RMH for Dummies! Please help guide me through my first build!

Staci Kopcha wrote:Thanks, Thomas!! I scored a ton of free wood today, so have been loading/unloading that all day.
Have to make myself presentable and now go to School open houses, so manifold with ROUND port to bench will be tomorrow.   Do I understant right that  need to tape ALL the joints (so most of the pipe) of the flex- 90 section?

Thanks again!!

Staci - Great post at an opportune time as we are just starting our 6" rocket stove working off the same drawing here down in New Zealand.
I was just about to order the fire bricks, yes was going to use full ones for the riser as well!
Following the response and threads;
1. I will look at a cast riser, or at least split bricks.
2. I had not thought much about the transition to the flue, this looks a key ash clearance area and the attached thread invaluable. good access ash pan and smooth chamber required.

Questions;

1. Are you going to introduce secondary air into riser tube? I have seen some information on this but no drawings, just comments on a sketch.
2. I intend to install water heating tubes around the main drum to run a wetback radiator system in the house. I have seen pics on this, are there any issues with cooling the drum that much? Does anyone have experience on this?

Cheers Anthony
Makahuri  

ALSO, is there anyway to connect two duct pipes without the pre-fab tapered end?

Chris McClellan wrote:You're doing great Staci. Thomas you're a saint. This looks very much like the one we just built in PA I think you are going to love it. My sweetie fires ours up around November, turns on the laptop, and doesn't move from it until April.
--Mud

Gerry Parent wrote:

ALSO, is there anyway to connect two duct pipes without the pre-fab tapered end?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf7JwmWpBA8

Maybe not quite as pretty looking as a commercial pair of crimpers but it does the job. Just don't make them too big or it could add a bit of drag to the exhaust flow.

Gerry Parent wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf7JwmWpBA8

Maybe not quite as pretty looking as a commercial pair of crimpers but it does the job. Just don't make them too big or it could add a bit of drag to the exhaust flow.

Staci Kopcha wrote: finalize cob mix recipe.
   
1:4:4 dirt: clay:sand,  not strong, crumbles apart.

thomas rubino wrote:Propping with bricks is fine.  The usefulness of sloping pipe is debatable but no harm in doing it.  Your nearing the home stretch ! The hardest part is over ... Great Job !
Be mentally prepared for your first lighting...   Its going to smoke ... its not going to draw good... It will change direction and want to burn up the feed tube (keep a small fan handy ) Puddles of water will appear...  All this does not happen every time  a new stove is lit but, it happens enough that you need to be prepared. Its all normal , that cob can take weeks to truly dry out. Until it does your rocket may be more like a bottle rocket not a dragon !  Don't worry your dragon will grow wings and roar, she just needs to dry out and warm up a little !  

beth Cromwell wrote: I am so thankful to see the work that you, Staci, have done on this, and by yourself (well, I did see kidlets helping once, I think : )

But moreso, the consistent and timely advice, how sweet!  In our supposedly busy world, I am heartened to see the level of commitment to helping you in this project, the kind way advice was given, and the sweet reception of said advice : )

I sure hope it works! May God heap blessings on your head, Thomas : )  And may God bless you also, Staci

Satamax Antone wrote:I didn't pay attention before, there is not enough cleanouts in my opinion.

When you use this configuration




You use two T at the end, so the opening of the T's  prolongs the tube, a cap on the end of each tube. And link the two tubes by the small end of the T

How do you plan to clean the tube going out of the rocket, and the one parallel to it? Again , T!

Jackie Frobese wrote:

Staci Kopcha wrote: finalize cob mix recipe.
   
1:4:4 dirt: clay:sand,  not strong, crumbles apart.

Stacie, in the pictures it looks like the crumbled brick has written on its paper 1:4:4 clay:dirt:sand

I only ask because I'm trying to better understand cob. I was inspired by your post and wanted to try making a few bricks with my property's dirt to see how they come out, and knowing how the wrong mixes act can be useful in troubleshooting.

I also wanted to say I'm so very impressed with your dedication and willingness! Its very inspiring to myself and hopefully to many others. Its great how the thread has become literally a step by step walk through a RMH build!

Staci Kopcha wrote:

Satamax Antone wrote:I didn't pay attention before, there is not enough cleanouts in my opinion.

When you use this configuration




You use two T at the end, so the opening of the T's  prolongs the tube, a cap on the end of each tube. And link the two tubes by the small end of the T

How do you plan to clean the tube going out of the rocket, and the one parallel to it? Again , T!

Please read this.

https://permies.com/t/58540/clean-works-didn-work

Hi, Thank you for the feedback.  I am following plans by Ernie and Erica; the only cleanout I left out was the one directly after the manifold.  Thomas suggested this.  It was my thought that the manifold cleanout could access that area.  The chimney pipe is telescoping, so the idea was that it could be slid up to clean out the area below. I was also thinking that by the time things got around to that area, that ash collection would be minimal.  But complete RMH newbie here.   I appreciate all the comments- thank you!

Satamax Antone wrote:

Staci Kopcha wrote:

Satamax Antone wrote:I didn't pay attention before, there is not enough cleanouts in my opinion.

When you use this configuration




You use two T at the end, so the opening of the T's  prolongs the tube, a cap on the end of each tube. And link the two tubes by the small end of the T

How do you plan to clean the tube going out of the rocket, and the one parallel to it? Again , T!

Please read this.

https://permies.com/t/58540/clean-works-didn-work


Hi,
 I will include a picture of the plans I am using.  And then my own variation.  I switched orientation for ease of access, based on the layout of our room.  I am naive to actually using cleanout as I have no reference or experience of having done it.   Are  you vaccuuming the tubes out and need the straight away? Can you not just follow the single 90 loop around?
I CAN rotate if necessary, but I also want to understand the hows/whys as well.  Thank you again!