Hi Don,
I think if you line the inside container with fire bricks then you could just make a steel (stainless) stand to hold them in their place…no cement. then you could just remove them if you need. I drew a pic with windows “paint” on my laptop… 
…I don’t have CAD software…my first attempt at doing this…
my 2 cents Gordon
Tom, here is a video of the container you were asking about:
Gordon, I am wedging the sides with the bottom bricks. They might stay in place without fire caulk but I am caulking anyway like this:
Great looking start Don. Heavy duty, tight, and tall. What thread did you figure out for the nozzle?
there is there a difference between a vertical or a horizontal nozzle, as in gasifiers Koen?
1/2 inch NPT rotated on the bench grinder until it just fits snug and then give it about a turn and a half. Can’t pull it off.
Hello Don; That is a great looking container for the Gilmore. I would suggest that you put the Latex on the back side of all the fire bricks to act like cement. Not just a bead along the edge. You aren’t trying to “seal” the edges of the bricks you are trying to hold them in place. The heat will have to go all the way through the bricks to get to the Latex. After putting the bricks in try to weight the bottom one down and wedge something between the vertical bricks to hold pressure while. the Latex driesTomC
Hi Don, Always thinking of something different! Boy, can I relate! OK, based on my gut feeling (which can be wrong so take with a grain of salt) move your nozzle closer to the inlet. I’d remove the three inch pipe nipple and put in as short of a nipple as you can. In other words put the reducer as close to the air inlet as possible. This should be a good setup for a 13hp engine.
OK, next question is “Why are you using fire brick?” Is the reactor wall getting red hot? What is the issue that you hope to correct with firebrick? Let me stop there and get your reply.
Gary in PA
Hello Gary,
I am gathering stuff for a Simple Fire, and have a few questions. What is the minimum height of charcoal above the nozzle to still get good gas? Is there any ash that needs to be cleaned out? I have not seen any ash cleanouts built into the Simple Fire.
Thank you
Hi Richard, The minimum height of charcoal above the oxidation zone is dependent on the size of engine you are running and how long you are running it. For example a five gallon can filled with charcoal will run a 5 hp engine for about 1/2 hour. It will also run a 18 hp engine for about 5 minutes. The deeper your charcoal bed, the better. Even if it is several feet high. The charcoal gas has no trouble getting through so long as your charcoal is sized from 1/8" to 3/4".
Ash cleanout is necessary after several “runs” of the gasifier. To keep the gas generator “simple” the way to remove ash is to dump out the charcoal. The ash accumulates around the nozzle as a white fluffy ball. It is fragile and easily broken up.
Gary in PA
The container starts out 9-1/2" wide which would make the heat center 4-3/4 " from the metal sides. I plan on mounting it right behind the lawn tractor seat didn’t want to chance the possible radiant heat on my backside 
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Don, I like your thinking about insulating it for your protection until Gary stated how fast the charcoal gets used up. What do you think about wrapping insulation around the can?
That would work too Bill, just a little harder to make look nice.If my container holds 15 gallons AND is tall (twice as tall as a 5 gallon pail, it will run long enough for my needs. I plan to put a power take-off on the front to run stuff with. (my 4500 watt belt drive gen head, buzz saw, chunker and ???)
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Thank you Gary. That confirms what I was thinking.
Is it possible to build the Simple Fire too large? We have an 11 hp, 6 KW, generator that I would like to try on charcoal gas. I understand we could expect to get only around 3 KW out of the system (if I understand what I have been reading) but that would be enough for everything except the well pump. If I stick to the Simple Fire dimensions for the air inlet and gas outlet, pipes, etc., but build the Simple Fire in a 55 gallon drum, would the large size cause headaches, or allow a longer run time, or is this a Try It And Report Back question?
Hi Doug, it will certainly work and is good if you want longer run times. I found the one issue waseven with the gasket the large lid was hard to seal. I ended up running tuck ttape around it every fill up to guarantee a good seal. It actually makes somethings easier since all that volume keeps things cool and seems to limit dust being drawn into the filter. As far as generator rating koen adds a water/steam drip to add hydrogen and Wayne advanced his flywheel about 20 degrees both will give you more power. I’ve never played with that myself so 50% rated is the best I do on generators.
Have fun, David Baillie
Thanks, David. I also think that the charcoal gas is less likely to gum up the carbeurator over the winter. One last question. Is there a source for the cyclone? Google searches have led me to giant industrial cyclones, much too large for this project.
Dougmac, there are certain members here who manufacture gasifiers and parts for sale. If you make that the subject of your thread, I’m sure they will respond.
Stephen A is manufacturing and selling cyclones … On one of my trailers I am using a former grain vacuum for my cyclone … I drive on wood so need to spin out the extra junk from bark and all that crap. I posted a pile of pictures when I converted it over … They may still be around somewhere … It has a spiral louver in it or whatever you want to call it … When I tested it I put a shop vac on it and was shocked that near 100% was caught. I ran ashes, sawdust, and a pile of other stuff through it … I have no idea what it came off of but it was brand new and in a university junk pile in Michigan … Mike
HI Doug, You cannot build a Simple-Fire charcoal generator too big. Now, you can make the nozzle too big, For instance, if your charcoal gasifier was made from a 500 gallon tank and you kept the air inlet set at 1" it will work fine. Be forewarned that it will take some time at start up to purge all the air from your large gasifer and have it replaced with carbon monoxide. Now if your nozzle is too big, say 6" in diameter and you are using a 20 HP engine to pull suction, then the oxidation zone will be too big, and not get hot enough to reduce CO2 to CO.
If you plan on a 50% de rating of your generator output, you will not be dissapointed. It is easy to give a little more power to your charcoal gas by dripping some fluid in the air intake.
As far as engines, I purchased a $600 harbor freight 7KW. This is the Predator brand and is easy to replace the air filter with a charcoal gas inlet. I’ve only put about 30 hours on my unit, but it starts up easily.
You are correct about charcoal gas not gumming up you carb. However, I will recommend you remove the hose, open the filter and basically let any moisture in the plumbing evaporate. This will cut back on any rust or corrosion of aluminum.
Gary in PA
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I was thinking of the larger size for two reasons. The most obvious is longer run time, but I was alsp thinking the extra diameter would protect the reactor drum from the heat. As for getting the air out of the system, I assume over-size filters create the same concern? Too small would choke the fuel flow, too large would take longer to purge?