gary kanitz

Also, is anyone building/ testing the core idea in that pic yet?

If you count left to right in this image for the core, the third itteration has the outer cylindrical portion of the manifold shown offset as a seperate piece. That piece is what I would propose should be metal, so that it contiues the function of the barrel itself (removing heat from the exhaust and increasing gas density) down lower. I think any heat acumulating in a casting at this point would weaken the gas flow out into the horizontal portion of the flue where it enters the thermal mass.

Hello, I had an idea that Id like to have considered here. I think that for the manifold portion of the shippable core, metal should be tried. A steel cylinder would certainly weigh less than an equivalent concrete, cob, or ceramic one. Also from a function standpoint, it would I think serve as an extension of the barrel in cooling the gasses, and maintaining or increasing the strong downdraft. I'd love to see this tried and I'm not likely to get to it as quick as some of you folks might, as I haven't started my first rmh yet. Please let me know any pro or con thoughts on this.