Pyro Man Dan Introduction and RMH build

thomas rubino wrote:Hi Dan; The only problem I see is that barrel still has its paint! Better burn that one off .

That was the mock up stage. Burned it last night. I just spent a hr wire wheeling it. Shiny as a new penny now.

Running my propane flame thrower in it now, to dry up the core and burn off any smells. So far no stink @300f at the top of barrel.

Thanks for stopping by.

Slinging mud in the rain.

intake side.

Looking good dan, have you run it yet ?

thomas rubino wrote:Looking good dan, have you run it yet ?

I've run it a few times to speed the drying up. The suction/draft is strong from the start. I assume it will keep getting better as it dries up.

We're getting the rain from the hurricane over the next few days. Here among the tumbleweeds So I'm using a propane flame thrower to dry it up a little faster.

The sound is like a blast furnace when I crank the fuel up.

Thanks for looking.

more mud and rock slinging.

The mix I'm using is a sand, chipped rock and clay slip.

Then river rock as a fill/ heat sink in the mix.

Dan, my opinion, make a brick bell against that brick wall protection, you don't have nowhere near enough pipe for exctracting heat imho.

Sumthing like this.

http://heatkit.com/research/2009/lopez-rocket.htm


Oooops! Too late!

Thanks for the link. (interesting) First thing I thought of was Pink Floyd. LoL

I for see a lot of feeding to keep the beast hot.

A batch box might be required.

On good thing about this. It might have taken a few weeks to build. I can reclaim all it's parts in under a day.

Well I tore it down to rebuild it correctly. Due to getting in a hurry, I skipped a crucial thing.

The insulation under the burn chamber. This heater is on a wood floor. A concrete board then brick pavers.(it was all ready here for a wood stove). Then the RMH on top of that.. Knowing the burn chamber temps could get the wood flooring hot. Don't think it would get to combustion temp but not going to take the chance.

This is what I did to hopefully remedy this potential problem.

I found 6 red mexican 3 hole block. I filled two of the holes in each block with perlite and clay mix. Leaving one hole open. This open hole will be out side of the burn chamber line. On the back end a channel was cut to allow air to flow around the insulated part of the block.

it took 8 hrs. by my self to take it down. The cob mix I'm using need a rock hammer to bust it up. Every thing was reused. I like this mud. If you screw up it can be fixed with out getting more supplies.

The 2nd build took 10 hrs. to build it back in the 2nd pic.

First one is what it looked like. The 2nd what it looks like now.

Third pick it of the first test burn. Even wet it has a great rocket sound.

so I guess I did the rite thing as no one has said otherwise.

Cool

Some more picks of the rebuild then.

more

more

Three year update. Still haven't put a finish coat on it.

Only have one small crack in the seat area.

Last season here in SE NM. only used 100 pallets.

This season with a record warm winter only used 40.(so far)

Haven't had to do any maintenance other that cleaning fly ash out of the pipe.
The steel 6"x6"x3/16"riser I think will last another season. Seen some flaking but nothing to worry about.

Barrel is well cured, black like a cast iron skillet.

Overall It was the best thing I have done to cut down on the wood consumption and still stay warm. Sometimes to warm LOL

What I find that is cool about it, is the smell of the wood burning out side. Not a smoke smell but a sweet like smell you get from smoked meat.

Dan,

Just wanted to say not to take it personally that few people are replying. The real measure is how many people are reading your post, which as I write this is 4375 views! Lots of us are interested in multiple ideas and read lots of articles, but don't think we have specific input.

For instance, I read your posts, but you are way more advanced than I am. Any question I would have at this point would probably come from an actual build just like yours. But I still learned from your post, and maybe some of your points saves me a week of rebuilding!

I want you to know you are adding value even if there are not reply posts in between your posts. Your posts are very good and the pictures mean we don't need to ask lots of questions...

Yes, Dan, thank you for posting such a comprehensive series of process photos and description, including the changes you made. Especially, thank you for giving an update after years of experience with the system. I wasn't around here when you started your build, though I remember seeing it shortly afterward.

