alan bateman

an interesting video that i don't completely grasp.

Google zoom shotgun mic. Zoom is a trade name but they are a style that mounts on top of your camera and gather sound from the direction the camera is pointing.

I think the sign looks great the way it is, but if you want to connect the tree to the font you could try treating one (or more) of the tails on your lettering or arrow the same way you drew the branches on your tree. Just take care that they look branchy and not feathery.

I have be waiting for a thread like this....and being a little adhd I did not read every post....My personal survival skils would involve some very basic requirements. You must be able to throw! You must be able to run! You must be able to climb!(lift your body out of trouble). Let's add Swim.

It looks like I might not have enough fire brick, that was salvaged of of an old kiln, to make the whole heat riser (I can get about a 24" stack), would the brick be a good material to grind up and use in a mix to cast a heat riser?

thanks
Alan

I am starting a build of a rmh based on Ernie and Erica's 6" Annex. I have a supply of soft (kiln) firebrick. As well as old soft fired red brick. I could cut the soft kiln brick into small peaces that would make a 12 sided tube (6" diam) and stack those rings to make the heat riser. (it would be quite a bit of work like building a barrel out of wood) Or I could just go with a square brick formation with a 5x5.5 opening. They have very close to the same cross section. Is it worth the time to go for a round heat riser?

thanks
Alan

thomas rubino wrote:Allen; By selkirk chimney do you mean metalbestos? Or rather is it an indoor 20' 6" chimney or outdoor ? If indoor and exposed you could remove all the 6" to just below the roof jack replace it with uninsulated 8" inside and reduce to 6" to go thru the roof. Building an 8" system and the trying to push it thru 20' of 6" thats outside probably won't work very well. Building a 6" system if your space needs an 8" system is also not a good idea , you just won't be happy. Once a pipe goes vertical it creates its own draft ,it is possible that your current 6" could handle an 8" rmh but it will be a big MAYBE SO ... as glenn said we need more information.

The chimney is indoor in the center of the house, it runs through two stories, not boxed in, but with proper clearances. It does get warm at times, but way too much heat just leaves through that nice insulated pipe.

ab

Glenn Herbert wrote:Theoretically, yes, you should work backwards and build a 6" diameter system.

However, you first need to evaluate your intended use and needs and decide if a 6" system will be big enough to give the heat you need. It would be cheaper to build what you need now even if it means replacing existing chimney pipe, rather than having to scramble to rework, replace or supplement something that turns out to be too small.

So what is your climate, building characteristics and desired heating use?

I do live in a cold climate (Nova Scotia) and I don't have a huge space to fit the RMH into. The heating area is about 1,500 sq'. I have to fit it in a space that is about 9'x3', there is lots of head room with 9' ceiling but from what I have read snaking the ducting up through several switch backs is not great. Having said that it has to be better than burning 4 cord a year on an old box stove.

ab

It seems that an 8" RMH denotes the diameter of the heat riser. In a perfect world would all the other tube/ducting be 8" as well, including the chimney? I have a spot that I would like to try and build my first RMH, and the only thing that I know I am starting with is a good 20' tall 6" insulated Selkirk type chimney. So should I work backwards from 6" chimney; would that make all the other ducting and heat riser 6" as well?

thanks
Alan

I know this question doesn't quite fit the Permies view of simplicity and working with materials on hand, but if you could 3d print a rocket mass heater riser, feed tube, etc. using ceramics what shape would it be? Would there be a spiral twist in the riser? I guess for that matter you could just make one by had out of clay and fire it in a big kiln.

Alan