iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

DIY Charcoal

Started by metalspinner, February 15, 2012, 06:54:08 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

36 coupe

I have books on making charcoal.The publisher is retiring next Feb..6 bucks postpaid.

Woodchuck53

Speaking of retiring. Lindsey publications is retiring also I hear. Any one else hear anything? They were a great source for these kind of books.
Case 1030 w/ Ford FEL, NH 3930 w/Ford FEL, Ford 801 backhoe/loader, TMC 4000# forklift, Stihl 090G-60" bar, 039AV, and 038, Corley 52" circle saw, 15" AMT planer Corley edger, F-350 1 ton, Ford 8000, 20' deck for loader and hauling, F-800 40' bucket truck, C60 Chevy 6 yd. dump truck.

36 coupe

The charcoal book was first published for tobacco growers that made their own charcoal for curing tobacco..I use some charcoal but not the formed stuff, its loaded with coal dust ,cornstarch and lime.Hardwood scraps cook food just fine.My grandfarther made charcoal for sale.My uncle worked at a sawmill that made charcoal from hardwood slabs.Im cutting some white ash now and will cut off a pile of 2 inch discs for next summers barbecue.May fill some feed bags for sale next summer.If you have hickory growing you could sell plenty.The high price of charcoal and propane will  make people go back to hardwood scraps.

DouginUtah


Just to follow up on the comments about Lindsay Books closing, here are a couple of links:

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php/8838-Lindsay-Books-Closing-Feb-2013

The home page:

http://www.lindsaybks.com/
-Doug
When you hang around with good people, good things happen. -Darrell Waltrip

There is no need to say 'unleaded regular gas'. It's all unleaded. Just say 'regular gas'. It's not the 70s anymore. (At least that's what my wife tells me.)

---

muddstopper

Quote from: Weekend_Sawyer on July 30, 2012, 03:49:56 PM
I made a retort out of an old 110 lb propane tank.

Before I cut the tank I took the valve out, let it air out for a day, filled it with water, drained it half out, dumped in about a cup of dawn and kicked it around the yard for a while, it still smelled of propane but I felt it was ok to cut. Guess I was right.

While I dont really approve of your method of cutting the propane tank. it looks like you got away with it. I have removed the valve from tanks and the gas remain in them for days. The propane is heavier than air and just seems to stay in the bottom of the tanks rather than vent to the atmosphere. Actually seems to vent better if the bottle is turned upside down.

I do like how you vented the tank toward the bottom of your burner, letting the escapeing gasses help fuel the heating of the chips. Most just vent the gas to the atmosphere and wasting a potential source of good heat.

All of this has got me to thinking about making bio char. I already salvage enought charcoal from my wood stove to do all the BBQ'ing I want to do. I have tons of very good biomass, wood chips, sawdust/mixed with manure, brush, etc. that could be used for biochar. I think a burner such as yours would allow me to convert a lot of that slowly decomposting material to good use. Use of the methane gas from the char could help fuel the process in a self perpetulating sort of way so as to require less additional fuel or heat sources. Now to just figure out how big a rig i want to build and source the materials for it. I would want to do about a ton or so at a time so I am going to need something a little bigger than a propane tank and 55 gal barrel.

Weekend_Sawyer

Believe me, the tank was well vented before i started cutting on it. I let it sit upside down over night, rinsed it out and then filled it half up and added dawn soap. I really did roll it around the yard to wash out the remaining propane.
Imagine, Me a Tree Farmer.
Jon, Appalachian American Wannabe.

Thank You Sponsors!