Max had a good point when he suggested a bell for heat extraction vs. the short duct run, though as far south as you are, maximum effectiveness and flywheel effect is a bit less important than in the frozen north. Your setup obviously works well.

Well I no longer live in NM. We're back in my home state of Oklahoma. My dad passed and we got the house. It's on 17 acers of wooded land.

Now to build another RMH. Once again I'm lucky to have most of the materials already here. That includes about 1,000 + firebrick from a ceramic kilm we tore down in the late 70's. The soil here is red clay and the sand will come from the river up the road. Found a half of a bag of fire clay in the barn. That should be enough for the J tube. The only thing to buy is the perlite and a few T's for the cleanouts and maybe pebbles. Have enough of the 6" pipe for the mass. Will be using the barrel from the RMH from NM. Its a little rusty but still usable.

The only thing to decide is build a cobb mass or a pebble one. The ese of building a pebble mass looks to be the way to go, because the time is short before the cold sets in. That way there is no lag time waiting for the mass to dry. Pluss I have enough lumber to build one as big as we want.

If anyone has any cons against a pebble mass. Please speak up...

Pics to fallow as the build begins.

Hi Dan;
Yes, pebbles do work. They work very well for a temporary, movable or removable mass.
In a permanent home you are way better off using as many large rocks as you can and surround them with cob.
The pebbles have many tiny air spaces and low mass.
The large rock is a great mass that holds your heat. The cob fills any voids and provides additional mass.

Is is cold in OK?

Satamax Antone wrote:Is is cold in OK?

65f ATM as an early cold front just blew through with rain for 2 days. Back to the 80's for the next few weeks.

Dan Dronberger wrote:

Satamax Antone wrote:Is is cold in OK?

65f ATM as an early cold front just blew through with rain for 2 days. Back to the 80's for the next few weeks.

I mean, in the depth of the winter.

Satamax Antone wrote:

Dan Dronberger wrote:

Satamax Antone wrote:Is is cold in OK?

65f ATM as an early cold front just blew through with rain for 2 days. Back to the 80's for the next few weeks.

I mean, in the depth of the winter.

OH OK...lol It can be. Lowest I've seen it was -15f. Alminac is saying we'll be cold N wet this winter with lots of the four letter word SNOW... The average cold temps are in the 20's. So not to cold. This house has 2 types of wood heat. A brick fireplace that need new flue pipe. That hasn't been used in years. Would like to tare it down and put a sliding door to a patio. That can wait till next summer. The main wood stove is a old wonder wood stove. It works well enough but burns a ton of wood. RMH will cure that problem.

Well Dan, i was thinking, if the house is big, you should may be go to a batch?

Being 'just curious' about Rocket Mass Heaters I will follow this thread. So many photos! And you returned here after 5 years to tell about the new one you are going to build!
So I write this comment to encourage you to go on

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:Being 'just curious' about Rocket Mass Heaters I will follow this thread. So many photos! And you returned here after 5 years to tell about the new one you are going to build!
So I write this comment to encourage you to go on

Inge, are you aware that one of the best inventors on the rocket mass heaters, is Dutch?

Peter Van Der Berg.

He's part of the staff here.

Posts a lot at Donkey's. https://donkey32.proboards.com/thread/511/adventures-horizontal-feed

And has his own website.

http://batchrocket.eu/en/

Satamax Antone wrote:

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:Being 'just curious' about Rocket Mass Heaters I will follow this thread. So many photos! And you returned here after 5 years to tell about the new one you are going to build!
So I write this comment to encourage you to go on

Inge, are you aware that one of the best inventors on the rocket mass heaters, is Dutch?

Peter Van Der Berg.

He's part of the staff here.

Posts a lot at Donkey's. https://donkey32.proboards.com/thread/511/adventures-horizontal-feed

And has his own website.

http://batchrocket.eu/en/

Yes, I was aware of that fact. And I did try to find him on the internet. I wanted to know if he builds RMHs here in the Netherlands. I think I found something, but of course there are many 'Peter van der Bergs' here, maybe it wasn't him ...
At the moment I live in a rented apartment. A RMH is impossible here. But you never know what could happen in the future ...
Thank you for giving the links.

