Non ethanol fuel makes a world of difference for me, all my small engines get it. Weed eater, chainsaw, lawn mower, air compressor, rototiller, dirt bike, quads, outboard motors. I’m also very adamant about firing everything up once a month and running it through a few heat cycles. Have not had a problem since I started doing this 5 years ago. One snomobile that didn’t get ran much last year had 10% ethanol, wouldn’t you know it that’s the only engine I have right now that does not want to fire up. Sleds get the ethanol free now too. Chinese carburators are cheap and easy to get but older snowmobiles are harder to find parts for and more expensive, I’ll run better fuel in them if it means not tearing down the carb every year to scrub out the jets and bowl and replacing the rubber diaphragm fuel pump
My old tractors have one advantage they are gravity feed just a copper line from the tank to the metal carburetor. The only rubber in the entire system is the needle valve. Probably why I get away with some pump fuels. I have a few mostly dead 18hp case ingersoll garden tractors with those rubber pumps. The issue with them on the Onan engine is they get weak and you don’t realize the engine is running lean until it dies. 3 out of the 4 I own I bought close to death from that problem. When the dipstick removes itself you need to do more than just check the oil…
Good thing I bought most of them to get the attachments not the machines. But my advice is watch those rubber pumps carefully. Otherwise you will find yourself trying to stuff a Chinese diesel in their place.
Well that was my solution but then I had the motor on hand from another failed project where it didn’t fit…
Here you go. Live, now, today proof!
“But, Steve, what I am seeing?”
Nothing. No woodsmoke. Although my in-house stove is at 75% of it’s maximum. pumping out ~40,000 BTU’s an hour using ~8 pounds an hour of local Doulas Fir wood.
And THAT was the point of the JohanL./vedbil videos I just referred to on the woodgas diesel questions topic.
GOOD wood-for-power applied should be very undramatic, practical, and useable.
95% of the current, and past, published out and highlighted out wood-for-power was for Idealisms; and lookie-at-me-here Drama.
Sod that. Go for the practical proof-using guys.
Steve Unruh
When I was researching outdoor wood boilers this was a popular discussion on the forums was a proper boiler would make no smoke whatsoever, achieving temperature necessary for gassification and burning off excess woodgas in the burn chamber creating more btu usable to water heating conversion. The problem I saw was the high end store bought units in excess of 10,000 dollars could do this all day long no matter the wood fuel used, but I was confused that the system is setup on a thermostat that would turn on blower fans when the water temp got to low. When the blower wasn’t running the cheaper units would billow smoke like a old west steam train. My only conclusion was the higher end units would seal themself off completely to oxygen and stop the burn much like our vehicle mounted systems when shut down. Then thermostat clicks in and opens the flue and turns on blowers simultaneously to heat the fire back up, not unlike a short shutdown at a shopping center like Wayne shows in his videos. I had yet to figure a way to design that part of the system before I started construction on my own boiler project when I came across this forum here and thought a engine shaft to power woodgas would be a much faster financial return in rising gasoline cost then the boiler unit. Not to mention I had the spare vehicles lying about to do it
You have the idea correct on how wood gasification boilers work. I owned a Tarm for about 5 years before moving. They work as a down draft system. With a blower for secondary air entering the bottom of the fire box where the smoke leaves the box basically. It has been years since I used it. Two things about them first I have no idea how the blower doesn’t vent into the house when you shut it off but be certain you run the blower for a minute before opening the door or you will be met by a big fire ball. I saw my best friend make that mistake lucky he didn’t get burned bad just lost some hair.
Second install a storage tank. I had a 700 gallon tank with mine which was sized to burn a full load of wood. I could fill that boiler 2 or 3 times a day depending on how cold it was and it would always relight off the heat in the unit up to about 16 hours later they say 12 but it would be hot longer than that. But when they are cold below 140f forget it the cold water will wick out all the heat and the devil himself can’t start a fire in there. I used my oil boiler to pre heat it. It will literally put out cardboard and paper when it is cold.
The price on those are crazy high now I can’t justify buying another one. Their is a Russian design for a masonary heater version of those I really like it has a smoke path that avoids the heat exchanger and should start easy cold. I would really consider building that it I was doing a new system. I am sure I posted it here in the past a search for masonary heater should bring it up.
Thankfully non-ethanol gas is easy to get around here. Even the grocery/ gas station in our little town has it. About a buck, buck and a quarter more per gallon. The only real problems I have had with ethanol is from draining the tank but not getting the float bowls completely empty. The ethanol makes little green crystals when it dries out. Now I drop the float bowls regardless of whether it’s ethanol or not.
I run my wood stove as hot as hell. I even pump air into it. It has a convoluted smoke path like Kristijans and a lot of tons of thermal mass that absorbs the heat. Even with the temps I run at my flue never gets to 300F and because I’m burning up all the volatile s in the stove, the flue doesn’t cake up. Only time there is any smoke is for about fifteen minutes when I fire it up in the morning.
What kind of plasma cutter? From where?
EBay, it’s one of the generic “Cut 50” models. Red lunch box looking thing. I paid 140 dollars for this one.
Edit: Here’s the link. I got a 2 year contract for Squaretrade insurance/warranty on it.
Marcus, You might check Craigslist or Facebook marketplace. In my area there is a guy that buys up outdoor boilers and resells them. He gets them from people who have problems with their neighbors over the smoke. He had a couple of gassifier boilers where the owners cracked the door open or let it stand ajar. The boiler started gasifying and they had a flash fire. (The owners didn’t understand anything about gasification) A $8,000 or $10,000 boiler for $750 delivered. All the controls were burned up but the stainless boiler should have been good.
Well I found the source of my leaking shop roof.
I guess I need to get a sheet of roll a roof and start slinging it over.
Doing things that you are not good at, and being in a hurry, so that the glue does not dry out, is not fun. I have put in the bathroom rug, and put up rugs on the walls.
Harvested finally! By my opinion, best harvest ever. It was 70kg of grapes with 22° sugar content. And no spoiled grapes as usual earlier.
It is not painted, it is wallpaper made in thick pvc, a misery to put up, it is a whole piece of 12.5 meters x 2 meters high, + a piece of 12.5 x 0.5 meters at the top.
What variety do you have? If I guess blue frankincense, or velvet black, …
This year, the spring frost has harvested more than 50% of our crop, but I know where to go. 
will have to braze these parts together . When the 15 pound tank runs down . I will be able to know the minimum pressure to run . I want 500 gallon tank . I have bought a lot of parts that are not going to work . Seller said to use all steel lines , propane .
Jan, perhaps now you would consider chunking a lot more fun, right? 
Yes, you’re so right, but what do you not do for your wife.
