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wheaton laboratories

Grey's Bootcamp Journal

Grey T. Klein

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posted 2 years ago

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BRK #83
The Red Cabin got its fifth RMH last week. Actually, it got 90% of the way there, but hey, it's technically functional! Igot my hands dirty and finished up the front-facing construction. There is still more to do to finish the thermal mass, and then we can put the bottom bed back in the cabin.

Check out my Bootcamp Journal: Building and Growing at Wheaton Labs in 2022

Grey T. Klein

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posted 2 years ago

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BRK #84

This just in: making cob goes way faster using a machine to mix it. We've been using it regularly for the pump house build and finishing up some rocket mass heaters.

cobmakingbuckets.jpg

claystraw.jpg

cobcomplete.jpg

shoringlogs.jpg

cobmass.gif

Check out my Bootcamp Journal: Building and Growing at Wheaton Labs in 2022

Grey T. Klein

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posted 2 years ago

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BRK #85

The Red Cabin now has a fully functional rocket mass heater, and it is quite a handsome one to boot.

red-cabin-heater.jpg

16 gallon barrel as a radiator works well gor the small space.

red-cabin-fire.jpg

Check out my Bootcamp Journal: Building and Growing at Wheaton Labs in 2022

Coydon Wallham

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posted 2 years ago

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Grey T. Klein wrote:BRK #85

The Red Cabin now has a fully functional rocket mass heater, and it is quite a handsome one to boot.

So, what happens when that one needs to be broken down and worked on? Is this being considered the final iteration? The cob looks a bit more permanent than previous versions...

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Alexandra Malecki

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Location: 6a; BSk; Suburbia; 0.35 acres

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posted 2 years ago

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beautiful work, Grey!!

also nice job on the youtube vids =)

I'm pursuing SKIP to inherit property, check it out for yourself: SKIP book or maybe you're my Otis/Otessa match?
I created a thread dedicated to my countdown to PEP2, please come visit and ask a question!
I love that Rocket Mass Heaters are Carbon-Nuetral. In Erica's and Ernies Art of Fire Presentation, Erica explains the chemistry of how that's possible!
I attended Helen's Garden Master Course in January 2022 and give the lectures 10/10 acorns! Fortunately for you, you can also see the Garden Master recordings but unfortunately you'll miss out on the fruit Helen grew and shared. It was the tastiest fruit I've ever had!
This one is mostly for myself because I highly recommend using this BB tracking spreadsheet and I need a faster way to locate it when I want to share it with potential SKIPpers.

Grey T. Klein

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Posts: 141

Location: Limerick, PA

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posted 2 years ago

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BRK #86

Coydon Wallham wrote:
So, what happens when that one needs to be broken down and worked on? Is this being considered the final iteration? The cob looks a bit more permanent than previous versions...

Hey, bro! The effert put forth on this iteration was mostly to get something that just works. That's to say, no experiments, just proven RMH design. Our hope is that there is no further work done on this system for a long time. Nevertheless, cob can be broken down with water (good if it's dried up in a bucket) or with a hammer and masonry chisel. If we needed to get this mass out of the way for whatever reason, it would be simple and relatively easy to suck out the pebbles with the shop vac and chunk off the cob core and carry it out in pieces.

Alexandra Malecki wrote:beautiful work, Grey!!

also nice job on the youtube vids =)

Thank you, Alex! I enjoyed finishing this build, and I'll make sure the vids keep coming

rex-ditch-fill.jpg

Covering the cistern overflow pipe leading to...

frozen-pond.jpg

adding-solar-panels.jpg

to power the pressure pump for our water lines

cat-in-the-hood.gif

Caleb's wood splitting jockey/ pellet powered neck warmer

Check out my Bootcamp Journal: Building and Growing at Wheaton Labs in 2022

Coydon Wallham

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Posts: 957

Location: Inter Michigan-Superior Woodland Forest

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posted 2 years ago

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Grey T. Klein wrote:Hey, bro! The effert put forth on this iteration was mostly to get something that just works. That's to say, no experiments, just proven RMH design. Our hope is that there is no further work done on this system for a long time. Nevertheless, cob can be broken down with water (good if it's dried up in a bucket) or with a hammer and masonry chisel. If we needed to get this mass out of the way for whatever reason, it would be simple and relatively easy to suck out the pebbles with the shop vac and chunk off the cob core and carry it out in pieces.

I would have thought the proven design was the large rock pebble combo. I've never heard of mixing pebbles and cob before this. I hope it will be easy to break down as I intend to try a variation of that in my own pebble/box RMH, only with sod instead of cob. I'm imagining the pebbles and the earth chunks will be difficult to separate.

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Mark Brunnr

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posted 2 years ago

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The rock and pebble only mass isn't nearly as efficient at storing and releasing heat compared to cob due to all the air within the mass, but this iteration uses that to protect the nearby wood. We put 2 inches of pea gravel at the bottom and the sides as an insulating layer, and used cob with fist sized rocks throughout the middle. We tried to avoid any air from pebbles only in the center as that reduces heat transfer and storage. If you don't need to take it apart, gravel is a distant #2 compared to a solid mass.

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Grey T. Klein

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Posts: 141

Location: Limerick, PA

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posted 2 years ago

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Coydon Wallham wrote:
I've never heard of mixing pebbles and cob before this.

What Mark said! To add, I think that the two materials work well in tandem. Heat conducts through cob and causes convection through the gaps in the pea gravel. Important note: the bottom of the box is a fine metal mesh, raised a couple of inches and supported by wood. This allows circulation of air through the mass!

BRK #87

Sawmill running and junkpole harvesting today

thicket.jpg

thinnet.jpg

Harvested some junkpole and left the healthy trees with room to grow

collateral-timber.gif

One tree for milling and one for firewood

Check out my Bootcamp Journal: Building and Growing at Wheaton Labs in 2022

Grey T. Klein

pollinator

Posts: 141

Location: Limerick, PA

343

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posted 2 years ago

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BRK #88

Lotsa foody bits on Thanksgiving! I attempted waffles on the cast iron and found it has a steep learning curve. Vegan stuffing was my main dish and strawberry rhubarb pie was my desert. Everyone's cooking was amazing, as was how well we shared the kitchen.

waffle1.jpg