Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?

Username: Password:
Pages: 1 [2] 3

Author Topic: My homemade boiler  (Read 19363 times)

martyinmi

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 541
  • OWF Brand: Portage and Main
  • OWF Model: Optimizer 250
    • View Profile
Re: My homemade boiler
« Reply #15 on: December 30, 2011, 06:01:24 PM »

petemoss,
   Your build looks incredible. I had to stare at the pictures for a while before I figured out how it works. Awesome job. The motor on the front is a draft inducer of some sort,right? I've never seen any schematics or cut-outs pertaining to how the European style boilers actually function. Your design looks to be an easy one to perform periodic maintenance on. Can you sense the jealousy in my words? Did you make the nozzle yourself or is it a purchased, pre-cast one?
   Once again, great job. I think I can speak foe everyone here when I say "you done good" :thumbup:

   Marty 
Logged
Newholland TZ-25da
30+ Chain Saws
'05 Dodge Diesel
Michigander
TSC 35 Ton Splitter

petemoss

  • Training Wheels
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 42
  • OWF Brand: shopbuilt
  • OWF Model: # 1
    • View Profile
Re: My homemade boiler
« Reply #16 on: December 30, 2011, 09:08:19 PM »

Yes martyinmi the motor actually creates a negative draft in the fire chamber. the air is drawn from outside the building, through the boiler to the front coller were it travels counterclockwise around the air coller to the secondary air inlet [top] then to the primary air inlet [bottom] as the air tavels around the coller it gets super heated before it enters the firebox, makes for good combustion. from there it is pulled through the first 4 passes of the heat exchanger pipe and it is pushed out the last pass exhaust straight out the building, no need for a vertical flue. the nozzle was bought online precast, works good. a person could build that out of fire brick, which i thought about but they are expensive also. it is very easy maintinence, but i need to make some kind of flexible type brush to follow the pipes vertical to clean them. i've only been able to clean the horizontal pipes thus far, so i know i'm losing performance there plus my exhaust temps will go down and i will gain heat transfer. don't seem to matter what kind of wood i burn, it all burns hot. best wood burner i ever built, and i've built my share . Thanks for the compliments and the interest.

                 Larry     
Logged
009 stihl
024 stihl
029 stihl
029 super
6401 makita
new holland L783 skidsteer
1086 ih tractor
706 ih tractor
west central mo. lots of hedge

petemoss

  • Training Wheels
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 42
  • OWF Brand: shopbuilt
  • OWF Model: # 1
    • View Profile
Re: My homemade boiler
« Reply #17 on: December 30, 2011, 09:27:59 PM »

Few more pics      :pic:
Logged
009 stihl
024 stihl
029 stihl
029 super
6401 makita
new holland L783 skidsteer
1086 ih tractor
706 ih tractor
west central mo. lots of hedge

vpd66

  • Training Wheels
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 48
    • View Profile
Re: My homemade boiler
« Reply #18 on: December 31, 2011, 11:09:03 AM »

Larry, Thanks again for answering my questions and good job again on the boiler! I was wondering is there a tube or channel for secondary air to enter the secondary chamber, or does all the air just enter the firebox at the top and bottom of the door opening? Do you have any pictures of the draft induction fan? You said you used a spa pump motor, did you make the fan wheel? After thinking about it and running the numbers, your boiler is kind of small (for this type of boiler). I estimate it holds about 850-865 gallons of water. Explains why you went with an extra 500 gallons of storage.
Vince
Logged

petemoss

  • Training Wheels
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 42
  • OWF Brand: shopbuilt
  • OWF Model: # 1
    • View Profile
Re: My homemade boiler
« Reply #19 on: December 31, 2011, 01:11:48 PM »

Vince  the blower wheel can be found online, if you look at the first pic in the first post you will see where the air enters the firebox. I don't know where you are located, but if you can estimate the amount of water capacity from there i would say you are good to go. this is something i built from parts i had laying around the farm, old fuel tank,2 old propane tanks, 4" pipe some old i beams for legs, part of an old hay rake wheel on the door the front of the door is actually an old disc blade, a 1" bolt to hold the door shut, some 1" iron for the door hinge. i actually angled the I beams 45* on each end and cut slots in them to hook a chain to so you can move it around if i wanted to i could hook to my tractor and pull it down the road, built like a tank, and yes the 500 gal is for extra storage, it just prolongs having to build a fire. if you could store enough water to last all year you'd only need one fire per year! storage+efficient burn is key.                 :bash: 

                   Larry
Logged
009 stihl
024 stihl
029 stihl
029 super
6401 makita
new holland L783 skidsteer
1086 ih tractor
706 ih tractor
west central mo. lots of hedge

vpd66

  • Training Wheels
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 48
    • View Profile
Re: My homemade boiler
« Reply #20 on: December 31, 2011, 04:45:32 PM »

Larry, thanks again! I understand that you built it with what you had laying around. It isn't hard to figure out what the water volume of your boiler is because you listed your tank size , fire box size, and the size and length of flue tubing you used. I'm beginning to think that there isn't that much magic to these style boilers and its just a matter of getting a hot clean burning fire and routing the exhaust through a large volume of water to extract the heat off it.
Vince
Logged

petemoss

  • Training Wheels
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 42
  • OWF Brand: shopbuilt
  • OWF Model: # 1
    • View Profile
Re: My homemade boiler
« Reply #21 on: December 31, 2011, 04:57:32 PM »

yes they work good and are very simple. two moving parts, the door & the motor.

