tony uljee

that looks good ,and a nice touch using the stove parts  getting them to blend into the build makes it look neat and unique, and another Walker stove for us to admire, well done---one or two more pics would really be treat for us.

i tried to read /absorb some of this as i have an interest in the tech of producer gas---Biomass Thermal Conversion , The Principles and Technology , Pyrolysis,Gasification and Combustion , edited by Thomas .B. Reed

sorry to see you have had a set back like that---never had any experience of ground heave like that ---we get excited  around here if the ground freezes from a prolonged period of frost and waterpipes freeze up or split---nothing like what you have to contend with--- i think something like this is just another day of "roll up the sleeves and get down to it" for you--if any one has the skill set ---positive attitude and stoic resolve to sort it---its yourself--wish you well and looking forward to seeing a new improved version of the stove in the future.tony

some of my latest observations and the last of my comments as its done now , the stove is performing very well , and my only regret as it is ---i did not find out about them a long time ago and that i had to take almost 3 years to get one ----when i think of all the timber and turf i have burnt over the past and how much effort that all took to gather and process ---to waste so much of it in the old style stoves ---and even more so ---to have been stuck in a way of thinking about solid fuel heating and how a stove should be made ---yes i was able to gather up a lot of the materials to build my old steel range s and stoves and able to weld them ---so the costs might seem lower ---compared to the approx 2000.00 euro i have spent on building my new stove. But factor in all the wasted effort ,work and fuel alone those took ----- i don t want to try and figure out the money cost to add on to this. Then considering how much used to cook on electric for 80/90% of time and the stoves bought and used up ---most of which could never be repaired more than twice in their lifespans ---i have been through at least 5 ---yes i was able to wire up my own connections ,replace cooker rings and stove elements---the odd switch/dial --but mine were cheap and nasty old things ---even so spares cost and get harder to source as time and tech move on---then from first reading about a stove built from masonry/rocks/stone in  a fine homebuilding publication years ago---to wanting one of those expensive top end ranges with the enamel finish  --yes they do look nice ---  but way out of reach for my pocket----well thats all behind me now ---as i was shown how to build what i needed --at my own pace --to be able to space out the costs --no loans or credit involved---no really impossible to source parts ---and nothing i cant fix myself---but mostly i was shown how to adjust and change my  way of thinking ----and all the help and guidance given for free ---thankyou to all of you out there on the forum and to be able to use this permies site ----all comments were helpful in advice from practical and experienced to just encouragement---so thats it ---another big thankyou ----hope some out there is starting on a stove ----tony

A similar concept was planned for the city of Capetown in the 1940 s by Theodore Schumann to produce water n the mountains and use it to produce hydro power electric as well to part recover its energy requirements based on patents from Alvin M Marks, it was called a power fence ---but on a large scale and size----of course it never happened and Capetown still goes through droughts and water restrictions.

meant to add , its not the glass that glows ---thats the flame path of the gas burning --shinning through ---and leaning over it gives you a temporary face lift of sorts ---tightens up the skin ---nothing is cookable at that temp though---maybe a quick boil up for a brew----any thing else would be turned into charcoal in the pan ---but you can see how Matts concept of the oven built up over the glass works so well-----and now onto my other failure -----the idea i had of trying to use my cartridge gun with nozzle -- to hold a bag of fine clay/sand ,and squeeze out a bead of it for the stove top to rest on -----worked for about 10cm then all the water was squeezed out and it would nt flow anymore---concept would work if you purchased the purpose made tubes of ceramic paste rated for 1500 celsius .

this is the type stove --- a Lachinyaka--that i found the idea of a sand seal for the flue from --there are some others that used this idea as well ,most are bubafonya type stoves from what i saw--

heres one for Nancy ---running on peat ---turf or sods as we say here ---these are "machine cut " ---last years cut ---but some of it is not completely dry ---my fault ---too long in the bog and rain ---i get it started on timber kindling---then layer up a few sods---few more pieces of what dry wood i can find ---once going add more sods and eventually you get a good flow of fire---i think if the sods were very dry and more dry timber like maple /ash/birch/alder was used---i would get the flaming river to pass under the third plate area-----and if i dropped the c/glass top down  about 10mm---currently i have the glass resting on top of a 16mm stove rope seal with a backing of superwool to make up the gap to the outer metal framework ----the flat piece of 25 x 6mm strip iron on top is just a trim and rests on a tape/ribbon of basalt fibre----to keep it off the glass----i found that the mortar seal kept cracking ---the stove is still moving and settling ---so i am experimenting with just a rope seal ----its all i could get a short notice ----i am waiting for my basalt tape at 6mm thick ----the rope is working ---no leaks ---and copes with any slight movement there might be. ---i also have my self convinced that by running the stove with the primary air intake on a "waxing moon" its does better with the turf

Two weekends ago i was fortunate enough to be up in the hills with cousins of my wife , on their farm ---as these occasions  are few and never long enough--this was a long weekend ---we took to the cider early and as the night came down we walked across the fields  pathway to the village pub---pints of porter and stout followed---singing broke out---someone on a banjo---and it really got underway---with a song that stood out ---"Cod liver oil an the Orange juice"  penned years ago by Hamish Imlach---so reading the above title brought back all my happy memories of the night ---as it sounds exactly like the title of a song that Hamish would have come up with---thanks for this

thats it now ---just about done ---just the last section on the bottom of the outside flue pipe --the 90 bend and horizontal section to insulate and sheet over ---i have to remove the scaffolding to do this ---but at the moment i am waiting for a decent morning as i must paint the sheeted top sections and repair a leaky gutter and a down pipe for some re alinement up at that hight on the shed.Inside is done but for the oven insert to make it a complete cooking stove ---running longer fire up times and finally the lowest 2 layers of brick getting warm --still lots of water vapour out the flue ---sand seal still collects water ---i have a plan to drill and tap a brass pipe fitting and run a copper line down to a collection flask ---as i think with the flue running a much lower temperature than an old top loader wood stove---theres bound to be more water vapour not being pulled up --each load of fuel has trapped water ---the air coming in is always above 50% moisture ---currently 70%---maybe there will minimal amounts --and not be an issue----but i am a constant messer ---always tinkering and adjusting things ---mostly for very little to no effect  usually . my observations so far  ---this stove is so different to my old top loader that i have had to readjust all my old habits and ways of thinking to use it properly---big change to inside air quality ---no burnt metal smell ---no pronounced fuel burning smell ---less ash being stirred up ---had to fine tune and get used to more fire starting and having more kindling in stock to use --- the old top loader habit was to close it down and produce a slow burn (BAD) but always embers in the bottom ---enough to load up and get it going with out kindling---it was also slow to get to a cooking heat on top .   I will post up later some other thoughts ---but must dash off now