I've read a few threads on here about making charcoal in drums but I was wondering if anyone ever built anything like a backyard charcoal making machine. Something perhaps on wheels that might be like an enclosed metal fire box with a chamber inside it and above for loading wood into. Sorta like a fine tuned charcoal making setup.

Are there any pictures or plans or diagrams of people who've made something like this? All I could find was people lighting fires in drums. :confused:

Short answer. Yes.

But it's late and it's an involved reply with sketches, etc. I'll get back in a day or two.

Frosty

okay cool.. i'm sure others will have some input in the meantime. Looking forward to seeing your reply. I'm sure I couldn't be the first to actually decide to "fabricate something" for this purpose to get a better yield, in a safer more enclosed way then a drum, with more controllability and results.

Go to e-bay, do a search on blacksmithing and often a booklet is for sale showing the whole schmear! good luck.

Go to e-bay, do a search on blacksmithing and often a booklet is for sale showing the whole schmear! good luck.

Maybe this?

UP TO $1000/wk making charcoal for fireworks - eBay (item 130262756447 end time Nov-14-08 12:04:02 PST)

This retort construction should get you there, MAKE CHARCOAL Blacksmith Forge BBQ Fireworks - eBay (item 350109620557 end time Oct-20-08 09:17:12 PDT).

This retort construction should get you there, MAKE CHARCOAL Blacksmith Forge BBQ Fireworks - eBay (item 350109620557 end time Oct-20-08 09:17:12 PDT).

Can someone give me a breakdown of how this works?

I guess I sorta understand the idea here. Is it that the exhaust gasses from the wood are come off a chamber (in this case a drum) are put back into the heating area and ignited underneath it to avoid lost energy in the process?

I guess I like this idea but in the area I live I can't have an exposed fire sitting on the ground. So even if I used a drum setup, (which I really don't want to because in this area I think i'd have to buy one. I don't even have a truck to pick one up.) I'd still have to enclose the fire underneath it in some kind of box. What are all the valves for?

I'm handy enough that if someone can give me a general idea of the concept I can construct something to fit my specific needs. I live on prolly 3/4 acre property and forges, backyard bbq's and the like, I know I can get away with, but if I just have a monstrous thing sitting there with flames in a pit that might get someone calling, but if I can build something where the fire is quite contained and that's teaming out of this thing is smoke then that should be a non issue. :)

twinoaksforge.com has a great tutorial. Should explain the picture for you.

This is a paint image of my charcoal retort. I use a 55 gallon drum for the main body and a grease drum for the inner body. the white box is a fuel door. I punch holes in the bottom of the grease drum to allow combustion gasses escape into the fire and egnite.
I hope this makes sense.

Edited October 20, 200817 yr by mark hendricks
trouble posting image

I guess I really don't understand the line of your inquiry. You want make charcoal, but not with the pit/earth/sod approach, nor with the use of drums. I'm not sure you can achieve your goals with those restrictions. As I recall, the retort plans the fella is selling on eBay call for two drums, one under the other. The bottom one is the fire/heat source which "cooks" the wood in the top one. The gases vented from the top one are rooted back into the bottom one to be burned off and contribute to the charring processes. It's quite ingenious, but rather dramatic and robust.

This is a paint image of my charcoal retort. I use a 55 gallon drum for the main body and a grease drum for the inner body. the white box is a fuel door. I punch holes in the bottom of the grease drum to allow combustion gasses escape into the fire and egnite.
I hope this makes sense.

Sorry about that, I'm having no end of trouble posting pic's.

I cut a door in the bottom of a 55 gallon drum. Then made a stand to hold the grease drum. Punched holes in the bottom of the grease drum. The drum is filled with chunks of wood and placed inside of the 55 gal. drum. A fire is started under the grease drum. When it gets real hot the wood gasses ignite and add to the heat needed to char the wood.