             Larry


                                                                    :pic:




                                                                               
Logged
009 stihl
024 stihl
029 stihl
029 super
6401 makita
new holland L783 skidsteer
1086 ih tractor
706 ih tractor
west central mo. lots of hedge

Bill G

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 166
  • OWF Brand: Portage and Main
  • OWF Model: Opt. 250
    • View Profile
Re: My homemade boiler
« Reply #22 on: December 31, 2011, 08:07:44 PM »

Pete,

     You sure know how to get somebody motivated!  I sure do miss my toolmaking days, but....maybe someday soon, I'd like to take on a project like that!  Nice work and thanks for your time in posting pics and such!  Great use of your talents! 
Logged
Bill
Stihl saws
Homegrown splitter
'10 3500 Dodge Cummins
(Beagles and snowshoe hares!!)
NE PA

petemoss

  • Training Wheels
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 42
  • OWF Brand: shopbuilt
  • OWF Model: # 1
    • View Profile
Re: My homemade boiler
« Reply #23 on: December 31, 2011, 08:40:39 PM »

Thanks Bill, Glad to help. i see your runing a p&m, thats top of the line right there. happy burning & stay warm !

                  Larry           ;)
Logged
009 stihl
024 stihl
029 stihl
029 super
6401 makita
new holland L783 skidsteer
1086 ih tractor
706 ih tractor
west central mo. lots of hedge

Scott7m

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3740
  • OWF Brand: Heatmaster
  • OWF Model: E Series
    • View Profile
Re: My homemade boiler
« Reply #24 on: January 05, 2012, 03:25:11 PM »

How hot do you let the boiler get?  Pressurized?
Logged
Dealer for:  Heatmaster, Empyre, Earth, Ridgewood, and Woodmaster outdoor furnaces
Furnace Parts Dealer
Pelican water treatment systems
606-316-9697

petemoss

  • Training Wheels
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 42
  • OWF Brand: shopbuilt
  • OWF Model: # 1
    • View Profile
Re: My homemade boiler
« Reply #25 on: January 05, 2012, 08:23:34 PM »

I normally shoot for 200* or higher, it is an open system, unpressurized, I just used the vertical 500 gal tank as an expansion also. the boiler is always completly full that way. I just pull hot from top of storage, and return to bottom of boiler.
Logged
009 stihl
024 stihl
029 stihl
029 super
6401 makita
new holland L783 skidsteer
1086 ih tractor
706 ih tractor
west central mo. lots of hedge

rosewood

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 201
    • View Profile
Re: My homemade boiler
« Reply #26 on: January 05, 2012, 08:31:57 PM »

wow thats one of nicest homemades i have seen in a while! love to see the mass water storage,1200gals over here and wish i made it larger.
Logged

Scott7m

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3740
  • OWF Brand: Heatmaster
  • OWF Model: E Series
    • View Profile
Re: My homemade boiler
« Reply #27 on: January 05, 2012, 08:41:52 PM »

Ive tried and tried to be a dealer for Garn, can't seem to get anyone up there to take interest in much.  Which is what I've heard from lots of people.  But if I had the material rounded up I would love to make a boiler like that with 3-4k gallons of storage.
Logged
Dealer for:  Heatmaster, Empyre, Earth, Ridgewood, and Woodmaster outdoor furnaces
Furnace Parts Dealer
Pelican water treatment systems
606-316-9697

petemoss

  • Training Wheels
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 42
  • OWF Brand: shopbuilt
  • OWF Model: # 1
    • View Profile
Re: My homemade boiler
« Reply #28 on: January 05, 2012, 08:43:53 PM »

Thanks rosewood, I'm like you i like mass storage. I've already built another one alot bigger in my head. one of these days i'll need another project. my son wants a bigger one so that will be next. are there any pics on here of yours ?
Logged
009 stihl
024 stihl
029 stihl
029 super
6401 makita
new holland L783 skidsteer
1086 ih tractor
706 ih tractor
west central mo. lots of hedge

petemoss

  • Training Wheels
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 42
  • OWF Brand: shopbuilt
  • OWF Model: # 1
    • View Profile
Re: My homemade boiler
« Reply #29 on: January 05, 2012, 08:50:05 PM »

Scott7m, the next one i build will be all new material, prolly 3-4-5 k gallons. no doubt they would sell. they're just so simple & work great.
Logged
009 stihl
024 stihl
029 stihl
029 super
6401 makita
new holland L783 skidsteer
1086 ih tractor
706 ih tractor
west central mo. lots of hedge
Pages: 1 [2] 3