Newbie in the Flathead Valley with aspirations of an RMH

Hi All, I am planning on constructing an 8" RMH this summer and would love to have the opportunity to visit someone closeby and see one in action. I am new to using forums so not sure how to go about this, but I'm sure someone here will explain it to me. I have read the "Rocket Mass Heaters" book by Ianto Evans and Leslie Jackson and have been reading through this forum so I have a general idea of what I want to do and will post some drawings soon. Thanks in advance for the help that is sure to come.

Hi Kyle; Welcome to permies! I am a little far from the flathead valley , about 2-2.5 hrs drive from kalispell or polson (via hot springs & plains) in trout creek, apx 25 miles west of thompson falls on hwy. 200 . But I have a great 8" system in our greenhouse/ studio that I love to show people! So if you're going to be in the area ,drop me a PM here at permies, i would be happy to show it to you.

Thanks Thomas, I'm not out that way very often so I may have to plan a trip one weekend. Looks like your doing what I want to do, brick in the sides (I have cats who love to sharpen their claws). I would like to have the stove out in the middle of our living room (it's fairly large) to maximize the heating potential. My existing stove, an old Franklin, is at the furthest side of the room so I'm thinking on bringing the RMH straight out so that the rocket stove itself sits more in the center.

Hey Kyle; Sounds good, having your rmh at center stage will make it easy to feed and give you the most radiant heat possible. Just protect your floor from the heat and confirm that it can hold the weight of your mass. If you have never done it, a nice drive is to head west out of kalispell on hwy 2 thru libby to hwy 56 (the bull river road) south to hwy 200 then east thru trout creek , thompson falls, plains and then out to quinns hot springs to soak. Return north up hwy 28 via plains and thru hot springs to elmo on flathead lake & home.

Here is a drawing (can you say poorly) of placement of the RMH in my living room. I have a concrete block chimney that I will have to use until I can put in another one. Shouldn't have to much difficulty with the slab floor, but I will have an air passage under the rocket stove. I would like to have 30 feet of 8" ducting in the mass, might be a little much with the present chimney but should be OK when I put in the new chimney.

Lets try the drawing again, did I mention forums are NOT my thing?

Thomas,

My name is Chris, I have been looking at rocket mass for sometime, and in the future I will have one in my cabin or home. I would very much like to take a look at yours... I live in Missoula but have a cabin in Trout Creek Between the Highway bridge and railroad brinde on the north shore just a little up from the campground. Mind if I take a gander at yours?

Chris Roemer
Bull Pine Ln.

Oh and I am in Trout creek this week tell the 10th

Hi Chris; Yes , that would be fine. I should be home most of today and tomorrow. give me a call 827-3772. Or i live at 161 mountain view rd. off 200 on blue slide up the hill past the mill to the tee, turn right straight to the mountain , don't turn go up driveway. Tom

Thomas, thanks I will look up up next time I am in the area, should be in a week or two.

Chris Roemer