June 3, 200818 yr What about using wood pellets from a pellet stove. Has anyone ever tried that yet and how did it turn out.
June 4, 200818 yr Thanks, simmonds - I was starting to think I was talking to myself! CWB, pellets could be used with a different grate and might need different upper air holes. In the Phillipines they make gasifier stoves that operate on rice husks with a 3 watt blower (computer fan). Mine uses a squirrel cage fan out of an old microwave and it's a lot more than I need. I put shelled corn (maybe a tablespoon at a time, along with several wood chunks) in mine after the fire is established. Corn oil makes a nice fire! Good Luck!
June 4, 200818 yr Beaver Can you make a diagrahm of this thing, with the critical dimensions? This thing is wild, and I'd love to try to build one!
June 5, 200817 yr Here's a diagram I drew up, I don't think any of the dimensions are critical. I used a 2' piece of 6" stove pipe but cut the crinkled section off. I drew the internal parts in red, but the top cap actually fits flush with the top of the pipe. I have a hole saw that's about 2 5/8, so I cut a hole in the cap that size and made tabs around the edge to open it up to 3". I made the lower baffle in a similar manner, also leaving tabs around the edge. They help support and seal the parts. I also used the tabbing to offset the bottom of the inner pipe a bit (for more clearance for the air valve) since the hole I drilled to let air through was 1 1/2" (I had a hole saw that size). The grate is a 3" drain grate from Lowes, I left a 1/4" gap instead of pushing it all the way into the tube. It's secured with a couple stainless screws. The air inlet tube is a piece of 2 1/2" exhaust pipe flared to match the hole and held in place with high-temp (exhaust gasket) silicone. I didn't draw the air valve, it's just a cone that slides into the hole in the baffle to control air to the grate. I have it hooked to a choke cable that's working well after getting the hanger bent just right. I also didn't draw the holes in the inner tube, a dozen 5/16 holes just under the cap. Take a look at the pix in post #50, and let me know if anything isn't clear. I figure I have about $35 in it, not including the failed plywood stand(or scrounged items; exhaust pipe, cart, blower, mud, wire, screws). I've found that I can close the blower inlet down almost to 1/8" and the "dragon's breath" is a lot better (tamer) but I have to open the lower air valve more. Good Luck!
June 10, 200817 yr Asking again. Does anyone have the email address for Agua Das. I think a version the Dasifier would power my ceramic kiln nicely. I would like to get his DVD. You can post the email address or email me at [email protected]. Thanks in advance for your help.
June 10, 200817 yr I got this from a quick web search for Agua Das.[email protected] No idea if it's good though I recall a supposedly good E-dress posted earlier in this thread. Frosty
October 1, 200817 yr sorry i havent had a chance to even think about any of this much less work on my own. email from youtube guy Attached are a few photos to give you an idea of what I did different to Das. I hope you can see that I coiled some tube inside the chamber to preheat the compressed air and pulled it right back away from the nozzle as I found Das's design formed clinkers. Now with the burner head I had a better picture of a further design I used that was much more successful but I must have saved it to another folder (Might even have a clip). In the end I found that if you have a piece of mesh pipe at the end it increases air mixture and flame retention (When you see the pic and clip it will explain it all a lot better). My auger design was not so good as the guys built it out of steel and not cast iron so as it heated up, it seized up so Das's shaker should work much better. If your looking to keep the biochar you'll want to take out the biochar as you feed in biomass to avoid to much oxidation of the charcoal. Regards, Rob. Bubbadillo, email address for das that worked when i talked to him was aguadas at onebox dot com Beaver nice work.
October 1, 200817 yr It's been used for thousands of years, charcoal was in fact the very first, and longest used fuel for blacksmith's and bladesmiths. Japanese sword masters still ONLY use charcoal, and they make the finest swords around. sam
October 1, 200817 yr In my solid fuel forge I use biomass of any kind which can be cut into small chunks (the size of two fingers curled up together, can be smaller, but it might burn up before it cokes) Anything works: charcoal, wood, herbivore dung, tree nuts, pine cones etc.) I just need to have a deep fire so that the stuff cokes/charcoals before it gets down to the main fire. With dung an corn and some other things I can work the same way as I would with coal, coking it from the edges and pushing it in. remember, deep fire and fuel cut into smallish chunks is good! be merry! Archie P.S. If you are doing bladesmithing or suchlike where it is very precise, go with charcoal like aeneas said.
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