fixing my exploding woodburner

Im really not too sure of why this exploding happens, maybe something to with the size of the combustion chamber in relation to the inlet/feed pipe and chimney size which cause the combustion to pulsate. in any case it is a right pain to load up every day, plus due to the way the sawdust burns from the bottom up, which creates a cavity which you have to keep a close eye on, if the walls of sawdust fall down and block the feed pipe then it causes the exteme pulsating which you see here in the video, sometimes it is worse! So the solution is to dsiband the idea of burning saw dust alltogether and turn it into a regular old woodburner. I have other plans for the sawdust.
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[@bentop9282]

im here for the subtitles

[@marshallsuber3346]

They are the best!

[@presidentjoethudbrandon7074]

Giggity

[@pharaon6718]

Its too smal font

[@Tinatortoise]

I watched you making your sawdust pooper this morning and KZbin decided I might like to see more. Thoroughly enjoyed watching and reading, I'll be back. I am glad you had knee pads in your not pants pockets x

[@markallinson4935]

They are classic "Fine callibration" was my personal favourite!

[@markchisholm2657]

The rattling is known as 'Panting' in large boilers. Basically, the furnace uses all of the air available and then pulls a partial vacuum which then pulls in a gob of air and the cycle continues.

[@TheyForcedMyHandLE]

So, besides rebuilding the entire wood burner he could've just increased the air inlet size? Or, not that easy?

[@samuelmellars7855]

​@@TheyForcedMyHandLE If I had to guess, adding more air to the original stove would have lead to it burning faster and faster, until it was "panting" again, but burning more fuel while doing it. Or more air would lead to the fire just burning hotter and hotter until it either overheated the workshop or set the place on fire

[@SNIPERL0V3]

Ty for the awnser

[@hipairbrush1053]

Good post my friend. That's really good to know. Seems like you could put a one way valve the would let the vacuum suck open the valve to let air in, and stop that from happening.

[@airdrop1670]

I had coal boilers do this when the front door was opened , it would start huffing , a bit scary to say the least , it would be caused by stirring up the coal and releasing gases causing a sucking of air then a flash burn . Shutting the door would bring control back . I've seen pictures of this type of stove that was used during the big lumber cuts in early America , all that saw dust helped heat buildings at the mills .

[@paulfasciano963]

So, a 13,000 Pound turntable got me here a few weeks ago and your never ending adventures keep me coming back. You, sir, are one clever, talented, funny man. Keep up the...well, just keep it up. Thanks.

[@justincredible1724]

Legit what brought me here as well

[@-abacchus]

@@justincredible1724 Ditto, me too..!

[@Tony-pk6ql]

Same with me. In fact after watching the 13,000 Pound turntable I ran out and bought a new turntable myself. Been playing all my old vinyl from the 80's.

[@justincredible1724]

@@Tony-pk6ql I’ve had one of them all in one players and slowly rebuilding my collection

[@Butlerbob]

Yes me too!!! wonderful jobs he's doing, I love these kind of craftsmen

[@A_S_M_R]

Blocking a fire door with a dangerous wood burner...the very epitome of lunatic British eccentricity!

[@melanisticmandalorian8909]

Eccentric is you are rich. Batshit crazy if poor.

[@TheyCallMeScifi]

@@melanisticmandalorian8909 "normal" if from Florida

[@SparkWah]

I thought that was quite an Irish thing to do. We love that shit. Adds a sense of invigorating danger to the escape from a burning building scenario.

[@thorstenwolters9025]

Don't worry about the exploding oven. The emergency exit is protected behind bars .

[@pharaon6718]

I just saw that 😂😂😂

[@leitheoleu5451]

lmao

[@cncworkshopsuk1104]

Woofing is what's happening there. Same thing happens with room sealed fan assisted gas boilers when they ignite with a thump. It's caused by a lack of air, or rather a lack of oxygen to feed the level of combustion. When some of the sawdust falls down, the sudden increase in temperature ignites the secondary gasses being given off by the wood. That rapidly uses up the available oxygen and if the air supply can't keep up with it then it creates a vacuum which pulls air back down the chimney. When the air drawn down the chimney hits the fuel it reignites and the process repeats. Woodburners really need a throat plate in the chimney to balance the in/out. Makes them more efficient too as the higher temperature will allow the secondary combustion of the gasses. That spanner idea was awesome. Now i need to create a need for one.

