Materials list help please PvdB

Later this summer, I’m going to be building a batch box rocket mass heater. I have all the CDs. I have a book.
I am trying to get ahead of these crazy price increases that are coming.
I need a materials list for a refractory supplier.
If I were building a J tube, it would be an 8 inch.

Can anyone help me put a materials list together?
I’ll be ordering from HWI in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Thanks in advance!
Tycer

Hi Ty
Always a good idea to gather your materials ahead of time.
And buying now, rather than later, will save you some bucks for sure.

To help you with the materials, you need a definitive plan for what you will build.
A first-generation 6" Batchbox is quite different than an 8" J-Tube.
Are you thinking of a piped mass? Or perhaps a stratification bell?
What material do you want to work with?
Are you hoping to build as cheaply as possible? Or do you want a beautiful work of art?

You mentioned having a book; I assume it is the RMH builders' guide from Ernie & Erica, an excellent start to learning about RMHs, particularly J-Tubes.
You won't learn about Batchboxes or stratification chambers from it, though.
I offer a book on building the first generation Batchboxes, either as a hard copy or a PDF file
https://dragontechrmh.com/now-available-batchbox-core-construction-book/

Let us know what your plans are.

thomas rubino wrote:Hi Ty
Always a good idea to gather your materials ahead of time.
And buying now, rather than later, will save you some bucks for sure.

To help you with the materials, you need a definitive plan for what you will build.
A first-generation 6" Batchbox is quite different than an 8" J-Tube.
Are you thinking of a piped mass? Or perhaps a stratification bell?
What material do you want to work with?
Are you hoping to build as cheaply as possible? Or do you want a beautiful work of art?

You mentioned having a book; I assume it is the RMH builders' guide from Ernie & Erica, an excellent start to learning about RMHs, particularly J-Tubes.
You won't learn about Batchboxes or stratification chambers from it, though.
I offer a book on building the first generation Batchboxes, either as a hard copy or a PDF file
https://dragontechrmh.com/now-available-batchbox-core-construction-book/

Let us know what your plans are.

Thanks for the reply!
Piped cob mass. I know that they are different however I have not done more than watch a few of the videos on the batch box whereas I have read a bunch about the J-tube. If I were to build a J tube, it would be sizedan 8 inch for my application.

My hair is pretty much on fire right now because of the extreme energy shock and economic shock that we’re in the middle of or at the very beginning stages of. Nobody really has a grip on how bad this is. This will make the 2008 crisis look like child’s play if what I am learning is correct. I am purchasing everything I can afford for every project that I plan to do this summer that will make me more excuse me no less reliant on outside forces.
Thanks again for your help here! I really want to get that refractory order in the and the pipe ordered ASAP…

Tycer Lewis wrote:

thomas rubino wrote:Hi Ty
Always a good idea to gather your materials ahead of time.
And buying now, rather than later, will save you some bucks for sure.

To help you with the materials, you need a definitive plan for what you will build.
A first-generation 6" Batchbox is quite different than an 8" J-Tube.
Are you thinking of a piped mass? Or perhaps a stratification bell?
What material do you want to work with?
Are you hoping to build as cheaply as possible? Or do you want a beautiful work of art?


Let us know what your plans are.

Thanks for the reply!
Piped cob mass. I know that they are different however I have not done more than watch a few of the videos on the batch box whereas I have read a bunch about the J-tube. If I were to build a J tube, it would be sizedan 8 inch for my application.


Thanks again for your help here! I really want to get that refractory order in the and the pipe ordered ASAP…

You really have to help those that are able to help you by defining better what you intend to build.

You have said " If I were to build a J Tube, it would be a 8" size for my application"  But you do not say if that is what you plan to build,   Could it be a comparable BATCH box?  

With all of the offerings (shown builds on this forum) have you picked one that exactly fits your bill? if so, that will greatly help all of us sort out your bill of materials.  

Now to refine this a bit more, have you picked a J-tube vs a shorty vs anything else ?  Keeping in mind that all of them need to be "shut down or closed" at the end of the burn period"  Will that be a problem as the time of burn can range from 45minutes to two hours, depending on the stove.

I feel the answers for you are out there, but we need you to zero in on the intended end result.  Even down to your available chimney height planned. if you want to get really detailed.

