Updated NH RMH build w/PICS!!!

[rjdudley]

Ok, so I just got through with the "Castable ingredients" thread and just realized was a lucky s.o.b. I am.
After reading that thread I see that I knew nothing about density or weight per cubic feet or insulative value or lighter versus heavier/denser!
How innocent can a guy be? I read the comments on Matts YouTube burn chamber video where he said he thought refractory would work just fine and BANG! I was off and running. I did a little research using Google on what refractory was and where to get it, but, other than that I took Matt at his word.
I had no idea about adding bricks or roxwool or anything else for that matter. I'm lucky this thing worked!!!
I'm really glad I didn't know what I didn't know.
Raynman

[matt walker]

Hey! Don't look at me man, I'm just learning this stuff along with you guys!

[rjdudley]

[Prescott]

Does that help? Two cents?!

WAY my friend, or cyber board inspirator...

Like you I love the cast reality, for all the reasons you articulated so nicely. And while I don't have to drive 8 hours to get it, I can't drive 15 either...

I am going to look into creating my own "fire clay" from raw materials (sadly found at the hardware store, not in a clay pit, stuff isn't easy to come by around here, or I haven't asked the right folks yet... I mean there are mudflats galore at low water, but I wasn't thinking of the estuary air freshener for life thing...) but have a feeling I will quickly start comparing castables!

If you have any further insight or advice about which castable and why, I am wide open!

I am toying with the idea of using fancy pants castable for the core and then creating something else for the heat riser but well aware of some the nuances that could disrupt functioning later, namely differing expansion and contraction rates...

Where are you in NH? I could be enticed to pick up some clay if you have access to more. I am 3+ hours from Portland, and 1 from Bangor, on the eastern corner...

Thanks so much for fanning my fire, as it were, and keep us posted on your splendiferous build!

~p

[rjdudley]

Glad I could help. As far as the kastolite goes, I got the kastolite 2600 because I didn't think I needed the kastolite 3000. Both numbers indicate their top temps.
I'm only two hours from Portland so if there's anything you need we could always meet up.
Raynman

[rjdudley]

In the vein of postinging as I go along here are photos of todays achievements. When looking at the photos you can see we have begun to start on the left and are now making our way rightward. We have cobbed in an "armrest/shelf" on the end of the bench. The rest of the bench is being cobbed up to the top of the cement board. Then we'll apply the plaster coat and then the sealer coat. Oh, we also painted the barrel and vent pipe. Cleanouts to be painted later.







I'll tell ya, this cobbing is nuts! I remember reading somewhere that someone mentioned that the most labor intensive part of the whole build is the cobbing, but, that statement should be BOLD, Italicized and on every page of any document about RMH's.
And all those videos showing loving couples dancing in the cob and the little children merrily helping and stomping, yeah, well, I'll be seeing herds of unicorns farting rainbows before that day comes around here.
Cob is hard work.

[matt walker]

Okay Ray, I'm laughing out loud for real here. Yep, I did mine with just a little help and there was no happy hobbit festival going on here either. Lol. It's hard work for sure! Amazing once you start carrying it in the house, you really get a practical understanding of the word "mass." That stuff is HEAVY.

Okay, your build is looking amazing man! It looks like you are using some sort of form for the openings under the bench to get 'em so round. Looks fantastic.

I had a thought regarding your build based off of something you posted earlier. I'm going to make a suggestion here, and also a little prediction that will make you hate me and fill you with doubt. Sorry man.....

Your exposed core end, which is the front of the feed, I'm a bit worried about that. Not actually worried mind you, but hear me out here. So, that's the part of the core that gets the most abuse. You will end up shoving wood down in the feed, and you will pry the wood back trying to shove some little bits down on the bottom of the feed out of the way. In doing so you will be levering that face of the core out towards the middle of the room. You will try not to do this, and you will do it over and over again. I swear at myself all the time to take it easy, but it's just so natural to poke at the fire, it happens. Also, as the refractory goes through heating and cooling cycles, I predict cracks. Not anything that will matter, but cracks will happen. So, I fear that if you leave that face exposed, you are going to eventually get a crack there, which will cause you no end of worry. Then you will lever wood in the feed and you will see that crack work a little, open and move a bit, and you will really worry. I don't think it's anything to worry about in reality, but here's my suggestion...

Bring your cob out and around and cover that face. Use a real cob with a good straw component. You can then face that thing with rocks the way you are doing the base, or just cob, or tile, or anything really. But yeah, capture that whole core in cob so you don't see the crack that will end up there, and to hold the whole thing together so nothing can come apart.

That's my suggestion. I figured I hadn't heard you worry about anything for a little while so I thought I'd help!

[rjdudley]

[mannytheseacow]

[rjdudley]

Miss me? Ha!
And so the building of the "2001 Space Odyssey" Monolith is nearing completion.
I've been reading all of the posts lately and hanging back until I had something worth posting. Finally we've gotten the bulk of the cob done. Photos follow. We'll be burning off the excess straw and preparing for the final coat shortly. My burns continue to be excellent. I have had some flame back but it seems to be isolated to chunks of wood that have fallen down and end up close to the front of the burn chamber. I just push them forward a bit and life goes on.
Photos: