Making charcoal from "needle" tree wood?

[the village idiot]

My first thought would be that you may be better off going horizontal rather than verticle. This makes the retort easy to load and unload. Also, it enables the firebox to run the entire length of the kiln, giving a good even temperature. Kilns with a small, localised heat source tend to produce a certain amount of unconverted wood.

 

You may also find with your design that you get some serious flamage from the openings at the base. This may or may not cause problems.

 

The Exeter retort temperature control is via a butterfly valve in the main chimney. This is a very simple solution and works very well.

 

Love the forwarder by the way. I am insanely jealous!

[Thermal]

My first thought would be that you may be better off going horizontal rather than verticle. This makes the retort easy to load and unload. Also, it enables the firebox to run the entire length of the kiln, giving a good even temperature. Kilns with a small, localised heat source tend to produce a certain amount of unconverted wood.

 

You may also find with your design that you get some serious flamage from the openings at the base. This may or may not cause problems.

 

The Exeter retort temperature control is via a butterfly valve in the main chimney. This is a very simple solution and works very well.

 

Love the forwarder by the way. I am insanely jealous!

 

I hear what you are saying, the reason I was thinking of the standing type is that it might be easier to make the inner vessel tight without making a door. I could just make a lid that I can lift on and of. And lift the whole inner part out for loading/unloading. But I suspect you are right with the heat transfer being uneven. I just have to find out an simple solution with a door.

 

Yes it is a lovely forwarder, but it will be 30 years old next year and the wear and tear is starting to show. More welds than original steel in some places

[wills-mill]

Isn't this someone from the parish of Arbtalk?

 

 

[ame]

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