Best of success.

As im sure the rocket scientists will attest to a bell is a better option than piped mass.  This is how i built my rmh 2 years ago.  It has now served me well for 2 winters. Initially I was going with piped mass as this was what I'd read most about and felt most confortable with.  I was convinced by reading posts on here that a bell would be easier and more effective. I built a bench from red brick with 4" perlite insulation on the parts connected to external walls, reclaimed concrete slabs made the lid and it was all covered in a judicious amount of cob.

Hey Tycer,
while I can understand that you feel rushed, projects and budgets usually benefit from thorough planning and decision making.
Before you get the materials you need to decide on which type of rocket you want to build. And that mainly depends on your needs.
If you provide more info, we’re all here to help you.

Scott Weinberg wrote:

But you do not say if that is what you plan to build,   Could it be a comparable BATCH box?  

First paragraph from the OP:

Tycer Lewis wrote:Later this summer, I’m going to be building a batch box rocket mass heater. I have all the CDs. I have a book.

Tycer

So yes, it’s a batch box

Benjamin Dinkel wrote:Hey Tycer,
while I can understand that you feel rushed, projects and budgets usually benefit from thorough planning and decision making.
Before you get the materials you need to decide on which type of rocket you want to build. And that mainly depends on your needs.
If you provide more info, we’re all here to help you.

Hi, thanks for the reply.
It’s a batch box with about a 10 foot Cobb piped bench. L shaped. With the batch box coming out at a 45° angle from the corner. It will be placed near a corner with airspace to insulated outside wall.
I have not yet found plans for the batch box. I was going to do a J box with a tall riser, however in looking at the videos of batch boxes from Peter, I’m going to switch to that direction.
I’ve been planning this for months, however, in switching to the batch box style just recently I have not found or drawn the plans for it yet.
I’m simply looking for the number and size and type of bricks to order from the refractory supply company.

I will also order enough to do a 6 inch J tube with a short riser that I have drawn the plans for for a different space to be completed next year. I have that material list already.

I certainly stand corrected, on your intentions, so sorry for that.

With my circumstances being somewhat different than most with tremendous drawing chimney, I will let others chime in on the size comparison of a" J tube to a batch box of smaller size, Although this has been talked about in the past, I am not adept in doing a search for such items, perhaps one of the staff rocket scientist  has all of this already sorted out.

Sometime ago, there was a subject title of  "What is holding you back from building a rocket mass stove" (I am paraphrasing this a bit) And there was a lot of different answers, with one of them being, simply  -People thinking  but not finding   a guide that super defined  exact build BOM for each size.  The problem of course is all the variables.   I would suggest that the numbers are all there for a single bell-batch box, of each size.  But aside from that there are again many variables.

So with that in mind, I will try to attach an example of a 6" shorty, internal unit.  This one was set up for the use of super wool between tiers,  again, so many options but if the pdf comes through on sheet two will be a complete BOM  (Bill Of Materials)  I hesitate a bit on posting this sheet, as one little change can alter so many of the dimensions.  But.............it would get you close.

Take this with a grain of salt, it works very well for some, and not at all for others.   This was derived from a Sketch up file for the shorty 6" size. Interpretation can be different for others.  My way of saying this is NOT gospel  It is entirely a credit to Peter van den Berg of rocket mass fame!  If you have not read all of his excellent ideas on the workings of various stove, this  needs to be done.

Best of success!

Scott Weinberg wrote:I ..it would get you close.

Take this with a grain of salt, it works very well for some, and not at all for others.   This was derived from a Sketch up file for the shorty 6" size. Interpretation can be different for others.  My way of saying this is NOT gospel  It is entirely a credit to Peter van den Berg of rocket mass fame!  If you have not read all of his excellent ideas on the workings of various stove, this  needs to be done.

Best of success!

This is great. Looking at this, I should be able to go ahead and order the bricks. They aren’t cheap. Luckily I have a distributor a couple hours away right near where my daughter lives.
Thank you!

Mike Schofield wrote:As im sure the rocket scientists will attest to a bell is a better option than piped mass.  .

I just went down that same rabbit hole and the bell makes a lot of sense. I kinda like the idea of using half barrels as the frame and then attaching whatever thermal mass you want to use to it.