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4126
Home Made / Re: My project
« on: January 24, 2014, 09:48:47 PM »
With the 3/16" will the water jacket sides be self supporting or will they need bracing of some sort to keep from bowing out from the weight of the water?
I used 3"x1/4" on the outsides of my water jacket 1/3 and 2/3's on welded on the outside of the jacket to prevent bowing, then placed an insulator on top of the flat iron then bolted 2"x2"'s to the insulator so I could fasten the metal to that.
I'm wanting to say I used 8 gauge for the water jacket sides, 1/8" for the top and 1/4" plate for the bottom.
I used 3"x1/4" on the outsides of my water jacket 1/3 and 2/3's on welded on the outside of the jacket to prevent bowing, then placed an insulator on top of the flat iron then bolted 2"x2"'s to the insulator so I could fasten the metal to that.
I'm wanting to say I used 8 gauge for the water jacket sides, 1/8" for the top and 1/4" plate for the bottom.
4127
Home Made / Re: Draw the water off the top or bottom?
« on: January 24, 2014, 11:44:46 AM »
Since I'll be heating both the shop and the house I've toyed around with the ideal of having one pull off the top and the other pull off the bottom.
I suppose I better pull the trigger shortly and get started on this, then I'll hopefully have some time to mess around with different configurations on the plumbing before welding the top of the water jacket on.
I seen some cheap screw in temp gauges on Amazon, I might even go as far to test each one with boiling water and writing the differential on each one as I can't believe they would all read identical. I have a infrared thermometer but I'm not sure how believable that is.
I suppose I better pull the trigger shortly and get started on this, then I'll hopefully have some time to mess around with different configurations on the plumbing before welding the top of the water jacket on.
I seen some cheap screw in temp gauges on Amazon, I might even go as far to test each one with boiling water and writing the differential on each one as I can't believe they would all read identical. I have a infrared thermometer but I'm not sure how believable that is.
4128
Home Made / Re: Biggest concerns for Gasification boiler build
« on: January 24, 2014, 10:55:54 AM »
I would think the more heat exchanger area the better, in this day of making it cheaper and charging more, if P&M thought they could do away with those tubes and not effect efficiency they would have already.
4129
Home Made / Re: Biggest concerns for Gasification boiler build
« on: January 22, 2014, 03:54:24 PM »
Refractory can be had that has a high abrasion resistance, can also be had with a high resistance to thermal shock. It will cost more, but if it lasts longer is cost really a consideration then?
4130
Fire Wood / Re: rail road ties
« on: January 22, 2014, 08:30:13 AM »
Plays enough hell on chains and stinks to high heaven as well I'm going to let the pile of em rot, only time I burned ties when we had such a wet spell that no real wood could be had. Get off a driveway and sink to the axles on anything.
Was supposed to be one load of decent ties when they took the rails and ties out behind the farm, nobody was around though when they started hauling them in, got our one load of good ties then about 7 loads of junk.
Was supposed to be one load of decent ties when they took the rails and ties out behind the farm, nobody was around though when they started hauling them in, got our one load of good ties then about 7 loads of junk.
4131
Fire Wood / Re: Wood cutting time
« on: January 22, 2014, 07:41:09 AM »The other thing I've learned in my second season, is there is "easy gettin' wood" and "hard gettin' wood." Hard gettin' wood is that beautiful healthy red oak that blew down 100' inside the fence line. But, you have to cut the fence, pull posts, cut down and buck 4 little trees, get the splitter back there, and load the wood out in the back of your truck in 3 trips, then transfer to a trailer on the lane, then haul it home, unload and stack it in place. Easy getting wood is the guy that calls and says "hey, i just cut up this tree, you want it? It's right next to the road." And then all you do is load it on the trailer and take it home! Same amount of wood, only one load too 10 hours and the other took 2! Last year I had a BUNCH of easy gettin', this year, not so much!!
I hear that, I bought a old International pickup years ago just for the PTO operated winch on the front, a lot easier to drag the tree out in the open and work on it.
4132
Home Made / Re: Draw the water off the top or bottom?
« on: January 22, 2014, 07:30:00 AM »
Depending on who it is I just about hate to help some people out anymore, I do good work then they don't take care of it and their negligence is my problem. Not only did I build a boiler for a second cousin I also yanked the original gas motor out of a grain truck for him and installed a Cat diesel in it's place, anything goes wrong on that truck and he calls me.
