Trane DePriest

Big Al; thanks for the link... but I think you misunderstood. It sounds like you're suggesting fireclay for the burntunnel and riser... but I'm already using firebricks (76 of them) to form my J-tube. And I'm mortaring them together with Castable fire cement.

The Clay slip I'm unsure about is for the cob bench. I have read that I should use big rocks and pieces of cement to fill the void around the 8" pipe. But I was wondering what precautions should I take to ensure that the pipe isn't crushed under the weight of the bench top and subsequent sitter?

UPDATE:
1.) I reconfigured flue plan (see pic below), following suggestions from so many helpful souls.
2.) I removed the 8" to 6" reduction, removed the exhaust fan, and am now working with 8" from barrel, through bench, out of basement and up to sky.

NOTE:
a.) I am not using the house's chimney stack what-so-ever. The pics make it look like I'm tapping my exhaust into the brick chimney. It's simply exiting the basement and traveling up the exterior wall approx. 15 feet.
b.) I have an 8" starter collar attached to the bottom of the barrel, and then a T to allow for clean-out, then the bench.

QUESTIONS:
1.) I am shopping for CLAY as the soil in my own yard isn't yielding enough slip to work with.... There's this catalog from Columbus Clay... but I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking for. Can anyone point me in the right direction for the clay I need for my cob bench?
http://www.columbusclay.com/Slip.htm

2.) I burned paint off of barrel, but it got wet in the rain and subsequently rusty... what do you recommend for removing the rust before I treat it with mineral spirits?

OK, so this weekend's efforts towards the RMH were stifled by a lingering drywall project... but I did manage to burn the paint off of the barrel as suggested by many fellow permies.

Later this week; I'll submit a more comprehensive update on my progress including pics and numeric specs! Stay Tuned!

Hey fellow permies!

I'm working on an ambitious RMH design for a basement of my Victorian home, and am currently having draft issues. I'm not getting a Rockety burn, just a room full of smoke, and am not sure where my problem is.

Here's a FB album with pics and notes on the project. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10202401067609300.1073741830.1271531391&type=1&l=0f8c4492c8

I have an inline duct-fan installed in the exhaust pipe just before it leaves the basement, I thought it would be useful to get a draft started but... I was hoping I wouldn't have to rely on it.

My main questions are:
1. Should I increase the ascent or angle of the exhaust flue as it leaves the barrel?
2. Does the flue HAVE to grow larger as it leaves the barrel? It's an 8 inch pipe through out the mass, then reduces to 6 inch before going vertical leaving the basement (see pic #9).
3. How much space is needed between the top of the riser and the barrel? It's currently 3 inches. Seems like it might be too tight... but what would be optimal?

NOTE: I have approx. 45 feet of 8 inch pipe to be encased in cob mass. Which is more than most RMH designs I've seen. So I was intending on increasing the riser and barrel length, by adding a 2/3's barrel on top. I'd read that the greater the length of barrel and riser, the more heat generated/fuel consumed. Is this true & recommended given the length and u-shape of my bench?

If you would please look over my project and give me your learned opinions, that would save me a lot of trouble.