit: Soot is maybe the wrong word, very fine pulverized charcoal is more correct.
I accidentally discovered this when I linseed oil treated my 3lb Cross-peen hammer and used it before it dried while blacksmithing. Charcoal mixed with the oil and made an interesting stain.
Oh wow, that must have been pretty scary. I hope you guys are ok.
That was some serious heat there.
Was there no way to vent off the gasses to stop it feeding itself or was the fire drawing it anyway? Or was it perhaps unreachable because of the supernova heat?
Doesn’t really matter as long as you’re ok though.
That looks as orange/red hot as you would ever want to get a retort metals. That batch of wood should be a great batch of Charcoal to sale. Good job Kristijan on saving your retort from melting down.
Johan, watch this video taken about 15min after the picture above. Here shit realy got real… safety lid popped, thats a first… squirting out jets of roaring flame…
Wish you guys culd experiance this. The energy!
It realy isnt dangerous by any mean but its not good for the materials. Im willing to bet anything thugh this batch of charcoal will be premium, probably close to graphite in conductivity.
For a long time, l didnt know that pirolisis is a exothermic reaction. Indeed, once it starts, and if there is no more moisture in the wood to moderate the release of gases, there is no going back.
l do it by feel. And spit 
