jef400dread

Good question, and I hadn't thought of that. Just from the popularity of either Perlite or Vermiculite being used on these types of stoves/forges...I assume it's a non-issue. If there are any trace amounts of any fertilizer in your mixing compound, perhaps the addition of concrete, and it's curing process renders them as harmless. Miracle Gro is owned by the Scotts company, which I don't believe has as shady as a reputation as Montasanto. I looked at the Safety and Data sheets for the bags I bought, and this phrase is used several times - "No known significant effects or critical hazards"

Good question, and I hadn't thought of that. Just from the popularity of either Perlite or Vermiculite being used on these types of stoves/forges...I assume it's a non-issue. If there are any trace amounts of any fertilizer in your mixing compound, perhaps the addition of concrete, and it's curing process renders them as harmless. Miracle Gro is owned by the Scotts company, which I don't believe has as shady as a reputation as Montasanto. I looked at the Safety and Data sheets for the bags I bought, and this phrase is used several times - "No known significant effects or critical hazards"

Good question, and I hadn't thought of that. Just from the popularity of either Perlite or Vermiculite being used on these types of stoves/forges...I assume it's a non-issue. If there are any trace amounts of any fertilizer in your mixing compound, perhaps the addition of concrete, and it's curing process renders them as harmless. Miracle Gro is owned by the Scotts company, which I don't believe has as shady as a reputation as another big name fertilizer. I looked at the Safety and Data sheets for the bags I bought, and this phrase is used several times - "No known significant effects or critical hazards"

Good question, and I hadn't thought of that. Just from the popularity of either Perlite or Vermiculite being used on these types of stoves/forges...I assume it's a non-issue. If there are any trace amounts of any fertilizer in your mixing compound, perhaps the addition of concrete, and it's curing process renders them as harmless. Miracle Gro is owned by the Scotts company, which I don't believe has as shady as a reputation as Montasanto. I looked at the Safety and Data sheets for the bags I bought, and this phrase is used several times - "No known significant effects or critical hazards"

I appreciate your input but I believe the "sear first to lock in moisture" theory has been pretty credibly debunked by the meat scientist from amazingribs.com.

will do, thanks!

Thanks for the recommendations. I am familiar with permies, I came across the site in my research. If I remember correctly, it was hard to differentiate "tested science" from "intelligent sounding hypotheses" on that site. As far as building several test forms out of just metal - its not a bad idea, but could be expensive. My very limited knowledge of motorsport performance, and specifically exhaust pluming...it would seem that a round pipe is X more efficient in ridding spent gases than a square or rectangular tube (never seen a set of square headers). So if I'm going to achieve the maximum efficiency of exiting exhaust air, it would (presumably) have to be in a round pipe. I don't have ready access to 4" diameter steel pipe, that is also thick enough to support …

Thanks for the recommendations. I am familiar with permies, I came across the site in my research. If I remember correctly, it was hard to differentiate "tested science" from "intelligent sounding hypotheses" on that site. As far as building several test forms out of just metal - its not a bad idea, but could be expensive. My very limited knowledge of motorsport performance, and specifically exhaust pluming...it would seem that a round pipe is X more efficient in ridding spent gases than a square or rectangular tube (never seen a set of square headers). So if I'm going to achieve the maximum efficiency of exiting exhaust air, it would (presumably) have to be in a round pipe. I don't have ready access to 4" diameter steel pipe, that is also thick enough to support itself and retain some heat. I'd imagine nothing less than 1/8" wall thickness. If someone else does, and can experiment with some lengths and diameters, once an optimal material length, width, and wall thickness is found, I'd certainly match it, and wrap it in some of my insulated concrete. I think you're onto something with the air intake though. Finding a way to fix a shop vac's exhaust to the intake air (and a way to vary the volume or speed of air) could certainly turn this thing into a 1000F + rocket!!!Thank you very much for the input!!

Perhaps you have a better understanding of thermal mass than I, but it was my assumption that if you have a heat source inside a very good heat insulator - that heat would be held inside that chamber and forced towards the single exit.

How well does that ceramic insulation work? I'm having a hard time locating a propane tank large enough, not to mention a professional service that can render it safe to cut open and weld. I'm considering using a 55 gallon drum for my cook chamber, and lining the exterior with ceramic insulation, and wrapping that in a 14 gauge skin. I think barrels are only 20 or 22 gauge thick. For my firebox, I'm considering a 1/4" steel for the roof and door, but 14 gauge on the 3 sides and bottom, with firebricks on the inside bottom. Then I'd make some slabs of 1-2" thick rocket stove cement (concrete and vermiculite mix) in place of the insulation...Unless that insulation works REALLY well, and I can save the weight.

If I had any more of that 1/2" bar, (before I painted it) I would've added a second handle on the front too. Probably sticking up at a 45 degree angle.

I've made/fixed a few ethernet cables in my career, but never been a "cable-guy" so I don't know the correct names...but there are RJ45 jacks, and a certain style of crimpers that will allow the wires to pass through the ends of the jack - and the crimpers snip the excess wire. With these, you don't have to have even wire lengths to shove into the jack. You can also send them through far enough so that the cable sheath is up inside the jack when it gets crimped. Changing to these cut the time to reterminate a cable in half.

It seems the slack your article refers to could be achieved by either adding ropes to each end of the hammock, or shortening the Green Boards. If one didn't want deal with ropes/knots each time, how much length would you recommend taking off the Green boards?

Thanks, and I did. Its made out of fiberglass. While I wouldn't want fiberglass inside the cooking chamber, in a place that could come in contact with my food. However welding blankets draped on top of them are pretty common (and condoned) by more experienced cooks that me. I've been reading the writings of (self proclaimed?) "meat scientists" on amazingribs.com for a few years now. They seem pretty knowledgeable on various potential dangers involved with cooking with fire and many topics in food safety. This page specifically highlights a reader's usage of a welding blanket by (I believe) the site's founder - Meathead Goldwyn. I've taken many infrared thermometer readings along all surfaces of the smoker during use. I've never seen more the 600F - well below the 1000F "wo…

Thanks, and I did. Its made out of fiberglass. While I wouldn't want fiberglass inside the cooking chamber, in a place that could come in contact with my food. However welding blankets draped on top of them are pretty common (and condoned) by more experienced cooks that me. I've been reading the writings of (self proclaimed?) "meat scientists" on amazingribs.com for a few years now. They seem pretty knowledgeable on various potential dangers involved with cooking with fire and many topics in food safety. This page specifically highlights a reader's usage of a welding blanket by (I believe) the site's founder - Meathead Goldwyn. I've taken many infrared thermometer readings along all surfaces of the smoker during use. I've never seen more the 600F - well below the 1000F "working temperature" claimed by the manufacturer of the blanket.

Another reason why I love this site. While reading through this, I followed your link to the flame thrower/ weed burner thing, which gave me an idea on a better way to deal with weeds sprouting up in my patio.Thanks!

Watched the video...boshee claim rescinded. The "next day...sand down edges...repeat..." part makes all the difference. Nice work.

OK, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, that the pictures are a reenactment of the task, using your model to show your steps (there is no way her hair looks that perfect after sanding drywall compound), but I'm still calling boshee on the finished result. Not only is the last pic of the sanding task taking place AFTER the wall has been painted, but based on her distance from the corner in the last pic compared to the first 4, your model is clearly "sanding" a different spot.

"Just before it dries"...whats a typical time frame for the proper amount of mud to dry to the point that a damp sponge can be used?