Karl Wilson

Thanks Fraser,

I ended up using the two 7/8" ID (I think stainless) steel square tubes - cut at 45 degrees - and welded by a friend.

They are working well so far - but will of course be easy to change if necessary

In fact the whole thing is working a bit too well for a 13' yurt - so I am going to try expanding my mass.

For the last three years (with J-tube) the exhaust exit was warm to the touch - now it is hot (touchable but hot). And I sort of have an almost sauna when I have a fire.

K

okay - here is the story

howdy friends...

well - I have heat - lots of it!

even with some small alteration of specs.

One more question - and then I will try to post my process and result in photos.

question - I am currently using brick for the door - but of course would like to lose myself in the visual experience - so I want glass - went to junk yard to find an oven door - all I found was a door to a toaster oven and a microwave - any thoughts on the durability of such? or should I keep looking...

photos as soon as my technical abilities allow...

thanks for all the help!

in the first post on this thread there is a layer by layer layout - the second layer is a white board - what is that board made out of? it looks like the door is also made of this material (at least it is looks like a white board) - is this the same?

while waiting for my fire clay (which hopefully really IS fire clay) I have started to consider feeding secondary air from the bottom.

I have some steel square cross-section tube - 1" OD, 7/8" ID - I was thinking I could use two of those - which is not exactly the spec - but seems to me might work...

thinking of hack sawing a 90 degree bite - and bending the remaining side to 45 degrees (possibly without welding - maybe "claying" around the bend - and simply cutting the top 45 degrees to face the port.

does that sound okay?

should the pipe go to top of port - or half way - or three quarters - or...

also how far back from the port is optimal.

the nice thing about this is that as long as I make the channel right I can still play with the design...

my back is ready for some radiant heat...

I'll take pictures once I get rolling

wow - very difficult to find plain old fire clay - haven't found it yet - DANG - frustrating

Sakrete-50-lb-Gray-Type-High-Heat-Mortar-Mix

would that work?

found a nice piece of steel for the door...

I will look for a door...

One last question (ha ha) - In my last build I used regular ceramics clay (for making pots etc) and play sand to make mortar - seems like people are saying fire clay and mason sand (?) - the last mortar seemed to work - how important is the fire clay/ mason sand?

fired up a mock-up last night - got the rams horns - fun!

thanks again

Karl

I wasn't sure about the marble - seemed like a good idea - maybe I'll get a casserole cover...

you think the marble cannot take the heat? I admit I have no idea... Previously I was using it as a heat shield for the barrel at the head of my thermal mass bed...

thanks!

okay - two more questions - thanks Daniel and Satamax for your wisdom so far!

1) due to ease of construction and reusing my old bricks - and having to make as few cuts as possible (I am lazy) - I am wondering if I can "adjust" the fire box dimensions a tiny bit - without messing with the function...

adjust width to 8 1/2" - instead of 8 5/8" - 1/8" narrower

less important:

adjust height to 13 1/2" - instead of 12 11/16" - 9/16" taller

even less important:

adjust depth to 18" - instead of 17 1/4" - 3/4" deeper

2) I am thinking of angling the door end slightly inward and using a 1" thick piece of marble countertop as the door - held closed by gravity...

clearly that would alter the depth a little - might split the difference - 18" at bottom - maybe 17" at the top...

what do you all think?

Karl