Starting build with 30 gallon barrel

Adding extra weight would be the only downside that comes to mind. Can't mash it againt ceramic fiber, so think that I still need to make a form. When wet/uncured, material has zero structural strength.

 

Rice Krispy size, maybe a bit smaller.

Chunkiness of final product was mostly due to refractory stiffness. Really had to put some weight behind ramming. Adding water could have made material less stiff per Pete's comments. In fact, I probably would have added a little water if I'd had more experience with this refractory and had a better feeling for how it moves, cures, etc.

 

At $38 per 50lb box, definitely worth exploring ...depending on shipping costs .

 

Sounds like I need to know more about Blu-Ram installation instructions. Those instructions must exist somewhere on the Web, but I spent the better part of a half hour looking This morning (and some more casual looking Previously) with nothing coming up. I sent an email to the refractory seller this morning. Hopefully he’ll have something.

Denis

 

Well, Kelly, that was the first place I looked. I could not find it on their website. I did just find some information uploaded by Scribd who shook me down for money (cancellable free trial in my case). As Pete said I think many of the admonition apply to installations measured from several inches to even feet. I did some more torch work this morning on samples and find it very tolerant to just heating it up to several hundred degrees in 1/2 to 3/4” thicknesses at least. There is no way I could follow their recommendations in my little furnace anyway.

Denis

 

First FIRE!!



Couldn’t keep the damn thing lit, however. Didnt find good fuel/air mix using just siphon nozzle and compressor. On a more positive note, I’m pretty sure that I didn’t melt o-ring.

Never even had a chance to flip on shop vac using my brand new harbor freight speed controller.

Think that my compressor regulator was the big problem. Doesn’t seem to keep constant pressure under 10 psi. Probably need to throw another, better regulator in line.

Think that I’ll try heating up with propane first and then switch over to diesel. That’d probably be a lot easier. Once furnace get hot, I don’t believe that slight variations in compressor output will be as big of a problem.

 

Once you initially get a sustained flame with a small amount of fuel and air and then dial up your fuel, you will likely need to raise your compressed air higher than 10psi. In the absence of a blower the increased compressed air will give you the combustion air you need. You can actually melt aluminum with just the compressed air if you dial it in just right. Once you turn on your blower youll need to turn the compressed air back down and probably open your fuel valve some more. With an unpressurized fuel system utilizing a siphon burner the compressed air plays a couple different roles, sometimes in conflict with each other so there's a bit of finesse involved. There should be no need to preheat.
Congrats on your first burn!

Pete

 

Thanks @Petee716! Probably user error, but I prefer to believe that it's the diesel fuel's fault. .

 

I know where you're coming from! Lol. But given the process that we're using "flammability" and freshness of the fuel become less of a factor.

 

So, here is The Beast! Picture taken this evening while heat curing some furnace cement that I slathered over the ceramic fiber blanket. Just to help protect it against the elements.



The dome inside top portion of furnace is approximately 6 inches in height covered by another 5 inches of fiber blanket. Dome is made from a Blu-Ram like plastic refractory. Super tough now that it’s cured. Unfortunately, also rather heavy weighing in at approx 30 lbs. This is only the refractory weight. Seems to make a good/complete seal with lower half of furnace. Dome has 4 anchor points around side and 4 more vertically oriented anchors that are welded inside lid. Super securely attached.

Welded together some metal that I had laying about to create some handles to make lifting lid easier and a swivel mechanism. Not too horribly unwieldy once you get use to handling The Beast’s upper half.

The bottom portion of furnace is approximately 1 inch of mizzou wrapped in a few inches of fiber blanket. Interior diameter is 12 inches. Approximately, 12 to 13 inches high (interior). At full operational temps, outside skin gets a bit hotter than I’d like. Maybe a couple hundred degrees F. Perhaps a little less.

Furnace is raised about 6 inches off ground to prevent it from sitting in water when it rains. Also, kept barrel lid intact, so I can cover furnace to protect interior from the elements.

Put up a “privacy” brick wall in front of furnace to obscure its view from neighbor’s house. Reduced my house’s redneck quotient by a few points.

Over all, pretty happy with the build. Need to address a couple/few issues that I’ve noticed during initial shakedown burns.

— Think that I made vent hole too big at 6 inches in diameter. Will probably bring size down to 4 inches.

— Due to height of domed lid, have a lot more volume in interior than I need. More space to heat. Probably can mitigate problem by increasing height of plinth. Perhaps, also add an inch or two of refractory horizontally along rim. Basically, create a ledge to help keep some more of the heat in.

— I get a pretty good fire vortex swirling inside furnace, but a portion of flame from burner doesn’t make a full rotation before angling upwards. Don’t think that this is a big deal, but will keep an eye on it.

Again, REALLY appreciate all the great advice from you all!!

 

@Al2O3, what material do you use for forms? They look practically perfect.

 

Way to go Ben. You've put a lot of time and effort into your build. Now the adventure really begins!

Pete

 

Hey Bentation, this is a little off topic, but I don't know if you've had a chance to look at some of Kelly's (Al203) old posts, they're well worth devoting a little time reading, he is the king of foam.

 

Very, very cool! I'll have to read up on this per @rocco's suggestion!