thomas rubino

Hey Jackson;
I have been breaking that chimney rule my whole life.
You will know if your chimney is too short.

As far as bypasses go.
Appropriately built to specification, you should not need a bypass, BUT... they are a darn good idea.

When your stove is freshly built, cold, and wet... You will love having a bypass.
When you are firing it up for the season... You will love a bypass.
When it is shoulder season, and you want some heat, but not that much...  You will love having a bypass.
When you build a Batchbox Masonry stove, once your bricks are heated for the season, you can leave the bypass closed.

The plywood was bolted to the tire and the form sat on top.
Yes, no blade, rest against plywood, and apply throttle.
When you get the speed right you will know,  it will smooth out with no bouncing. The few bubbles there are will quickly rise around the edges.
I was warned, possibly by Fox, who has vast experience vibrating cast items, to be careful "Not" to over-vibrate!

Hi Kees;
What are the inside dimensions of your feed tube?
What is the dimension of your burn tunnel?

Heavy firebrick cores take longer to reach temperature, but once hot, they work outstandingly.

In your video, it appears like you are putting wood all the way into the burn tunnel?
Your wood goes in the feed tube vertically; it does not get shoved into the tunnel.
How long is the burn tunnel roof?

Well Matt;
I agree with you; those do not look like they will hold up in the long run (perhaps even in the short run!).

I used a variable-speed saws- all with no blade. My forms were sitting on plywood with a tire bolted to it.
It worked great.  https://permies.com/t/254174/Casting-Large-refractory-Slabs

I suggest pouring the box slab in one piece to reduce the risk of issues later.

Fluffy has a new napping spot!

Hey Les;
You can forget the "Turbo" portion, but it sounds good though.
Yes, they will stay cool in a dark, insulated space.
Let the sun shine on them for an hour, and they are no longer cool.
If the room they are in is poorly insulated and it's 90°F+ outside, your mass isn't going to help.

If you have a source of nice cool air and blow it into your mass, it may provide some cooling.
Depending on the humidity levels where you live, a swamp cooler will provide better cooling.
RMHs heat. ( Rocket Mass Heater)
RMCs (Rocket Mass Coolers) have not been innovated yet...
We encourage experimentation, start a thread and toss some ideas out.

Hi Jolene,
You have plenty of good reasons to be hesitant about RMHs.
But I do want to mention your two examples: love at first light and OMG, I burned my cabin down.

All RMHs are homeowner-built.
Quality control is in the hands of the homeowner or their designated competent person performing the build.
In the early days of RMH development, when J-Tubes were the most well-known, there were a lot of funky builds happening.
J-Tubes are so simple to make that anyone could build one, but not all folks are created equal.
Some are so very much smarter than the innovators that they make... improvements...
Cruising YouTube showed many questionably "improved" builds that the builder was super proud of, and they would be posting follow-up photos and results for years to come...
And you never hear from them again, we started jokingly referring to these questionable builds as " Flaming Units Of Death."
However, then you have the folks who can follow directions as stated, and not make "improvements."
This is no doubt how the lady with the round house acquired hers.

Built to specifications, an RMH is safer than any box stove made.

Hi Tyler;
What style of RMH were you thinking of building?
Weight is an issue, but it can be mitigated with some strategically placed pier blocks.
To protect your wooden floor, you lay clay bricks flat to support 1/2" of cement board, to build on. This removes heat issues from the wood, and it allows air to ventilate around the mass.

Wow, Peter!
Shorty Core is sure strutting her stuff as the new kid on the block!
Another outstanding build!
Built to specs and worked right out of the box!
Your living room wall will soon be covered in photos of your builds!

So, if we are talking about the public sidewalk in front of your house.
Keeping it shoveled is common courtesy, but it is also required in many locales.
Dealing with any ice is not required, but it is indeed a nice thing to do.
Remember, quite often the freeze-thaw cycle happens daily.

If you burn wood, you have ash, which is a safe, natural ice-melter.
Using it directly at your doorstep, you could track it indoors.  (Get a door mat)
However, I see no problem using it on the public sidewalk; your mailman and any walkers would appreciate it.

I love the idea of a New England-style covered walkway, but only up to your door; the town might not let you put it near the road