EricS Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I have been wanting to build a retort for some time.So today I stopped by the scrap yard and picked up some pieces of 4" and 6" pipe and I bought a 4x6 concentric sch 40 reducer from a supplier. I cut my interior barrel and welded up the pipe. I'm following Ian's design. Don't laugh at my rookie welds. So far I have a total of $56.00 into it and I don't think I need to buy anything else.Thanks for looking,EricS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan C Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Sweet, that's looking good! That's something I've wanted to do but haven't gotten around to it. For now I've just been putting a lid and covering the bottom holes off my burn barrel. What type of welder did you use on the inner barrel? I know it's a bit thin for my arc welder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricS Posted January 16, 2014 Author Share Posted January 16, 2014 I haven't welded the barrel yet but I will be using my mig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Looking good so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricS Posted January 19, 2014 Author Share Posted January 19, 2014 Finished up the retort today well almost finished . I still have to put the fire grate in the fire tube and get some caulk for the flange. Here are some pics. I'm going to try an fire it up sometime this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yahoo2 Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 I can almost hear someone thinking "where is the oats supposed to come out, this is the strangest looking feeder I have ever seen"? or is that Sooty the supervising engineer making sure the welds are up to scratch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 That looks familiar you might just shorten the feed tube at the bottom to the edge of the barrel ?Looks awesome, how many holes and what size did you use below the reducer?Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricS Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 Ian I drilled the 12 above the flange and six 1" above the first 12 at 1/2" dia for a total of 18 holes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 So when are you going to light it up?That roar is addictive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielC Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Im interested in the set-up as well. Might get to crackin with the plasma and welder this weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricS Posted January 29, 2014 Author Share Posted January 29, 2014 Now that we have a little snow on the ground it won't be so dry. We have had a burn ban in effect. I'll should be able to fire it up this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielC Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Nice Eric. Need to post some pics of that bad boy running! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricS Posted January 30, 2014 Author Share Posted January 30, 2014 Mark said you were wanting to build one. I'm not to far away. you are welcome to check it out, just send me a PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 That looks good! Have you fired it yet? I really need to pull my thumb out and build something like this and get a decent wad of fuel in. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielC Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 If i had the time this week I would! Your retort looks really good. Mine is nearly finished as well. I had problems sourcing the reducer and the pipe in general. Yours looks almost cast-iron like. I found 4.5"OD sch 40 steel pipe and the closest thing to 6" I found and bought was 7.5" OD sch 40 steel pipe. I bought the lengths for both. My cutting torch and plasma cutter were having issues lastnight so I had to use my portable chop saw and a 25,000rpm cut off wheel to do the job. Not to mention no flanges in my search, so had to make one from 1/4" plate as well (Again, no plasma or cutting torch!!!). Got it all set with holes drilled and pieces welded late lastnight. Maybe 3-4 hours left of fabbing, welding and assembly. Today is my daughters first birthday, so tomorrow I will have time to finish. Then its time to stockpile charcoal. I've made charcoal in the past but always the indirect method. While my return was high and the charcoal was top quality, it took too long and the amount of wood I had to use for fuel was more than charcoal I was getting back. Was nearly ready to turn these two drums into Lee Sauders direct method when Mark mentioned yours and Ian's set-up, and I gave it a look. At that point I was sold, and a week later nearly finished the project. You will like that ore. That particular ore WANTS to be Iron. Really hard to get it to steel straight from bloom furnace. A Hearth will fix that however, and make it high quality steel. I've even been entertaining the idea of trying out blister and sheer steel lately. We shall see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricS Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 I fired up the retort about 1.5 hours ago. It was eating up fuel and i wasn't getting the roar Ian was speaking of. So I walk to the house for a glass of water and when I got back almost exactly 1. 5 into I could hear the roar slowly pick up. The fuel is out and she's running on gases!!! Dan the pipe I used was sch 10 fire sprinkler steel pipe thinner wall but same OD so the sch 40 reducer worked fine. I can't wait until the morning to see how the charcoal turned out I used pine and hickory. By the way I found a good source for clay in Charlotte ( no shipping) so as soon as the weather breaks I will have my stack built and I should be ready to have my first smelt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielC Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Ah good idea on the sprinkler pipe. Did you source them from a supplier or scrapyard? Good to hear it worked. Also make sure your clays are kaolin clays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Glad to hear it went well, can't wait to hear of your results!I've also made a retort using 6'' sched 10 cutting out wedges and re-welding to form the reducer it works but if you can get a reducer at the scrapyards all the better.Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricS Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 I got the pipe from the scrap yard but the reducer came from a pipe supplier I think it was around $25.00. I'll be using the same recipe as lee sauder and mark for my stack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielC Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Yea i wish my scrapyard had that pipe. I bought a little extra but my total pipe weight is around 90# after its all said and done. No reducer either so i'll have to weld a plate to the bigger pipe and cut a hole out for the 4.5", to work as a transition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yahoo2 Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Hi EricS, cant wait to hear how it went. Did you lean the retort back like Ian does to get a hot patch on the flue and get the wood gassing a little sooner? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Daniel, the ''cone'' helps to ''speed'' up the draw, kind of venturi effect.Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielC Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Daniel, the ''cone'' helps to ''speed'' up the draw, kind of venturi effect. Ian Well I'm kind of committed with my pipe sizes and finding one this size would be difficult unless I fab a cone, which is inherently difficult. We'll have to see I guess. EDIT: May forge one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Use a grander to cut a couple of ''pie slice'' slots whack with hammer and weld, no biggie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Sorry, typed ''grinder'' and tablet 'fixed' it for me..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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