Hello Tom.
Just another thought on leak checking.
I worked in the high vacuum industry many years ago and one way we checked for leaks was to pump the system down, then seal it off (closing the valve to the pumps), while measuring the pressure (vacuum). If there are no leaks, then the pressure won’t change.
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Thanks Pete. That is what I was trying to do. Seal off both ends and pull a vacuum, but I couldn’t get it to hold, it leaks down so fast it takes a constant pull.
You just made me realize, that I am pulling a vacuum, but then I just shut the electricity to the vacuum source off. I should have shut the valve to isolate the vacuum pump from the system if I want to hold a vac. It was probably beading down through the vac.pump itself. Thanks TomC
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Can’t find a specific thread for themo couples== So asking here. Can I cut the wires going from the probe to the meter and add or subtract wire to reach my gauge or so I don’t have excess wire in the cab? As I understand we are working with “mili amps” and am concerned that a splice will add resistance or removing wire will lower the resistance. TomC
We are working with millivolts so amps are insignificant. You can add wire if it is the " thermocouple wire" of the same type as the TC. You can buy type “K” wire on ebay, I recommend solid wire with non-fiberglass insulation. Fiberglass is woven and will unravel too easy. 
. It is not copper, but an alloy. Wire nuts are easy to splice. Cut off excess if you like, or coil it up. Wire size is not critical, but a little bigger solid is easier to work with.
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Thank you Carl, I thought someone was selling TC wire at Argos the first year, but was concerned because we are dealing with “mini-” I have not had good luck with those “readers” that most of you use and am going to try JO’s meat TC but the wire is way to short. TomC
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I know this isn’t a "thread on thermocouples, but----
I have written a bit about Thermocouples that I have used with my own woodgas reactor here:
https://www.spaco.org/Woodgas/thermocouple%20calibration/thermocouple%20calibration%20for%20woodgas%20reactor.htm
This page has several real world examples, and offers hints on how to stay out of trouble when buying off of Ebay, etc…
For those who need to extend the length of the leads for a T/C they already have, there is a full range of:
“thermocouple extension wire” (google that) available. And there are several companies on the net that have very instructive websites,
https://www.omega.com/section/thermocouples.html is one of them.
https://www.thermocoupleinfo.com/thermocouple-wire.htm
Having said all that, I have found several sheathed, Type K T/C’s with “3 meter” leads. That, of course is about 9 feet, and so would not require any extension wire for most of our applications
Pete Stanaitis
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Thank you Pete for the info on TC’s. I have had bad luck every since I bought my first TC’s and readers— I know price was a factor in what I chose. The TC’s were the ones with the 3 meter length cables. From what you have told us, maybe I can buy some better TC’s even with shorter wires and add on. TomC
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Hi, Tom!
21.12.2017
Reinstalling W10 64-bit + Firefox 64-bit + Chrome 64-bit.
Firefox stumbles with archive searching, does not find what i want!
Chrome works in a humble “seviceminded” way, brings up what is asked…
Happy Christmas!
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Good too se your still kicking MAX, I feel like kicking the bug thats going around these days, If i could pin it down. Happy Chrismas. Max Gasman AND TOM,Collins.
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Glad to hear from you Max; A posting you made struck my interest;
I have gotten in a hurry to get my truck back together, so other than the suggestions you have made for my oxidation/reduction/grate zones, I am putting my truck back together with most of the original design. My cyclone was rusted out so I made a copy of the original. This is about two feet tall. I am thinking of getting more out of the use of that space by using a flatter Thein baffle separator to replace the cyclone, and using the extra height to put a hot bag filter on top of the Thein. Have you gotten to the point with your Thein design/thoughts to share?? TomC
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Max; It is colder than the hubs of hell outside so I am going back through old postings. I ran across 636 where you specifically ask for my critic. I apologize for not replying. I had bent a rectangle piece of steel into a circle to sit above my nozzles. After seeing your skizz, I got lost in thought as to how I make a small cone and forgot about it. Am I interested in applying it? I seem to jump onto any new idea that comes around. My new philosophy is to weigh how much improved performance I can get from how much effort I have to put into it. At this point I can reach down in my hopper and pull the ring out that I placed there. Then it will depend on how I can make it as shown in your skizz.
A critic of your post; the explanation was hard to follow and I was not sure what I was envisioning was correct. The skizz was very clear although it lacked explanation of the actual effects. The two together were very clear
Again I apologize for being so late with this. TomC
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Hi, Tom!
29.12.2017
You are welcome!
Happy New Year!
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Hi TOM COLLINS , i Have a questain about your gasifier.due you have a hopper heater, and or due you have a monerator hopper, AND last due you have hopper cooler.i couldent see if you had any of those features.???Thanks for posting your type gasifier.
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My build has continually changed over the years. At one time I had a heated hopper and was satisfied with the performance, but I had started with to small of a hopper and when I built the mantel on the inside, I could only get about 25 miles out of a hopper fill-up. When I cut the hopper apart, I learned that you have to be able to clean the soot between the hopper and mantel. It had a big build up of soot. Then I built a hopper something like a WK but I decided that I didn’t want to give up so much space inside the 55 gal drum. I built a gutter down about 15 inches from the top of the hopper and just have one outlet from the gutter. My thought was the upper part of the hopper was the most effective place for condensing water. I have a dome shaped lid and I built a gutter for the condensate to drip off the lid and the gutter directs the water to the gutter on the side of the 55 gal drum. TomC
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Hi Tom,
I’ve been the gutter route, too, and it works well. It’s a part of my changes, too. This works well, but my monorator has this one beat by a mile. Geez, if only I had known this first! But it’s all a great experience anyway. This “hopper” is still part of my latest gasifier with the monorator hopper added.
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A monorator hopper is on my todo list-- so many people use the word monorater as a generic name for any hopper. I believe it has to be built exactly like your drawing to be a true monorator. Where did you get that rod to make your grill part out of. I had purchased some 1/4 rebar at the cement company some years ago for a project. I went there a week or so ago and they said they didn’t handle it any longer. It would be perfect; it is smooth and looks just like 1/4 inch drill rod, only very cheap. TomC
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The rod found its way to my shop via my sweetheart’s auction treasures, a whole bunch of 5’ pieces for a buck. Had no idea then what they were good for and they sat around for a couple of years.
The build isn’t too bad. My grate was a challenge to me and I love the way it turned out
In my experiance the buildup in the void is not bad at all as long as the hopper temp stays low. Buildup stays at about 1/8 of an inch thickness. However heat from running the wood low will bake the tar some. Also the funnel area will need a good cleanout occationally.
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Thanks for the reply Tom, are there any clear pics of how a monerator hopper design built.Or is it just a double wall hopper for condencing gutter.??
JO, l think Tom is refering to the original lmbert style hopper and the sood buildup from runing woodgas around the hopper.
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