Jim, I am planning to buy a welding machine, the problem is I am not tied to the grid where I want to build the gasifier and the welding machine won’t work ony portable generators.
Matt, thanks for sharing the project, it would be quite difficult to get some of the stuff over here, I don’t think there is even a plasma cutter around.
Based on the suggestions, I mostly will be going to build a basic charcoal gasifier with ability to upgrade it to wood pellet.
Max, I am still going to through PEPE’s thread, think getting exact equipment he used would be difficult too.
I don’t have some basic workshop tools and also I buy them as I go.
The motors that I will be running on the gas will be the generator and a 2" (6 HP) trash pump.
I have seen a welder run on a genorator plenty of times. Often on a farm it is easier to bring the welder and genorator to something big. You just need a big enough genorator for the welder. They also make welders that are standalone with a gas motor but they are expensive.
By recommending to read PEPE’s tread, I wanted to present a long thread over a couple of years, handling different items and different solutions; not to be blindfoldedly copied, but to learn from the comments and experiences! Good and Bad!
If not bying a welding-size power generator, rent a tractor with a generator driven by the power outtake! The tractor can reach places without roads, and you can put the money on a useful welding machine?
Hi Max,
Yes, good and bad. My aim was to try things, if they worked, toot the horn. If they didn’t work, toot the horn twice and hopefully save some folks the time and trouble of experimenting. I also showed “how” I did most things realizing not everyone has the same idea of how to proceed or where to start. This is not to knock anyone, we all had to start somewhere. I look back on some of my early welding with a standard welder and labeled them as welding by “gob”
If I was starting over I would start with a MIG welder. Pricier but then you won’t end up with the standard welder sitting in the corner. I have a small one, but have welded 1/4" metal using veed joints and multiple passes. Practice, practice, practice, never say can’t. USN MCB 7, 67-70. Can Do!
Pepe
The one of the good things with a mig wlder is they use less power than th old stick welders.most gasifir welds at under 5000 watts other than maybe the top burn tube plate with a mig welder.
I built halve my gasifier with a stick welder, my light bill was high untill switched too mig welder’ but it will work if you are used too thin metal stick welding, not as easy as when you use a mig welder.
There are no welds on my sistem that culdnt be welded with 3kw stick welder. All the houseing is 2mm sheet steel and the restriction throat is just point welded, the restriction and grate are not welded at all.
I think with a generator of 5kw welding s gasifier shuld be a play.