[@carlrambow1277]

how do you install a throat plate in the chimney? ive only ever had my outdoor furnace woof a few times in the past 8 years but im curious about any improvement i can make.

[@lewis24666]

The fire is not drawing air down the chimney causing the puffs of smoke in to the room. Only atmospheric conditions will cause the chimney to work backwards. I agree the problem is not enough oxygen to ignight the gasses of combustion (normaly it goes up the chimney and knowone notices) but when you get sudden ignitions, well gasses, confined space = explosion. A lot of stoves have a Terchary air vent to constantly supply a small amount of oxygen over the top of the fire. Normaly some kind of tube with several holes. It will allso will improve efficiency.

[@cncworkshopsuk1104]

@@lewis24666 The fire will draw air down the chimney regardless of atmospheric conditions if a vacuum is created and you have the situation i described above.

[@DarrenMalin]

I love the fact the fireplace was half blocking the emergence exist in the old instillation, I do not know why but that makes me smile :) great job on the rebuild I really enjoy your videos. Thank you Sir :)

[@jsullivan05]

Saw Dust mixed with a small amount of wax, paraffin is best but bees wax works too, load up a metal mold of some sort and use a press to press it into super dense blocks, the wax keeps it together and makes it burn nice and slow, you can break them up too if you want them to burn more easily and faster. It's what i've been doing with my saw dust, shavings, and chips for years now.

[@wilhallman2890]

oh nice, I was thinking he should make pellets, but this is probably much better

[@Platypus_Warrior]

@@wilhallman2890 Yes ! Any for of compacting the wood dust is fine. Antic Windmills could explode because of flour dust. Any solid flammable compound should never be in a dust form. Just like flammable gases or vapors, this is a huge hazard ! Manage the wood dust please, this is dangerous ! Merry christmas

[@teebu]

7 months later, he's done it.

[@Platypus_Warrior]

@@teebu Yes I saw that 2 minutes after this video. I also left a comment on that last one but we are only two to get what I meant now haha

[@billbaker9623]

Came for the skill, stayed for the humor. Dad always said, "Don't force it just get a bigger hammer!" Great content.

[@NickBFlair]

My Dad called it "Brute force, scientifically applied".

[@horatiohornblower868]

We call it the Neanderthal way.

[@paulosborne6517]

The precision application of brute force... With the right size 'persuader', of course.

[@markmiwurdz202]

Ah yes. The trusty "vernier hammer". Never fails.........

[@zzota]

If you can't fix it with a hammer, it must be an electrical problem.

[@matthewfoster6620]

I look forward to the next chapter, hydraulic sawdust briquette maker!

[@baxterboy23]

Matthew Foster.. Ah right, I was wondering about the hydraulics, good eye mate 👍

[@ARKADAS1965]

Dooooo eeetttttt

[@nickoakley69]

You must be a soothsayer... :¬)

[@Saxonx500]

As a retired fire safety inspector that whole set up gives me the heebie geebies especially that fire door and stacked rubbish.....how you haven't lost everything before now is mind boggling.....great job though!

[@stevejohnson1685]

While the burning sawdust was pulsating, all I could think about was the explosion at a grain elevator in Chicago in 1935 that killed six people and injured another 38. (No, I wasn't around then, but in the '50's - '80's my father worked just down the street from the location, so I saw the rebuilt silos frequently). Almost any powder suspended in the air will be explosive.

[@billh230]

Mythbusters proved that danger when they got a dustball of powdered coffee creamer to go up in a rather spectacular fashion.

[@tonydization]

Yeah was thinking the same, tiny particle size of the fuel maybe re-combusting at a critical temperature.

[@alaric_]

When i was a kid we used to collect this one certain pollen from a "flower", although actually it was more like a stalk or something. When we had enough, we packed some of it into a straw and blow it into a campfire. Nice flames and sparks! :) Yeah, we had to invent things to do while we were camping in the lakes as a child but still we never a dull moment, we always had fun things to do. That and the explosion risk in the old grain mills (we ground our own flower up until the early 90's when small farms were killed off) made us understand at early age that enough of any powder in air could be dangerous.

[@clanravencub]

The 'pulsing' is probably deflegrations and their subsequent shockwaves building towards a fine particle / powder explosion.

[@Cent51]

That was my instant thought when he was pouring the sawdust into the furnace, that is fine dust that could go boom with the right ignition source.

[@TheNormndee]

The meticulous precision of your highly calibrated adjustment tools is incredible! LOL!!!!

