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1

General Discussion / Enough Already

« on: February 05, 2011, 08:24:08 AM »

Well we got lucky last week, the freezing rain, snow went north of us, however, today I woke to about three inches on the ground and it is still comming down.  I know all north of I-70 will tell me to quit my whinning, but we usally get some nice days in Feb that makes you want to clean and service the bass boat.  Oh well, hope it quits soon and that everybody.s OWB is working well and you are getting long burn times between loadings.

2

General Discussion / BTU conversion ?

« on: February 02, 2011, 05:57:46 PM »

Was reading another post where someone I think it was WillieG was able to caculate a BTU conversion from gas to wood, (ie. 1,000 gal of LP gas will produce X number of BTU's so you would need X number of cords of wood to equate the same).  I did try to find a conversion chart eleswhere on the net but not very well versed on the use of the WWW

3

General Discussion / Re: Snow Storm!

« on: February 02, 2011, 11:04:59 AM »

JackIel440,  I live south of you, straight west of Evansville, IN. about 75 mi. and we lucked out, maintained about 33 untill it stopped raining then the bottom dropped out, down to high teens.  Right now it's snowing and the wind is howling out of the N - NW.  Really wishing I would have just went and bought a factory OWB a month ago instead of starting a quest for materials to build my own, with this wind and temps the geothermal is running alot, today would have been one of those big energy savings days with a OWB.  What is it those Cubs fans always say? "just wait till next year" LOL.

4

Equipment / Re: This is just crazy!But sure is a heck of a splitter

« on: January 30, 2011, 08:28:30 PM »

Jackel, your insane, but the kind of insane I admire, LOL.  Looks like that splitter will handel anything two men and a boy could lift to put in her. 

5

Home Made / Re: On Line OWB Plans

« on: January 24, 2011, 07:59:41 PM »

It did its job well for 7 years till it sprung a big leak. The downfall of it is all the welds where as a round one has very few. It took me two weeks to build a round one and it took me 3 months to build the one from deb the price wasent even close on the deb one it cost me prob $4000.00 and my round one i am at $2000.00.

I stopped at a Shaver dealership while traveling over the weekend, there was no one around the dealership but I looked one of their OWB's over.  it appeared they used a round piece of pipe (I would guess somewhere around 32 inch) then built a square water jacket around it.  Is this how you built your round one or did you go for a pipe in bigger pipe set up?  It appears the pipe in pipe would  be the easiest but there may be some reason I am unaware of you can't do that.

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Home Made / On Line OWB Plans

« on: January 21, 2011, 12:43:07 PM »

Knowing my lack of design and enginering abilty I was considering ordering one of the how to plans offerd on E-bay.  Has anyone seen these plans?  If they simply say build a firebox and put a water jacket around it with a few hand drawn diagrams I wouldn't be very interested, however, if they are detailed and step by step (ie. cut 2, 4x4, pieces of 1/4" plate then, ect.ect.) they would probally be a good investment for me.  Just wondering if anyone has done a homemade build from these plans or even seen them.  Thanks

7

Home Made / Re: Gasification wood boiler build

« on: January 21, 2011, 12:23:02 PM »

Ok jackel440, now that you have it up and running I am concerned you will become bored, so in an effort to help you out, if you will send me a materials list I'll load up my trailer and head your way and you can build me one just like it LOL.  All kidding aside I am very impressed with your fabrication skill, while I can weld well enough to keep my old farm equipment patched together I have never been good at designing and fabrication.  Off subject, was that an old Plymouth I saw in your shop in one of the photos of the build? If so and considering the 440 in your user name I would bet your a Mo-Par guy.  Enjoy that boy, while I,m 6'3'' and 260 lbs. I have to lookl up to mine now and he can't even think about fitting into my coveralls anymore.  Once again congrats on the completion.

8

General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Unsplit Wood Lengths - Heatmor

« on: January 19, 2011, 10:27:43 AM »

I am still in the research phase myself so have been to all the sites I could find for OWB's and I think it was on "Shavers" page they had a device that picked up your wood, brought it to door hiegth, then allow you to push it in the burn chamber.  Looking at the pictures I think something close could be fabricated with basic metal and welding skills.  When I was a young man I thought back problems were a way for lazy people to avoid work, but, after being "down" in my back for a week or so, twice over the past thirty years I now know it is the real deal. 

9

General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / gasification chamber question (a long read)

« on: January 18, 2011, 03:59:26 PM »

I located this site about a year ago and planned on having a OWB by now  but my electric coop. combined with the Fed. Gov. made Geo-Thermal too attractive to pass up.  I am satisfied with the Geo but would like to cut my cost to heat even more.  I was luckey enough to have a job that allowed for, even encourged early retirement so I have the time and am still young enough to cut and split wood.  I own enough timber land to supply me wood for the rest of my life, so I still think an OWB would be a good investment for me.   Now that I have started doing research again everything indicates a Gasification chamber is the way to go but I don't quite understand where this chamber is located and how you get the unburnt wood gasses to it.  I would assume it is located above or below the fire box and the flu pipe exits the stove from the said chamber pulling the gasses into it as it draws.  I have searched the web for a diagram but have not been sucessfull locating one.  I have also read Jackel440's info and viewed the pics on the Home Built OWB he constructed, he is very lucky he does not live in the southern part of IN close to Evansville or I would be at his shop once a week watching him work, just from reading the post and looking at the pics I would have to think he is, or is close to being, a fabrication genius.  I really like to watch someone who is good work.   Seems like a long post just to ask about the Gasification chamber but am curious.

10

Home Made / Re: Hello

« on: January 18, 2011, 10:31:49 AM »

Looks like you will be plumbing it into the house real soon.  I didnt notice if you indicated where you live but I can say you have some great looking real estate in the back ground of your pics.  Would you mind telling what thickness of steel you used for your firebox? 

11

General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Eight sided wood chamber?????

« on: January 25, 2010, 07:57:43 PM »

Has anyone actually got to see one of the wood boiler LLC's?  Not sure what the advantage of having an eight sided chamber would be but looks kind of neat.  Just wondering if anyone had firsthand knowledge.

12

Plumbing / Re: hot tub heating

« on: January 14, 2010, 03:57:19 PM »

dirtrider,  thank's for answering my question on the spa fourm and can't believe you were here too.  Don't happen to live in Southern ILL. do you?  if I try this I will neen some tech. assistance I am sure.  Thanks for the response, I haven't been able to find much indormation on the subject other than you.

13

General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Still in the research process

« on: January 08, 2010, 05:49:01 PM »

Thanks Rosewood, I'll keep that in mind.  R.W. I just finished looking at your son's homemade unit.  I am very impressed.

14

Home Made / Re: Home Made Wood Furnace

« on: January 08, 2010, 05:44:56 PM »

RW,  I am very impressed, wish you could have added a narrative with each photo.  I do a little fabracting myself but nothing that complicated.  Looks really good.

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Plumbing / Re: hot tub heating

« on: January 07, 2010, 07:32:18 PM »

I have the same thing in mind, I posted this question on a hot tub forum, can't recall the web address but searched pool and hot tub forum and found it said someting about powered by infovision.  Found one guy who had done it said he loved it and was working perfect and saving him tons of cash.  I asked the CB dealer in my county about it and he indicated the cost to be somewhere between 800 and 1,000 sounds high but my tub cost me about 60.00 per month in this cold weather so would pay out in a couple of years if there were no costley repairs.  Good luck I could not find much information on the subject.