6" RMH Build

[pa_friendly_guy]

What would happen if you oiled the barrel like you oil a cast iron skillet? Would the top of the barrel be good for cooking? You may get some smoke from the process at 1st. but I understand there is a vegetable oil that won't smoke. Just a thought. Sounds like it might work and not allow the barrel to rush, while giving it a nice natural patina.

[mannytheseacow]

That's exactly what I was thinking, Guy! Season that sucker like a good frying pan!

[mannytheseacow]

It looks like avocado oil has about the highest smoking point, but it's still fairly low at 520* F.

[mannytheseacow]

Here's a quick update on my progress... Got the pipes laid in, plumbed up and lightly covered. I still have to wire up the sensor to tell the pumps when to turn on and off, but there's a piece of 1/2" copper tube going down into the bench where I can drop the sensor down into at a later point. For now I can cob up around that tube and still keep a clean opening for the sensor.





Technically, with the last load of cob I put on I sealed the barrel so I COULD fire this thing up, though there's a long way to go to add the finishing touches, finish the bench, etc. I'm guessing since it's 100* outside and 74* around the stove it wouldn't work too well right now!

[matt walker]

Looking great there Manny. Don't worry, winter will be here soon enough, although if it was 100* here I might be inclined to want it to hurry up! And yeah, it won't run at all with that temperature gradient.

[mannytheseacow]

So, Matt... I noticed in one of your videos that you have a cat.

Did your cat ever try to believe that your cob bench was a giant litter box?

Of all the problems with this build that I thought I might encounter, I didn't expect this one. One cat is on the verge of becoming a stir-fry.

[matt walker]

Hahahaha! Oh man, did she ever! There is a spot behind my barrel where I threw all the ends of every bucket of mud as I was top coating, and it's pretty loose fill. I had to block it off as she thought I made her a private litter box. Another time I had the doors open on a nice spring day. i was still burning once a day so it was warm back there, and in the evening when i finally came inside, a chicken jumped out from behind there! I shooed her out and sure enough, she had picked that spot to lay. Just wait till you start burning, every critter anywhere near by will want to live on that thing.

[mannytheseacow]

Hahaha! That's hilarious! I don't know about behind the barrel but I think I've got a spot ON TOP of the barrel for some chickens this winter!

[mannytheseacow]

I haven't been online for a while and I thought I'd post a photo of my progress on my new lawn, I mean rocket mass heater. I started cobbing in the top of the bench and the seat backs and it seems I've got a green thumb with indoor gardening. Volunteer wheat is sprouting well from the cob mix.


Progress has been slow with drying time in between. There is still much water in the bench.

A few nights ago we got down to the mid-50*s here so I thought I would send my new stove on her maiden voyage. It was a great learning experience. It smoked up my whole house. I know I did several things wrong:
1. Didn't prime it.
2. The bench is wet and cold.
3. The wood was too long and too stout.
4. Not quite a big enough temp difference between in and out to fire it up yet.

When I first lit it, it ran okay. Not rockety but it seemed to be drawing nicely. After a while a little smoke came out where the seams are in the exposed exit flue. A little longer and the flame started creeping up and out of the feed tube. Pretty soon and I had a camp fire in the middle of the room. The barrel thermometer never got over 200*, but it got hot to the touch very quickly.

So as soon as it gets a little colder I'll fire it up again; this time with more wood, shorter wood, and smaller pieces to get it roaring... and prime it first, too.

[matt walker]

Look good Manny, grass and all. I've never built one that didn't grow a little sprout farm for a while. Since you can't burn, you may need to get out the mower in a few weeks!

Sounds like you made what I call a smoke plug. Fill the thing up with heavy, cold gases trapped between two uprights. It's a recipe for disaster every time. You will for sure need to prime the flue well your first time lighting it. Since you have a masonry chimney for part of it you might try burning a candle at the wall thimble for half an hour or so before doing a big prime with paper, then lighting the stove while the paper burns.