My Coal Quandary

 
User avatar
coaledsweat
Site Moderator
Posts: 13763
Joined: Fri. Oct. 27, 2006 2:05 pm
Location: Guilford, Connecticut
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260M
Coal Size/Type: Pea

Post by coaledsweat » Sun. Dec. 01, 2019 12:18 pm

I recieved about 2.5 tons of Lehigh pea for free from a generous benefactor. A local with a big Kubota loaded it up for me and I gave him $50 for his efforts. It was on a tarp in a gravel drive for years and unfortunately the tarp had given up. We were trying to avoid the dirt and stone from the drive but it looks like we captured a little stone and a lot of dirt with it. The stone itself isn't a problem, the Axeman will eat it right up and spit it out. The dirt however is going to be a problem when it settles at the augers mouth. Looking for suggestions to remedy this situation, any ideas? I'm thinking a sheet of expanded mesh and a garden hose sprayer. A Rube Goldberg device sounds like a win to me.


 
User avatar
Keepaeyeonit
Member
Posts: 1680
Joined: Wed. Mar. 24, 2010 7:18 pm
Location: Northeast Ohio.( Grand river wine country )
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood #8
Coal Size/Type: Nut & stove
Other Heating: 49 year old oil furnace, and finally a new heat pump

Post by Keepaeyeonit » Sun. Dec. 01, 2019 12:38 pm

Well your free coal just got you some work :o , It all depends on how much dirt and what kind it is ( clay or topsoil ) is in the load, but I would try the screen first and see if the dirt falls through or at least you can sort it out if not then use the water! but I would use water as a last resort as it could make a giant mess of things.
Just my $.02's. :)

 
User avatar
coaledsweat
Site Moderator
Posts: 13763
Joined: Fri. Oct. 27, 2006 2:05 pm
Location: Guilford, Connecticut
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260M
Coal Size/Type: Pea

Post by coaledsweat » Sun. Dec. 01, 2019 12:42 pm

I think it's going to need water without a lot of mechanical agitation. Just looking for an easier way to do it. It's still on the trailer and I'm not worried about a mess. The JD 110 will cure that in a hurry.

 
User avatar
Keepaeyeonit
Member
Posts: 1680
Joined: Wed. Mar. 24, 2010 7:18 pm
Location: Northeast Ohio.( Grand river wine country )
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood #8
Coal Size/Type: Nut & stove
Other Heating: 49 year old oil furnace, and finally a new heat pump

Post by Keepaeyeonit » Sun. Dec. 01, 2019 12:47 pm

You could make a screen table and do it by hand ( going to take time but it will clean up nicely ) or were you planning on dumping a loader bucket on the screen and rinsing it with water?

 
franco b
Site Moderator
Posts: 11416
Joined: Wed. Nov. 05, 2008 5:11 pm
Location: Kent CT
Hand Fed Coal Stove: V ermont Castings 2310, Franco Belge 262
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood Modern Oak 114
Coal Size/Type: nut and pea

Post by franco b » Sun. Dec. 01, 2019 12:55 pm

If you can empty the trailer one layer at a time, i would hose done the top and then peel that away, then hose down the next layer and so on till a thin layer is left on the bottom, then decide how to handle that.

 
User avatar
McGiever
Member
Posts: 10130
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Sun. Dec. 01, 2019 1:10 pm

A tall mesh runway angled ~45 degrees and gravity does all the work of letting dirt/fines filter out below the incline while bigger sizes continue down the mesh runway...save time, any excess handling and no water. :)

 
User avatar
coaledsweat
Site Moderator
Posts: 13763
Joined: Fri. Oct. 27, 2006 2:05 pm
Location: Guilford, Connecticut
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260M
Coal Size/Type: Pea

Post by coaledsweat » Sun. Dec. 01, 2019 1:36 pm

Well I guess the first thing to do is get some mesh. I'm thinking make a couple of rockers for both ends to give me a way to agitate it.


 
User avatar
coaledsweat
Site Moderator
Posts: 13763
Joined: Fri. Oct. 27, 2006 2:05 pm
Location: Guilford, Connecticut
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260M
Coal Size/Type: Pea

Post by coaledsweat » Sun. Dec. 01, 2019 3:14 pm

OK, any recommendations for size and style? I'm guessing 1/4" hole and probably something flat so if flows better. Expanded and screen will be lumpy and probably slow the flow over it.