@Santamax Antone A batch box would be nice for the convenience but I don't mind feeding the beast.

Got it lade out and the perlite cob mix around the riser. Even very wet it rocketed and have excellent draft. Going with another 6 inch and using what I have on hand. Had to buy a T and adjustable 90. The rest we had here. Also had to buy another bag of perlite @15.00 for 4 cubic feet. The ONLY place that had the big bag and cheapest was a grow store. They also had big bags of vermiculite too but I went with the perlite.

Pics are labeled... I'm off to a HOT shower. It's been a long day.

More pics to come.

Hi Dan,   Great start on your new rocket! Keep up the good work and keep posting photos. We all love to see what is working for others and different ways to arrange a rmh in a given space.

Dan Dronberger wrote:

Last season here in SE NM. only used 100 pallets.

This season with a record warm winter only used 40.(so far)

100 pallets sounds 1/2 a pallet a day in a 200 day heating season; that really does put the savings in perspective.
Thanks for the info.

framed out the box today. Made it 24" tall (28' from floor to top) The sides have flashing between the 2x10s. The thought was it would radiate heat from there too.

Now paint...What ever Blondy chooses. Then fill it up with fire bricks. The bottom half will be firebricks the rest with paver's. Still got to go get the paver's from the river were the city dumped them. Free pickings. Going to get a big load as I need some for the front patio too.

Moved a ton of brick today. My arms feel like noodles... Sides are painted. The first run of bricks are laid. Added cob around the heating tube. Hope it helps transfer the heat to the brick faster. Should have the 2nd heat tube installed in the morning. Then button up the sides.

Still debating on a door or just a hole in front of the J tube. I put the cleanout plug from the old rmh from NM. Need to be able to access it.

pic of today progress

Dan Dronberger wrote:Still debating on a door or just a hole in front of the J tube.

Not sure what your referring to? A door to access what?

Gerry Parent wrote:

Dan Dronberger wrote:Still debating on a door or just a hole in front of the J tube.

Not sure what your referring to? A door to access what?

The cleanout in this pic.

Tristan Vitali wrote:
I'd think it's best to go with as dense and homogenous of a material as you can - straight (finer but gritty) sand and good clay, a little heavy on the sand - for at least an inch or two right around the heat source as it will conduct the heat a bit better and provide a better seal (less chance of thermal cracking). I'm a complete newbie to the hands-on though, so I might be wrong on some things  I know limestone does break down at a somewhat attainable temp but pretty sure that's not too much of a threat outside the burn tunnel and heat riserr]Will the chipped lime stone work for the inner cob?

.

Too good

Picked up the pavers from the creek. (need a few more) Washed them and put them in place. Now let the drying out begin. Been cool enough to run it in the morning with the windows open to let out the smell and moisture. Just need to add the wood in front of the cleanout and a few more bricks. Then it will be done for this winter. Next summer the real fun begins with pulling down the old fireplace and chimney. Then build a new sun patio and a bigger RMH with a batch box.

thanks for watching...

Riot bewar wrote:

Tristan Vitali wrote:
I'd think it's best to go with as dense and homogenous of a material as you can - straight (finer but gritty) sand and good clay, a little heavy on the sand - for at least an inch or two right around the heat source as it will conduct the heat a bit better and provide a better seal (less chance of thermal cracking). I'm a complete newbie to the hands-on though, so I might be wrong on some things  I know limestone does break down at a somewhat attainable temp but pretty sure that's not too much of a threat outside the burn tunnel and heat riserr]Will the chipped lime stone work for the inner cob?

.

Too good

If you are referring to the chipped limestone in the cob. You are correct. It sets up so hard a 16 lb sledge bounces off with little damage. Pluss I had only one crack in the seat area. Where it was the thinnest. (about a 1.5 thick)  I would recommend using it and will use it again on the next RMH.