arnon raab

Thank you (and apologies) Max.
Are the two side openings in the drawing (bottom, sides), which allow full air intake, thus create this "blast"? If so, does it match the "blast" that a raiser create?
Thank you.
Arnon

Thank you Antone. I am fully aware of Yasin's incredible project at Usume. I'm in Pas De Calais, the complete other end of France.
What does it mean "full blast" in terms of design? direct free air flow input?
Thank you

Thank you very much Thomas and Bob for your comments. I think you are absolutely right regarding the creosote creation problem (the home insurers, here in France, force owners to hold a valid yearly chimney cleaning certificate). What I think slightly confuses me are those simple drawings of masonry heaters the internet is full of (example enclosed here) which might be misleading(?).
I think that on the rocket stove and a PVDB batch box stove there is the Heat Raiser, which produces:
- High temperature - solving the creosote creation problem
- Air flow pressure - allowing ease of long channels hot air travel

This is why I think these drawings are misleading. They seem to bypass this crucial element. If this is the case, in order to achieve my project I would need to
- Create a raiser above the current metal box
- Probably alter some internals, like removing the “Throat Plate”, to allow the fire to easily reach the raiser input.
- As you mentioned, make sure the raiser can handle very high temperature, material and lining wise.

What I think I am missing is that bit of information to gap the knowledge between the enclosed drawing solution and the raiser implementation.
Thank you.

Hello All,
I got hold of a spare, metal casing, wood burning stove heater.
Although I got two, special case, additional challenges with it, I wanted to browse your ideas and oppinions about the general subject of installing the stove "inside" a masonry heater.
My idea is to build a cob and red-bricks based channel, directly above the stove, fed by the stove flue from its bottom and channel it around, couple of turns, maybe a small side cob-mass, then back to a top flue exit.
I can not find any information of such project, which made me suspect that it might be complete unsustained project.
Could somebody, of you knowlagable guys, please give me some clue on the feasibility of such monster?
Thank you very much.
 

But generally could you please explain how come this is opposit the theory described in Ianto Evans and Leslie Jackson book ("... The  size  of  the  cross sectional  areas  of  all  parts  of  the  stove’s internal  ducts  or  intestines  should  never decrease  below  that  of [the exhost]. Thank you.

Update: It is only when I made the kiln more like the above model, ie the fire is really under the pieces loaded, that I manged to get the kiln to a proper temperatures.
Now I try to learn and find a way to probe the temperature, without  melting the thermocouple. It seems that they are sold, either exposed, without any cover, or too short to stick them in the kiln but still isolated and away so their handle would not melt in the process...

Glenn Herbert wrote:Just back from my two weeks selling pottery and doing medieval recreation things... thanks for the nice comments, and for taking my work as a model.

You could make firebars of clay, dry them, and set them into the sides of the kiln for support. A more direct method is to make an arch of a green flexible stick, poke it into the sides to be stable, and wrap cob around it so the bottom surface is an arch and the top surface is flat. The stick supports the clay until the clay is dry enough to support itself. Using this method, I have numerous times fired a kiln for the first time loaded with pots sitting on the firebars - no need to prefire the kiln. It just takes a bit longer to do the first firing as you are drying and firing the kiln too.

Thank you very much for the great help.
I made some bars and they are almost dry. BUT they are from cob, with strew and twigs. they seem very strong, more than 2" think.
Do you think they will suit the purpose? (if I would fire empty kiln just to make them stronger)?
Thank you

I fixed my kiln so it is now as Glenn's model (more or less), but I am slightly stuck with creating the floor on which the works will sit. My heart is square (not personally, the kiln's) of about 20" sides. I thought of creating a cob polls (about 2" think), about 25" long, dry them outside and put them as floor, stuck into side holes that I will creat. Then I will run empty fire to dry and strengthen them. Does this sounds practical? What is the best cob mix l should use? Shall I place strew in the mix? Build it around long twigs?
Any hints would be appreciated.
Thank you.

Thank you Glenn for the wonderful reply.
You made it very clear, and your kiln implementation looks really nice. Hope you had good sale day.
Yours is the second such kiln style that I see working very successfully.
I read (in Rocket Stove literature) that to create the air flow one must make to chimney exit area larger than the entry opening.
I understand now that in a kiln implementation one should not strive for a strong heat flow and keep it slow so temperature can build up.
Thank you

Hello, I think I need some advice, please.
I wanted to built a wood-fire garden ceramic kiln. I had a small clay hill (made from a pond that was dug near its place 15 years ago). I dug an horizontal trench through it, to the middle of the hill at ground level (about 2 meters long) then set up a vertical chimney (about 2 meters high, 50cm on 50cm opening). I covered the trench with cement blocks (creating a tunnel of 50cm high and 35cm wide) and isolated the top of the chimney and the vertical trench with soil.
I placed a thermometer inside and lit a bonfire in the front opening. Immediately the fire went horizontal and made this burner/rocket sound. I have added wood and the fire was very strong. Temperature went up to 710 Celsius.
BUT, the operation is not total success:
1. The opening becomes very clogged with charcoal. I needed to clear it twice, making the temperature drop and "restart" the heat.
2. As much wood I have added and fierce fire I made, I could not get it more than 710 Celsius.

Can anybody please give me some advice on a better front fire design? and how to reach higher temperatures?
These are some photos of the process:  https://goo.gl/photos/EyWCc615TtBv7fir9
Thank you.