cogbarry Posted April 24, 2011 Posted April 24, 2011 All, I made a couple batches of pine charcoal following an article (I think by Ned Gorski) on skylighter. Basically, I cut up some pine 2x4, placed it in a new unused paint can, poked a hole in the top and cooked it over a pretty aggressive fire. All seemed to go well in this process. In the article it is suggested to limit the number of uses of the paint can as it will begin to break down and could introduce metal into your charcoal. This got me thinking and when I opened the paint can after the first use I noticed peeling dark black flakes on the underside of the cover. Obviously, some of these flakes had fallen into the charcoal. I suspected these flakes where merely carbon build up and probably harmless. Still worried though, I grabbed a magnet off the fridge and yes, some of these flakes are attracted to the magnet. I did mill some BP with this charcoal taking a few extra precautions such as sand bagging. However, I do wonder if there is an additional risk due to the inclusion of some of these flakes mixed in with my charcoal. Anyone have any thoughts on this? ..or better, anyone have a better idea for a simple, cheap retort? I'm wondering if some type of cast iron pot with a vented top wouldn't be a better solution.
dan999ification Posted April 24, 2011 Posted April 24, 2011 did you burn off all impurities/laquers from the can first and give it a good wash, ive experienced similar problems but being such a small batch i can pick the finished charcoal from it easily ive never thought about it being magnetic but remove it anyway to get purer charcoal[i only make it for lift] running it through a screen should remove the smaller flakes or pick them up with a magnet you may lose some charcoal. as far as sparking in the mill goes it all depends on what metal the can is made from.you gave me an idea, next time i'll save the flakes and add them last minute to a charcoal streamer star[no milling] see how they burn.but yeah it would bother me to know my bp was contaminated an that my milling may not be safe.dan
cogbarry Posted April 24, 2011 Author Posted April 24, 2011 did you burn off all impurities/laquers from the can first and give it a good wash, ive experienced similar problems but being such a small batch i can pick the finished charcoal from it easily ive never thought about it being magnetic but remove it anyway to get purer charcoal[i only make it for lift] running it through a screen should remove the smaller flakes or pick them up with a magnet you may lose some charcoal. as far as sparking in the mill goes it all depends on what metal the can is made from.you gave me an idea, next time i'll save the flakes and add them last minute to a charcoal streamer star[no milling] see how they burn.but yeah it would bother me to know my bp was contaminated an that my milling may not be safe.dan Hmn, I didn't burn it first no. However, I did wire brush it after the first use and got the same results with the second batch. The can I'm pretty sure, is plain old carbon steel purchased at the home depot.
Algenco Posted April 25, 2011 Posted April 25, 2011 the residue on the inside of the lid is Creosote, don't know why there would be any metal in it
cogbarry Posted April 25, 2011 Author Posted April 25, 2011 the residue on the inside of the lid is Creosote, don't know why there would be any metal in it Ah, I wondered about that as well. I don't think the magnet test is conclusive either. I think I am paranoid when it comes to mill explosions but that's probably a good thing. http://www.coolmagnetman.com/magattr.htm
Algenco Posted April 25, 2011 Posted April 25, 2011 Ah, I wondered about that as well. I don't think the magnet test is conclusive either. I think I am paranoid when it comes to mill explosions but that's probably a good thing. http://www.coolmagne...com/magattr.htm use only the chunks, there shouldn't be much dust in the retort anyway.
cogbarry Posted April 25, 2011 Author Posted April 25, 2011 use only the chunks, there shouldn't be much dust in the retort anyway. Good advice, I'll take it.
Bonny Posted April 27, 2011 Posted April 27, 2011 use only the chunks, there shouldn't be much dust in the retort anyway. The metal can will degrade after several uses. The flakes are metal (oxides maybe?)I've noticed this using cookie/popcorn tins. AS Algenco said, just use the chunks and throw everything else away.
Kaokin Posted April 27, 2011 Posted April 27, 2011 I use an old cast aluminum pressure cooker.... get one from a thrift store or yardsale. The crappier the better! The one I got had a cracked seal, so I used a high temperature automotive gasket porduct to make it air-tight once again. I also removed the handles and used some bolts in their place to twist the lid tight. The pressure cooker is a great retort because it already has the vent hole on top. If you are lucky enough to get the weight with it, add a dab of silicone to the underside and form it to the steam spout to assure that no air gets sucked back in when cooling.
cogbarry Posted April 27, 2011 Author Posted April 27, 2011 The metal can will degrade after several uses. The flakes are metal (oxides maybe?)I've noticed this using cookie/popcorn tins. AS Algenco said, just use the chunks and throw everything else away. TYI won't bother worrying about the dust and just use the chunks.
Algenco Posted April 27, 2011 Posted April 27, 2011 you really shouldn't have any dust to speak of.It should come out in nearly the same shape/condition as it went in.I might have 1-2 oz of dust in 6-7lb charcoal and I'd bet a good portion of that is Creosote
cogbarry Posted April 27, 2011 Author Posted April 27, 2011 I use an old cast aluminum pressure cooker.... get one from a thrift store or yardsale. The crappier the better! The one I got had a cracked seal, so I used a high temperature automotive gasket porduct to make it air-tight once again. I also removed the handles and used some bolts in their place to twist the lid tight. The pressure cooker is a great retort because it already has the vent hole on top. If you are lucky enough to get the weight with it, add a dab of silicone to the underside and form it to the steam spout to assure that no air gets sucked back in when cooling. Nice, This is the kind of solution I was thinking of. Non-ferrous as well! Is the melting temp for aluminum high enough for a hot fire? Looks like the melting point is 1220 F.
Kaokin Posted April 27, 2011 Posted April 27, 2011 Its been great so far! After the moisture has been driven from the wood, the second stage burning takes place at around 550 degrees. I typically make charcoal after I have had a campfire going for a while, my friends are leaving, and I'm a beer or two away from calling it a night With an established fire, the coals are more than enough for this. I place a cast iron grill into the fire and rest the pressure cooker on this to keep the retort from touching the hot coals and minimizing the chance for any heat damage to the retort. You can get cast iron grills designed for campfires at your local boy scouts supply stores or you can be creative Where I live we do not have local trash pickup, so i have to bring everything to the dump. This is a blessing in disguise, you wouldn't believe the things people throw away!!! There are always propane grills, yard machines, heating units, treadmills, etc for me to pillage for parts I am building my ball mill for practically free!!
cogbarry Posted April 27, 2011 Author Posted April 27, 2011 Its been great so far! After the moisture has been driven from the wood, the second stage burning takes place at around 550 degrees. I typically make charcoal after I have had a campfire going for a while, my friends are leaving, and I'm a beer or two away from calling it a night With an established fire, the coals are more than enough for this. I place a cast iron grill into the fire and rest the pressure cooker on this to keep the retort from touching the hot coals and minimizing the chance for any heat damage to the retort. You can get cast iron grills designed for campfires at your local boy scouts supply stores or you can be creative Where I live we do not have local trash pickup, so i have to bring everything to the dump. This is a blessing in disguise, you wouldn't believe the things people throw away!!! There are always propane grills, yard machines, heating units, treadmills, etc for me to pillage for parts I am building my ball mill for practically free!! Here's mine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGjK2v5wg-0
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