thomas rubino

master rocket scientist

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since Apr 14, 2013

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Biography

13 acres in extreme rural Montana 100% off grid since 1983. Solar and micro hydro. Summer time piggy farmer. Restoring 2000-04 Subaru outbacks wagons for fun and a little profit. Not quite old enough to retire YET but closing on it fast... until then I must occasionally leave Paradise "home" and run large construction cranes on union job sites across the inland northwest. I make (Well try) A-2 A-2 cheese, I love cooking with my wood smoker for everything! Would not live anywhere else but rural Montana ! My wife Liz runs "Rocks by liz" a successful Etsy store and we have a summer booth at the Missoula peoples market. We currently breed and raise persian cats but are about to retire all the girls and let them be happy kittys for the remainder of their days.Oh and my biggest thing is... I LOVE MY RMH !

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latitude 47 N.W. montana zone 6A

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Recent posts by thomas rubino

Happy New Year, Everyone!!

Thank You, Carla!
Happy New Year to you and John, and the puppies as well!

43 minutes ago

meaningless drivel

Leaning tower of Pizza

Yesterday, I finished my Montana Masonry Drain (much better than a French Drain...:)
Last night, typical winter returned with a low of 14°F and a high today of 23°F, brilliant sunshine though.
This morning, on my way to the shop, I peeked into the smoke shack, just to see how things were looking after the freeze-up.
I was floored by what I saw!
The floor inside was completely dry!!!
Yesterday, the left side by the cheese smoker had a growing wet spot, and the right side wet spot was almost to the front wall!
This morning, much to my surprise, BOTH sides are now DRY!!!
I did not expect this. What I expected was a frost heave at some point this winter, certainly not dry floors in less than 24 hours.

Obviously, a Montana Drain filled with broken brick chunks is the Cadillac of drain fields!

3 days ago

rocket mass heaters

Shorty Core gets a bell

Hi Jackson;
The location does not matter at all.
The entire cabin, including all the many additions, is evenly toasty warm!
They absolutely were not with the old metal wood burner.
So far this year, we have burned less than a third of a full cord.
We constantly have windows cracked to let in fresh cold air.

4 days ago

rocket mass heaters

Leaning tower of Pizza

Today I hauled the last of the gravel, and I reassembled the cheese smoker.
I know that the new Montana Drain is working.
The new drainage pond remains full and is leaking across my trail. I spread gravel over my path to the shop.
Better a soggy trail than a listing Walker Black And White!
She may list this year, as it is already soaked, but perhaps once it dries out it will stay that way!

4 days ago

rocket mass heaters

Stratification chambers (Bells) explained

Hi Ian;
I guess I worded that wrong.
The temperature and the efficiency of the burn are the same with a whole batch or a half batch.
Total heat output varies by the type of wood, its dryness, and how much weight you place in each load.

4 days ago

rocket mass heaters

15yr lurker, finally the right time to build the RMH

Hi Ray, are you using a temp gun to take your readings?
With pipes, they can be very misleading. I suspect you are getting higher temps than that.
However, until the internal gas temperature exceeds 130°F, condensation is an issue.
Yes, your cob can take quite a while to dry out, and it will leak water in low spots until it does.

For internal pipe temperatures, I have a similar unit to this one. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071V7T6TZ/ref=sspa_dk_detail_7?sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw
Very easy to install (drill a 1/16" hole) and reasonably priced. I find it invaluable in shoulder seasons, when the mass is cool.

4 days ago

rocket mass heaters

15yr lurker, finally the right time to build the RMH

Go for it, Tyler!
It really is easy once you get started.
Get all your materials on hand.
Dive in and get muddy!
You know where to reach out if you are unsure or want to check!
Looking forward to your future build!

4 days ago

rocket mass heaters

15yr lurker, finally the right time to build the RMH

Hi Ray, Congratulations on building your RMH!
It looks good!
They are so much better than a box stove!
I'm hoping that you plan to continue covering your pipes with cob.
Exposed pipes shed heat quickly, which can cause a draft or a moisture problem. Also, you want to store that heat in the cob so it can be enjoyed for longer.

4 days ago

rocket mass heaters

New Bling for Shorty Core

The solid copper kettle is the one I wanted last year, but could not bring myself to buy.
The original tree of life tile was affected by the heat.
Liz bought me a new one, and it is now sitting on 1/8" of super wool; hopefully, that will be enough to protect it.
A complete surprise was the dueling dragons, which now grace the arch.
Shorty and I both made out quite well for Christmas!
And with Liz's new cat art on the wall, Shorty be styling!

6 days ago

rocket mass heaters

Bench for a rocket stove

Hi Luka;
Yes, you can use your insulated 7" chimney pipe, with a 150mm RMH (150mm-200mm), which is allowed beyond the riser.
If you build a piped bench, it would need a minimum of 8" (200mm) piping to support the output of a 6" (150mm) Batchbox.
If you build a stratification chamber, you would be ok using a 7" (180mm) final chimney.

Yes, I agree with Nina, your new home is looking great!

6 days ago

rocket mass heaters