[@aucuneexpertise9805]

I really enjoyed the high tech calibration tool :) Nice job, cheers.

[@RayMrRobert]

Welding. Woodwork. Cabinet crafting, electronics. Is there anything I left out?

[@joemorganti895]

I have an idea for the sawdust. Sell it to a local auto shop that cannot afford oil dry or pig mats. I used sawdust for oil spills and it's probably the best stuff i've ever used.

[@boldford]

Not allowed in Britain nowadays.

[@joemorganti895]

@@boldford that's sucks.

[@vulgivagu]

Had one of these in my woodwork shop, they are brilliantly economical. Mine was the same shape but I used a cavity twice the size, just use a bigger pipe and reduce the air flow. Never had a problem. Always kept the oak chips for the local fish smoker and got a load smoked salmon or trout as payment ! You are a fantastic craftsman.

[@jongmassey]

putting an exploding wood stove in the way of a fire exit is a particularly nice touch! ;)

[@52memor]

BEST THING FOR CLEANING THE GLASS believe it or not forget fancy expensive cleaners its "TEA" cuts straight through burnt on smoke. Used this non abrasive solution for nearly fifty years. Great vid

[@sarahewitt1226]

Is there nothing you can't do lol ! I find your videos mesmerising , you sir are a genius ! From the way you film your videos to the content it's pure art ! Keep them coming I love them ! 💕

[@sheronmartin4586]

Is there anything you can’t do, and do it better than most anyone else anywhere? I’m totally in awe of your many skills. Watch every video so I can marvel at your work. Thank you for many hours of learning.

[@googlecontrolled]

Being a thrifty Yorkshireman (such as yourself) I'm going to make a suggestion. If the door hinges and catch were adjustable then when the rope seal gets worn you can wind them in to get a tight door seal again and save having to replace it sooner. Measure the length and leave slightly long.Wrap the ends in some rope seal tape to avoid fraying before cutting the rope ends to size then use another piece to join both ends together. Put in with the joint at the middle of the bottom working towards the centre top,both sides at once.This helps to keep both ends tighter together for a good seal at the join and also the rope seal is less likely to be worn and frayed on the ends if its away from the corner. Use rope seal adhesive when fitting so it doesn't keep jumping out when it gets stuck on the stove body during use and you open the door. Baffle wants a slight bend or edge on it to lessen warpage. 👍

[@sehtdragon]

A beautiful piece of work there, sir. Everything that you do is a piece of art. I couldn't help thinking by the end that you could put a kettle on top and make a nice cup of tea... or toast some pikelets on a cold winter day...

[@sebw.4939]

How many professions do you have? 1. wood worker 2. metal worker 3. furnace maker 4. chimney sweeper 5. electronics technician 6. camera man 7. cutter 8. media producer 9. this space is meant to be filled by you Awesome man, awesome!

[@avago2day]

I could have watched you working on your wood burner for hours, you are a man of many talents.

[@Biffo1262]

That sort of burner along with Salamanders keeps us guys in business. BTW, that metal gate over your fire exit door defeats the whole point of a panic bar.

[@paulwhitemore2020]

Are there no end to your talents? Another great vid thanks, you never cease to amaze me with your never ending skills. Thanks again keep up the great work and keep us mere mortals entertained and informed!

[@pakiw2]

on exhaust you need damper for dialling slow burn cycle, its dialled by adjusting intake and damper. otherwise a lot of heat escaping through a pipe. hello from eastern Europe )

[@josemanon6295]

Great!! Indispensable "calibration tools" but remember "what welding warps, welding unwarps", applying some welds, or heat spots, to "counter" deformations. Liked and suscribed!

[@carolinehawkins1105]

I used to use up the dry sawdust by putting it onto the fire when the fire was going well, just a shovelful at a time at the side, not on top. It always slowly burnt, eked out the firewood and also meant not wasting it. Thats a great-looking stove.

[@Volvith]

My welding teacher when we first met him asked: "What are the most important tools to a welder?" 27 wrong answers later he said: "A hammer and a grinder." "Why." _"Well, you're here to learn to weld, so you can't weld for shit."_ Absolute legend of a teacher.

[@squibblez2517]

"A grinder and paint will make you the welder you ain't"

[@buyamerican3191]

You sir are a true craftsman! We have a lot in common. If I may, I'm sure by now you have found out that the thin tubing you made your fire grate out of will not last long. Second; if you move your thermal mass away from the stove by a foot or so all around you will enjoy much better heat spread through out the room.

