The Epoch of the Axeman

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hotblast1357
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Post by hotblast1357 » Mon. Dec. 02, 2019 4:58 am

joeq wrote:
Sun. Dec. 01, 2019 10:14 pm
Cool Lee. Now, if you could just reverse the operation for removing the ash, then you'ld really be onto something. Good luck. :yes:
There are setups for ash removal, via flex auger.


 
scalabro
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Post by scalabro » Mon. Dec. 02, 2019 5:35 pm

At that point Joe, you might as well burn #2, propane or Nat gas😜

There is definitely something to be said about just turning up the thermostat and writing the check👍🏻

 
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Post by joeq » Mon. Dec. 02, 2019 6:30 pm

Maybe so Scott, but there's something to be said for the BTUs coming out of a coal fire. Plus, a burning coal bed, Like a wood fire, has a personality of it's own, and can be quite entertaining, unlike a forced flame being shot out of an oil nozzle, or gas burner. To each his own, so they say.

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Mon. Dec. 02, 2019 6:40 pm

Yeah this thing is fun to watch, lots of moving parts, belts and pulleys, the rotating coal tube, the roaring coal fire, temperature displays lol I sit and watch it do a combustion call at least once a day. :) I'd watch it more but, "honey, what the hell you doing down there?"

I think I'll go watch it right now ....

 
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Post by joeq » Mon. Dec. 02, 2019 7:39 pm

LOL. Hey Lee, all I can think of is Darrin McGavin, in that Christmas movie, where he's in the cellar tending his coal furnace, with every 4 letter word being emitted from every register in the house, along with a cloud of coal dust spewing from the doorway, and banging and clanging bouncing off the walls. I take it, that's not you, and your wife should be thankful. LOL.

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Tue. Dec. 03, 2019 8:53 pm

So, I have about 1700 pounds of nut size coal in buckets outside that a buddy of mine gave me. I've been wondering how to go about feeding the Axeman with it at some point this winter. I don't wanna feed it into the coal bin because it would probably get wedged in the flights of the auger. Since the boiler is always full of coal it's not as simple as taking the plate off the transfer head and feeding it in there since there isn't any room. I could pull the belt off the coal feed tube drive but then it also can't ash automatically.

I was thinking I could wait till the end of the coal feed tube is exposed and fashion a cap on it so it can't pick up coal from the bin. Then I could feed the nut size into transfer head.

Has anyone fed nut size into an Axeman? What was your method?

Maybe I should just get a coal fireplace insert and sell the pellet stove :lol:

 
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CoalJockey
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Post by CoalJockey » Tue. Dec. 03, 2019 9:17 pm

It warms my heart Lee just at the thought of a pellet stove being banished from the home of a fellow coal burning buddy.

That’s a big +1 on the for sale sign... :yes:


 
CapeCoaler
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Post by CapeCoaler » Tue. Dec. 03, 2019 9:34 pm

Yep Hitzer makes a nice insert with a hopper!!!
Not quite as convenient as a pellet stove...
But it does burn black rocks...
Not bunny bedding...
LOL...

 
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joeq
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Post by joeq » Tue. Dec. 03, 2019 10:22 pm

I vote for the insert too. Dump the rabbit turd machine.
As for the nut coal, can you just shovel it in the frt? Are there no operating doors?

 
CapeCoaler
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Post by CapeCoaler » Tue. Dec. 03, 2019 11:20 pm

Nope...
Goes in the top...
Hopper fed...
Kind of...

 
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Post by McGiever » Wed. Dec. 04, 2019 1:01 am

Lee, If you wanted to use the nut before bin gets low you could get piece of 1/8" 1/4" plate steel and tap it down into the coal right before the auger intake. Ashing can work and you can feed with cover lifted off.
Nut works very good in our AAs if auger is bypassed for loading it..

 
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coaledsweat
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Post by coaledsweat » Wed. Dec. 04, 2019 7:39 am

I have a little experience running nut in an Axeman. The real problem is it won't settle like pea will, it tends to bridge or just sit there and won't flow. The cure is mix it with pea, and I'd recommend 60-70% pea. I never had an issue running it like this. I did get a piece of nut stuck in the auger once, but it was years after my nut burning days. Just a mystery chunk in a bag of pea from Blaschak. Feeding through the transfer head is not a workable solution.

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Wed. Dec. 04, 2019 8:28 am

joeq wrote:
Tue. Dec. 03, 2019 10:22 pm
can you just shovel it in the frt? Are there no operating doors?
I wasn't sure if you meant the Axeman or a fireplace insert. The Axe has access at the top of the boiler where nut size can be poured in, although it's not very big. I'd want to fashion some sort of scoop to make it easier.

An insert has a load door and/or hopper to fill.
McGiever wrote:
Wed. Dec. 04, 2019 1:01 am
Lee, If you wanted to use the nut before bin gets low you could get piece of 1/8" 1/4" plate steel and tap it down into the coal right before the auger intake. Ashing can work and you can feed with cover lifted off.
Nut works very good in our AAs if auger is bypassed for loading it..
Hey, that's a great idea! I have 11 days off thru Christmas and New Years so I'd be available to feed it in often. I was guessing at least every 6 hours but I really don't know.
coaledsweat wrote:
Wed. Dec. 04, 2019 7:39 am
Feeding through the transfer head is not a workable solution.
If it doesn't work out, I'll have to figure out something to do with the nut size. I'm just not willing to risk jamming the auger up with it..

 
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hotblast1357
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Post by hotblast1357 » Wed. Dec. 04, 2019 8:31 am

Really the only efficient way would be to remove the auger and fashion a hopper to the feed tube, like our AHS are made. Idk maybe you could take the transfer head plate off and fashion something there, while blocking off the auger?

 
scalabro
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Post by scalabro » Wed. Dec. 04, 2019 11:54 am

Lightning wrote:
Tue. Dec. 03, 2019 8:53 pm
Maybe I should just get a coal fireplace insert and sell the pellet stove :lol:
The ONLY acceptable “insert” would be a Baltimore Heater! Screw the Hitzer garbage! Haha 😂

Or if you have the floor space, a small Base Burner.... I’ve got a wicked nice PP Stewart you may like 👍🏻


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