Wood Furnace

[Ice Czar]

well maybe not "all" of them, the one I linked is a book

a gasifier isnt really a charcoal "production" unit, unless its run as a batch mode and interrupted

if you are interested in it you might want to build a slightly smaller version first
http://www.crest.org/discussiongroup...LETE_MIDGE.pdf


this paper would help with "tuning" a gasifier for more charcoal
http://www.woodgas.com/Superficial%20Velocity.pdf

[stretch]

Here is a book on retorts for making charcoal. I got this info before it was in book form. Here is the book name and author. It is very simple and it works real good. Used my retort for about a year before I found a good source of coal.

Amazon.com: Making Charcoal: The Retort Method: Books: William C. Neel

[the_sandy_creek_forge]

Originally Posted by m_brothers

Right now I've got about 400lbs of chopped up wood.

M_Brothers,
While 400lbs of wood seems like a lot, it really is not. Also, you lose some of that mass in the coaling process (I can't remember exactly how much, and I'm sure someone will call me on being to lazy to look it up). Personally, if I were going through the trouble and mess to make my own charcoal, I would take it in one fell swoop and burn down at least a full cord or so at a time (if space, supply, etc. allowed for it). As far as the charcoaling process, I CAN offer this.
Jack Daniel's charcoal filters their whiskey. When I took the tour of the distillery, they explained how their charcoal making process works, and I took the initiative to ask a few more questions of the tour guide. They cut and/or split the pieces of (I believe) maple so they are dimensioned about 1-2" by 1-2" by X length. They then rick them up log cabin style. They add a little flammable liquid (Distilled alcohol incidentally) and they light the pile up. As soon as it looks like the wood has coaled (they are professionals and know when this is), they hose it down. That simple. Split, stack, burn, hose down. From what I saw of the charcoal, it seemed to be pretty well coaled, and as far as I can figure it is the relatively small cross section that allows it to coal up so well in so short of time (my speculation).
-Aaron @ the SCF

[stretch]

I know you will lose quite a bit if you just pile it up and burn it. That is why the charcoal burners put a 24 hr watch on the pile of wood for a week or 2 for the size of piles they used to do. You can't let it get away or you have ash and that doesn't work very good in a forge. In the retort you lose none of what you put in the retort. You just lose what you used to heat it with.