[@deanoloughlin6129]

Stumbled across your channel a week or so ago watched almost all your videos ..well done man ...everything you do .is done to the fullest beautiful to watch big love from Lancashire UK 🇬🇧

[@MrRcarney2010]

found this by accident at 2am while sat up with toothache as a mechanical engineer I have been sat watching this and they hydraulic press video love it keep it up mate subscribed

[@wolf34501]

to have a furnace in midle a of a workshop full of dust and wood ; you sir are a true madlad

[@robynw6307]

Love your sense of humour. Had me chuckling to myself over and over.

[@StonyRC]

Excellent work and a beautiful finished result. To be able to see the fire is mesmerising!

[@johnpartridge7623]

You have a finely detailed Calibration device & Technical Eye, very well adjusted 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@delandbrooks3291]

Nice mods to the stove. Looks like with the pellet maker, you'll have a better deal. The only thing I'm wondering is why you didn't build a draw for the lower door? It would catch most of the ash and be easy to empty. You could even put a sheet metal "Sheetpan" in front so that any ash that dropped would be contained.

[@RayMrRobert]

You are so incredibly talented. I’m through almost all your videos and it killing me.

[@haroldchoate7497]

Thank you for sharing this tour. I’m amazed at both the amount and quality of work it shows. This is one of the most educational, entertaining channels on KZbin. Happy New Year!

[@nickyork8901]

New Yorkshire welding shop! Really enjoyed this one.

[@slaplapdog]

Great video, so many great techniques on display. You could put the sawdust in a retort, something simple as a stainless steel stock pot. You'd get energy and charcoal dust out of it.

[@juancornetto8243]

The reason it is doing this is because when the sawdust falls down the centre it's mixing fuel (wood dust) with oxygen combined with heat (accelerates the reaction) in the correct ratio for an explosion. Just like in a car engine, where the piston is pushed to harness the energy. In this case it's just pushing the energy back out the burner and disturbing more sawdust in the process. Hence the stuttering repeat explosions. This is why sawmills, flour mills, cotton mills have historically exploded... combustible fibres mixed in the correct ratio with air... BANG!

[@user-hj7ls3lm3x]

Russ, is there anything you cannot do? Wow, this is a great job done, looks robust and tough, very well improved. Lovely done and thanks for sharing!

[@314n04et]

As they say: a talented person is talented in everything.

[@Rouverius]

Some are here to watch a build video... And the rest of us are here chortling at the snarky white text. Seriously, glad you got that sorted out.

[@fernandocg7859]

very nice job, now it looks like a hole new woodburner. thanks for sharing

[@ThorbjrnPrytz]

Love the fine calibration work!

[@wayneblocker8058]

Love your sense of humor!

[@artmac4556]

Puffing caused because of lack of air in burning chamber, also you use only one set up for your whole welding process, that is why door wont to fix your frame, for dot welding less rod speed, for frame welding less power and rod speed. Good to weld only like an inch on each corner and move to another to spread the heat (that is why metal get twisted). Don`t get me wrong, watching your skills was enjoyable and I`m impressed. Great job + good humor, keep it up!!!

[@bill4755]

One of the most entertaining videos you’ve ever made.

[@yorkshirefazer]

can't beat a bit of percussive maintenance with the ol' thumb detector :)

[@stun9771]

….and i thought my welding was bad….!! But boy have I learnt something today…my welding is pretty dam good….👍🏻

[@bushratbeachbum]

Love your work and your style / humour. Nice one.

[@prestonlane6253]

Great use of the finely tuned "eyeometer" when you have to go to the calibration tools. :)

[@HanZie82]

Oh man the subtitles (CC) was amazing. Made the video to a highly entertaining one! Thanks.

[@richardsedorski1206]

Wow your knowledge of stuff is just amazing keep up the fab work.👍👍👍

[@thomashiggins4923]

That's another amazing job. But you know, I'd take a guess that you don't have quite the same affinity for metal work that you do for wood work. Thanks again. Tom (I saw you renovating the stairs - brilliant work as well).

[@daos3300]

aside from the serious environmental drawbacks of burning wood & sawdust, sawdust ash can be used as binding agent to make sawdust briquettes.

[@bulletbegone355]

Good show! Jolly good show! you have an incinerator for small things also. Be careful with the cresote.