Anyways, back on track here. If I was to do the bottom thing I'd stay 2-3" off the bottom. The other boilers I built I had the tank completely built but the top wasn't welded on, carried them outside with the forklift and pressure washed the inside out then welded the cap on. I could install a bypass around the snow melter heat exchanger and run around the plate exchanger for the first few weeks until the strainer didn't turn up with any gunk in it. Water heater is just a sidearm so that should never plug.
One thing I do like about the drawing off the top way, I installed a check valve at the bottom of the boilers I built with the theory of if a line ever burst the boiler couldn't completely drain and leave the firebox high and dry. Of course in 14 years I've never had a line problem, will probably install new underground pipe with the new boiler. I have one corner I know I'm losing heat at is it's the first place to be snow free when the temps get above freezing.
Anyways, back on track here. If I was to do the bottom thing I'd stay 2-3" off the bottom. The other boilers I built I had the tank completely built but the top wasn't welded on, carried them outside with the forklift and pressure washed the inside out then welded the cap on. I could install a bypass around the snow melter heat exchanger and run around the plate exchanger for the first few weeks until the strainer didn't turn up with any gunk in it. Water heater is just a sidearm so that should never plug.
One thing I do like about the drawing off the top way, I installed a check valve at the bottom of the boilers I built with the theory of if a line ever burst the boiler couldn't completely drain and leave the firebox high and dry. Of course in 14 years I've never had a line problem, will probably install new underground pipe with the new boiler. I have one corner I know I'm losing heat at is it's the first place to be snow free when the temps get above freezing.
4133
Home Made / Draw the water off the top or bottom?
« on: January 21, 2014, 11:10:47 PM »
So spent a lot of time researching gasification boilers on line then found this site to be a wealth of information in one place.
Built my first boiler thats still in use over a decade ago, then built a few for family and friends which I'll never do again as they think they came with a life time service agreement or something.
First boiler is still going strong but have decided I want something more efficient so whence the gasifier.
I found this thread that covered a lot on where to draw your water off, http://outdoorwoodfurnaceinfo.com/forum/index.php?topic=213.0. Was wondering though if since that thread was last active if a new rule of thumb has become accepted? The ones I built I returned the water under the fire box and draw the water off halfway between the top of the firebox and the maximum water level. I seemed to get a very good mix of water in the tank according to a infrared thermometer.
But I'm wondering about any potential problems of pumping cooler water under what will be the hottest part of a gasifier if sticking to the Portage and Main style?
On the ones I built I installed a tee in the supply lines on the back of the water jacket and actually have my thermocouples in the water flow. Problem I could see with this with drawing off the bottom is the water near the top of the boiler could be near boiling then, or would it mix better with drawing the water off the bottom and returning it at the top to the opposite end by the loading door? I've also toyed with the ideal of having a high limit aqua stat near the top to override the normal control if the water was considerably hotter near the top compared to what the pump was drawing. Or even two, one to override the main control if say the water was 200-205 and a second one with a interlocking relay to kill power to the fan and damper if the water actually reached boiling until it was manually reset.
Normally I'd just play around with this and figure it out the best as possible on my own, but it looks like I'll be extremely busy all year and would like to have it done before the next heating season. So any way I could save some time is a huge plus.
Im a farmer by trade and I've picked more ground up for this year plus will have another 40 acres of hay to make this year. Also promised the wife I'd get another room remodeled this winter before I got "busy" in the spring. Happy wife, happy life.
Any help or thoughts on this would be mucho appreciated.
Built my first boiler thats still in use over a decade ago, then built a few for family and friends which I'll never do again as they think they came with a life time service agreement or something.
First boiler is still going strong but have decided I want something more efficient so whence the gasifier.
I found this thread that covered a lot on where to draw your water off, http://outdoorwoodfurnaceinfo.com/forum/index.php?topic=213.0. Was wondering though if since that thread was last active if a new rule of thumb has become accepted? The ones I built I returned the water under the fire box and draw the water off halfway between the top of the firebox and the maximum water level. I seemed to get a very good mix of water in the tank according to a infrared thermometer.
But I'm wondering about any potential problems of pumping cooler water under what will be the hottest part of a gasifier if sticking to the Portage and Main style?
On the ones I built I installed a tee in the supply lines on the back of the water jacket and actually have my thermocouples in the water flow. Problem I could see with this with drawing off the bottom is the water near the top of the boiler could be near boiling then, or would it mix better with drawing the water off the bottom and returning it at the top to the opposite end by the loading door? I've also toyed with the ideal of having a high limit aqua stat near the top to override the normal control if the water was considerably hotter near the top compared to what the pump was drawing. Or even two, one to override the main control if say the water was 200-205 and a second one with a interlocking relay to kill power to the fan and damper if the water actually reached boiling until it was manually reset.
