Another RMH rebuild

I began the demolition story in the thread about metal heat risers, as that is what I was demolishing. Then I posted in the thread about Morgan Superwool, as that is what I used to replace my perlite insulated metal pipe.  Now, here is the next stage of a demolition/rebuild.  The new stainless barrel has a removable top, which gives me peace of mind.  I understand they can sometimes make popping noises, but I'm all about being able to peek into the guts without tearing everything apart. The 1" Superwool cut easily and stands up on its own without any hint of wanting to sag.  It was difficult for met to imagine how it would stand up inside my boxy metal form, but I'm a believer, now.

A flat woven stove gasket fit nicely inside the stainless steel barrel lid.  I clamped it on, and fired up a test run with the new "5-minute" heat riser. Even without any priming, the flame took off sideways; the kindling caught.  How did it know to go sideways? As if the riser was calling.  The comforting crackle and pop began.  Very soon, the rocket roar chimed in, and soon after that, the kettle came to a boil on the shiny stainless top.  I wish I could remember how I first heard of the rocket mass heater. I have always loved fire, and this practical, efficient design for both cooking and heat makes my life so much better.  I will post a few more photos as soon as I finish the cob surround, complete with a much-needed shelf for the ash bucket.

Beautiful progress and fantastic looking space! Can't wait to see more photos. Have you noticed a difference in performance since installing the new riser?

Daniel Ray wrote:Have you noticed a difference in performance since installing the new riser?

It's hard to recollect exactly, as last year's performance was never full-throttle due to the piles of ash on top of my old perlite insulation, but I suspect this set-up gets up to full roar faster than my old heavy heat riser design.  

The wet cob will be covered in light alis when dry. After cooking on the new barrel today, I can say this barrel over a 5-minute riser definitely gets hot faster than previous design. Makes for quick cooking! I used a 2 3/4" gap between top of Superwool riser and barrel top. Impeccable draw.