Arlyn Gale

Thank you.

I searched ewe tube for hours, seeking a solution, to no avail. Much like with the original build. The next time I sat down to a tube session, I came across "Rocket Mass Heater Surgery, pt 2", which describes a (more recently used) clay sand mortar mix and I thought " Well, I wasn't TOO far off..

I built my current combustion chamber using just pottery clay and lap joints, so it will be interesting to see what it looks like after several years of use. I followed "plans" from an old Peter Van Den Berg post. I used pottery clay mortar throughout. I even used the same for a outer shell, mimicking  the regular masonry shell I imagine most of you have seen him use in most or all of his ever improved test versions.

The nice thing I've found with pottery clay is how easy it is to remove from the fire brick. The outer shell has had a very few cracks, which are easily re pointed with pottery clay. Roughly 99% of the clay mortared exterior shell (fire) brick have had no issues ( I know, kind of a "waste" of fire brick, but I had a bunch, and it can easily be reclaimed). On the flip side, many of the bricks in the fire box have come loose - most likely from being hit by chunks of wood I suspect.

Thank you for the links, Thomas, it all looks so familiar. I appreciate the input & will let you know what I find in the tear it  down, and go from there..

Thanks, again...

A

It's been quite some time since I was on here ( like 7ish years ?). Anyways, I got the Batch Box RMH bug several years ago , and slapped one together for my 15' x 25'  shop. It has worked out marvelously, and held up well for several years.

I may be rebuilding a new version sooner than later, & thus my question. At the time of my original build, there wasn't a lot of info on fire brick mortar, and a search here, now isn't giving me much better results.

Has anyone come up with a better, or best at the moment (11/22) mortar mix that is more/most compatible with the expansion/contraction of the fire brick in the burn box & riser? I've been weighing the pro's & cons of "normal" vs refractory mortars, and & just now even more uncertain which way to go.


TIA!

Nicole - good to see you looking into it. I don't see feeding bees as an evil thing. I do it on occasion, to help colonies in need and sometimes to prepare them for increasing numbers.

Feeding a new colony might almost be considered a responsibility. You've provided a young colony with a home & now they may need a boost to get settled in. They are often in a precarious position until the second/third brood cycle hatch. I usually only feed until they are well established - then they are on their own. I've found that they often stop taking syrup when a good natural flow begins. Understandably, some may disagree with this approach.

Knapweed appears to provide a substantial flow at times. Our county has, in the past, had an aggressive plan to eliminate it as it is an aggressive, non-native species. I doubt they realize (or care) that is is of any benefit to the bees. The bees seem to prefer clover or alfalfa when they are available. Knapweed seems to be a bit more drought tolerant.

I agree with you, Jacob, that's what I try to do - leave more than enough honey on in the fall. Nothing is better for the bees.

In a pinch, sugar & water will provide emergency feed, and feeding can be advantageous if you have plans for expansion beyond what nature will provide in your timeline.

I've almost never fed syrup. Understanding how to more closely mimic nectar or honey, when & if one feeds, is something to think about.

According to Michael Bush ("The Practical Beekeeper")

" There are more than 170 kinds of benign or beneficial mites, as many or more kinds of insects, 8,000 or more benign or beneficial microorganisms that have been identified so far, some of which we know the bees cannot live without and some of which we suspect keep other pathogens in balance. "

What/if we feed can almost certainly have both positive and negative implications for the overall health of the hive.

It's one of those "you decide what you think is best" kind of things.The extremes for nectar pH range are given - the question "what is the (more realistic) average" is a valid one. The extreme 8.5 nectar pH is for Rhododendron - not one of the "main flow" sources, but certainly one the bees might visit.

Here's some of the discussion:

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?291933-pH-of-nectar-and-sugar-syrup

and more:

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?273070-Acidulating-Sugar-Syrup&highlight=water+strips

The Baker paper states that Ascorbic acid occurs naturally in some nectars. It is elsewhere reported that neutral (unadjusted) pH syrup promotes the growth of AHB, EHB, Chalk brood & Nosema.

My intent with adding Vit C hasn't been to improve the food value for the bees. It appears, from the same source you quote, that ascorbic acid acts "like" a catalyst for inversion of the syrup - arguably "better" food. It inhibits mold & fermentation. It's cheap and easy - just test & adjust for your particular water source.

I've yet to find any substantial negatives to adding it.

Nicole,

So far I've just used the Vitamin C we have on hand - presumably from the local store. It can be readily had on line ( also as "ascorbic acid"). Avoid "buffered" Vitamin C - it has been alkalized ( pH adjusted).

Tel,

I would assume that nectar is ~ the same pH as honey - ~ 3.2-4.5 .



On another note - using vinegar will increase the "odor" which may be good ( help the bees find it), or bad - help the robber bees find it.

When, how & why to feed are subjects of great debate & discussion.

A simple addition to sugar & water is Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). ~1500mg/gallon will reduce the pH to near that of honey. Why? Because the "near neutral" pH of sugar syrup promotes a number of hive problems - American Foul Brood, European Foulcbrood, Chalkbrood & Nosema, to name a few.

If you have a pH tester, aim for somewhere in the normal range of honey, 3.2-4.5 . Some also use vinegar but I haven't seen a reliable recipe.

When I've found need to feed, I've used 1500mg of Vit C/gallon.

'Makes sense...?

for more info - see "Ecology of the Hive", http://bushfarms.com/beesfoursimplesteps.htm

I aspire to casting a "super-riser" some day. In the mean time, mine is composed of $32 worth of 2800* insulating fire brick. It has only been working intermittently, & for a fairly short time, but it was relatively easy to fashion and is presently holding up just fine. I'll let you know if & when it fails.

Having read (and re-read) this I believe the primary cause of the smoke back issue is the height ( or lack thereof) of the "plunger tube" above the (stove) floor base. This is the exit into the chimney flue - right?

While raising it will lower the efficiency of the stove a bit there may still be substantial gain overall. Try raising your "plunger tube" to a height even with or slightly above the burn chamber roof.

If that doesn't work well enough - raise it a bit more to a height even with or slightly above the feed tube inlet.

If I'm reading this right, it appears that the low plunger tube exit is creating the conditions which are contributing to the excessive smoke back.

Aside from not knowing what the "8146" implies, a key to your description is the "sitting in storage" part. If they were NOT charged, and were exposed to freezing temps, they may have been damaged ( cases cracked). If you get the normal warranty at that price, then it's still a good deal.

Check & see if they are (still) charged. Most chargers have an indicator of the battery condition. Check for cracks in the cases or leakage. $50 sounds like a good deal for most any "new" battery if they still come with any kind of warranty. If not, and they were uncharged and exposed to freezing - very risky.