Normally I'd just play around with this and figure it out the best as possible on my own, but it looks like I'll be extremely busy all year and would like to have it done before the next heating season. So any way I could save some time is a huge plus.
Im a farmer by trade and I've picked more ground up for this year plus will have another 40 acres of hay to make this year. Also promised the wife I'd get another room remodeled this winter before I got "busy" in the spring. Happy wife, happy life.
Any help or thoughts on this would be mucho appreciated.
4134
Fire Wood / Re: TYPE of CHAIN SAWS USED
« on: January 21, 2014, 10:26:14 PM »Saw update. I replaced the Stihl 210 with a Dolmar 421a few weeks ago. Great little companion for the 6421. No more Stihl, no more flippy caps. Life is good. 421 has 1hp more, just what the doctor ordered, great little limbing saw. I've actually been using it in bigger wood than I had planned due to the light weight and its abilities. If anyone has been considering a 421, you won't be disappointed.
I liked the flippy caps at first, but after a few fill ups unless you blow em off first you tend to get more crud in your tanks. I'm going to start carrying a can of ether or something to spray around the caps before taking them off if a air hose isn't handy.
4135
Plumbing / Re: Pump location
« on: January 21, 2014, 07:36:07 PM »When that happens I do try to make it right later. I am a believer in this, "Do it once, do it right, and never have to do it again." Sadly, It just doesn't always work out that way.
Amen
4136
Plumbing / Re: Underground pipe options
« on: January 21, 2014, 07:11:41 PM »
Has anybody ever successfully changed their pipe by having whatever you used inside another pipe?
Just wondering as we install our own drain tile here at the farm and with the corrugations used on the pipe trying to slide it thru another piece of corrugated tile might be a joke at best. Maybe if the inner one was slid thru a 6" smooth bore plastic sewer pipe?
I also know the stuff my cousin installed (from Central Boiler perhaps) is stiff enough that again you'd play holy hell trying to get it to slide around any corners.
Just wondering as we install our own drain tile here at the farm and with the corrugations used on the pipe trying to slide it thru another piece of corrugated tile might be a joke at best. Maybe if the inner one was slid thru a 6" smooth bore plastic sewer pipe?
I also know the stuff my cousin installed (from Central Boiler perhaps) is stiff enough that again you'd play holy hell trying to get it to slide around any corners.
4137
Fire Wood / Re: Wood cutting time
« on: January 21, 2014, 05:59:25 PM »
All depends on whether we are cleaning fencerows and mostly dealing with small stuff or are dealing with real trees.
I cheat as well, if we are slow I'll have the help running a couple of saws while I carry anything up worth cutting with the grapple on the skid steer. Big stuff gets piled separately until I have enough of a pile to spent an afternoon splitting it all with a skid steer mounted splitter.
I cheat as well, if we are slow I'll have the help running a couple of saws while I carry anything up worth cutting with the grapple on the skid steer. Big stuff gets piled separately until I have enough of a pile to spent an afternoon splitting it all with a skid steer mounted splitter.
4138
Fire Wood / Re: rail road ties
« on: January 21, 2014, 05:55:04 PM »
Ties burn real good, make a ton of ash though, also plays hell on a chain cutting them to length.
4139
Fire Wood / Re: TYPE of CHAIN SAWS USED
« on: January 21, 2014, 05:53:04 PM »
Have two Sachs Dolmar, a 112 and a 120SI. 20 inch bars on both.
Have three Stihls, a 023, a 362 and a 460. 16", 25" and 28" bar. When the 25" bar wears out on the 362 I plan on replacing it with a 20".
Went with the Stihl's as the only place that still services Sachs in our area is slower than molasses. I can fix em myself but usually have bigger fish to fry.
Have three Stihls, a 023, a 362 and a 460. 16", 25" and 28" bar. When the 25" bar wears out on the 362 I plan on replacing it with a 20".
Went with the Stihl's as the only place that still services Sachs in our area is slower than molasses. I can fix em myself but usually have bigger fish to fry.
4140
Fire Wood / Re: anyone ever burn sycamore?
« on: January 21, 2014, 05:49:27 PM »
Doesn't burn too bad, can be a bear to split by hand.