 
User avatar
Keepaeyeonit
Member
Posts: 1680
Joined: Wed. Mar. 24, 2010 7:18 pm
Location: Northeast Ohio.( Grand river wine country )
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood #8
Coal Size/Type: Nut & stove
Other Heating: 49 year old oil furnace, and finally a new heat pump

Post by Keepaeyeonit » Sun. Dec. 01, 2019 3:23 pm

coaledsweat wrote:
Sun. Dec. 01, 2019 3:14 pm
Expanded and screen will be lumpy and probably slow the flow over it.
True but will help with the separation of the dirt and small stones, I made one for cleaning fines from dirty loads, 2' x 3' and set at a 30° angle ( I only use 5 gal buckets ) works very good for me but you will need to upsize some.

 
User avatar
joeq
Member
Posts: 5739
Joined: Sat. Feb. 11, 2012 11:53 am
Location: Northern CT
Hand Fed Coal Stove: G111, Southard Robertson

Post by joeq » Sun. Dec. 01, 2019 3:30 pm

I don't know how energetic you are, but are you gunna try and do the entire 2.5 tons at once?
If it were me, I'ld do a wheel barrow full at a time, or even a couple hods. That way, you can manufacture a smaller screened shaker, which should be easier to build and store. As you're loading your stove/furnace, shake the coals down then. It may take a while, but it'll keep you from working out in the cold for who knows how many hrs.

 
User avatar
coaledsweat
Site Moderator
Posts: 13763
Joined: Fri. Oct. 27, 2006 2:05 pm
Location: Guilford, Connecticut
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260M
Coal Size/Type: Pea

Post by coaledsweat » Sun. Dec. 01, 2019 4:23 pm

LOL, trust me, I'm not working for hours! :lol: The end of the trailer is a beaver tail so there's my angle. Screw a cleat down and jig saw a rocker for whatever metal it turns out to be, screw it down to it and catch it on the cleat so it doesn't go anywhere. A little handle to rock it should be good, no? I'll do 4 pails a trip, maybe 4 trips a day. I'm getting too old for this! :D

 
User avatar
joeq
Member
Posts: 5739
Joined: Sat. Feb. 11, 2012 11:53 am
Location: Northern CT
Hand Fed Coal Stove: G111, Southard Robertson

Post by joeq » Sun. Dec. 01, 2019 4:52 pm

If you keep this up, it'll ensure you'll "continue" to get older. Nothing like burning some calories, while keeping them ole muscles and joints exercised. Hope you'll post some pics of your coal pile, and shaker assy. :)

 
User avatar
coaledsweat
Site Moderator
Posts: 13763
Joined: Fri. Oct. 27, 2006 2:05 pm
Location: Guilford, Connecticut
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260M
Coal Size/Type: Pea

Post by coaledsweat » Sun. Dec. 01, 2019 5:19 pm

If I actually do it I will!

 
User avatar
Richard S.
Mayor
Posts: 15184
Joined: Fri. Oct. 01, 2004 8:35 pm
Location: NEPA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Van Wert VA1200
Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat/Anthracite

Post by Richard S. » Sun. Dec. 01, 2019 5:20 pm

If for example you were going from the trailer to ground level basement window and have enough of angle from the trailer to the window you can create a chute out of screen. You are going to need at least 45 degrees, the coal will roll and bounce down the screen. Most of the dirt and fines should fall through the screen, if the coal is dry water may actually be detrimental because the dirt and fines will stick to the coal. If you are going to use water you need to use enough it's washing the debris out.

 
CapeCoaler
Member
Posts: 6515
Joined: Sun. Feb. 10, 2008 3:48 pm
Location: Cape Cod, MA
Stoker Coal Boiler: want AA130
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machine BS#4, Harman MKII, Hitzer 503,...
Coal Size/Type: Pea/Nut/Stove

Post by CapeCoaler » Sun. Dec. 01, 2019 5:57 pm

The JD 110 have a bucket...
45* screen table setup over a tarp...
Wider than the bucket...
Side rails to keep the coal on the screen...
1/4" hardware cloth...
9' run...
3 passes of 36' cloth will do...
Overlap like roof shingles...
Load from behind if you don't have the reach from the front to hit the top...
Or do a smaller version and pour it by the 5 gal bucket...


Post Reply

Return to “Coal Bins, Chimneys, CO Detectors & Thermostats”