Hello, my name is Oddmar, and i'm an addict...lol.
OK, what i really mean to say is, i think i'm funny. At least i try to be funny, unlike all those politicians and rude frowning people.
BACKGROUND
I was born in Illinois (01-14-1969 Matt, just FYI). rode a bicycle across the United States (more like a loosely-formed group of independant countries), and quickly found out my fellow Ill-Annoy-ians to be kinda standoffish and rude compared to nicer people. In the last several years i began attending a Toyota 4x4 event in Texas, the Lonestar Toyota Jamboree. Folks down south are friendlier than people from Illinois. Also i found out that the 'Castle Doctrine' doesn't just apply to shooting at burglars, it means your home is your castle...Liberal dweebs move in next door and build a $300K home, landscaped yard, and they can't force you to clean up your yard...Double wide trailer, 7 dogs, 12 or 17 cars (haven't mowed the grass in awhile, not sure there might be 20 cars)...lol. I must be a redneck in a Yankee's body. Moving to Arkansas, even have the Driver's License to prove it.
So i've been reading about these rocket mass heaters for a year or so. Along with cob or straw-bale houses. I already have experience with underground houses, i met Mike Oehler in 1992. But i digress... A friend of mine is a retired Marine, living alone on 40 acres of land with no electricity. I planned to build him a stove a year back, a forced-air wood-furnace out of 1/4" plate steel i have laying in my driveway. Then i learn about RMH's. Intriguing design...burns ALL fuel, smoke, pyrolitic gases inside stove, uses 1/4 to 1/8 the wood of an efficient box stove, not too expensive to build. Only drawback is space required for thermal mass and labor building same. My friend is waiting for me to show him...along with all the other people i've talked to locally about RMH's.
Sounded great...last fall i built a proof-of-concept out of 5" duct inside 7" duct with vermiculite packed between...No outer drum, just the feed can (6" diameter coffee can), burn tunnel and riser, all round duct connected with 90° elbows...even though my burn tunnel was too long it worked pretty good, but got so hot the duct burned through/ became brittle in 4 or so firings. But it proved to me the thing would work if it was built right.
I read alot. Online lately, but my room is ringed with paperback novels. Mostly sci-fi and fiction...the dreams our stuff is made of. I read 'The Mad Scientist's Club of Mammoth Falls' series of teen novels when i was young and it permanently warped me. So i haven't bought the 'Rocket Mass Heater' book but i've read alot of forum posts and i try to learn from other's sucesses. Leading me here, asking questions of Matt Walker after re-re-reading his 'Rocket Mass Heater for my home' thread. He suggested i start a new thread detailing my build of his design.
BTW, Matt, I came up with a Rocket Mass Barbecue idea a couple weeks ago...then i saw today you built it. The Force is strong with you... The bench idea is neat, i might build in a bypass valve to keep the bench cool in the summer when i want to barbecue without using ANY store-bought charcoal or propane...Yay!
You said yer not getting any smoke up top because the RMH has burned it all up...i was gonna use lava rock between two grills (expanded metal) inside a section of drum with a Weber grill lid on top...the hot heat riser gases will strike the lava rock, it becomes hot, radiant heat cooks the steak/ meat...juices drip on the hot lava rock and instant smoke flavoring...
I intended to put standoff legs on my barbecue drum but the hot gases hitting the lava rock and flowing down inside the outer drum will work better. But i'll build myself a barbecue RMH later, after i complete my move to Arkansas. For now i need to get Matt's RMH design built for my friend up here in Illinois. I'm off...y'all prolly figured that out already...lol...to cut wood, mix and cast refractory. Pics n words to follow...