[@bebel6874]

Good work and humour. Perfect balance.

[@bazanderson8283]

excellent video my dude, you are so skilled it really is inspiring to watch + the production value of your videos are excellent. I can't imagine the extra work it must be for you, but I can and do watch them for hours on end, thanks again

[@thejijimilokids3687]

is there anything you can't do, excellent job as always 👌👌👏👏👏

[@donstelfox2936]

Nice work, looks great.

[@jimgarrett7078]

Ha!!! We sent a man to the moon and built the SR71 blackbird on the imperial system. Continue on the good work.

[@marekpaul6110]

You have to assume the 10 thumbs down are from people with no sense of humour, fun, adventure or a life :-)

[@45sunnybank48]

Don't go there, I made a similar comment on the turntable video and it ruffled a few feathers.

[@torymartinez2439]

man you aint no dumby . you seem to manage that shop well. very nice. the finesse of a true carpenter and persuasive with a hammer. decent welds too

[@paulstanding7267]

You would be amazed how many people use the old imperial spanner’s every day in there work

[@ianwelburn7514]

Make a press and turn the sawdust into fire logs. Loving the fact the stove was blocking the fire door before 🤣

[@TheSadButMadLad]

Isn't that what fire door means. I just assumed it always meant this is where the fire should be placed. :-)

[@peterstolp7157]

@@TheSadButMadLad and how about the steel bars in front of the firedoor?

[@bushratbeachbum]

Did you watch until the end?

[@TheSadButMadLad]

@@peterstolp7157 Simples. To stop people coming in through the door and walking into a fire.

[@marraaman]

A man of many talents👍👍

[@HalcyonAcorn]

Loving the subtitles! I’ve always called it a precision alignment tool! You may want to put a wee bend in the door closer, I can see it catching shins at the wrong time.

[@cobberpete1]

Works well. I can feel the radiated heat down here in OZ. 😎 I need it. It is cold tonight ( 10c) . Already suggested below. Sawdust brickets is the next project.

[@SparkWah]

Is there anything this lad can’t do 😂 I thought I was a jack of all trades but u put me to shame brother. Love ur channel

[@scottsorby7966]

I saw the ram, the tube and the solid bar, and believe that somebody clever is going to make compressed sawdust logs for the furnace

[@spiderprint]

Some excellent calibration in this vid.

[@Nono-hk3is]

I *knew* you were going to call the second hammer the Medium Calibration Tool. Very good.

[@joshward7896]

If the stack is pretty hot, ya might consider putting a barrel "bell" to get more heat into the shop. Stove pipe goes into the bottom of an upright drum, and the stack exits from near the bottom.

[@1873Winchester]

You fill the drum with something? Like sand or olivine stones or something with a high thermal mass?

[@joshward7896]

@@1873Winchester Nope, The bell gives the heat in the smoke time to radiate into the room. It reduces the stack temp thus reducing loss uot the chimney.

[@1873Winchester]

@@joshward7896 Interesting, so it's more of a rapid space heater then to quickly heat the room. If you did what I mentioned you'd get something like the traditional mass heaters here, they work quite differently, it takes up the heat slowly and gives it away slowly. I wonder if I could do something like that with my sauna heater, where I do want a rapid heating.

[@Murlockingqc]

@@1873Winchester I wonder which one is more efficient. Radiating heat faster seems like it might take more advantage of the lost heat from the chimney. But if take in account, fuel cost, I think the sand barrel should work nicely.

[@stephenyoud6125]

Briliant ! pure and simple

[@lewis24666]

You may find that letting a bit more air pass around the outside of your stove will produce more heat. There should be at least 150mm each side and 75mm at the back but the more the better. Your thermal store will actualy make it harder for your stove to give out its heat so more will disapear up the chimney.

[@danstan4554]

I wonder if there is a way to compress the saw dust into some sort of a brick it would be so much easier and less messy, hope somebody with experience knows how to! Awesome video and amazing work, good job!

[@clivelee4279]

Interesting video, thanks, maybe something to reflect the heat, on the back wall, check the outside when it's running, you may be surprised at the temp of the wall . Regards.

[@blairleipst4508]

For the fire basket, it might be useful to drill some holes in the bars across the bottom to allow for expansion on the air inside to equalise or they might go bang as they heat up

[@helderlage]

you are a very funny and talented gentleman ... thanks for sharing your videos

[@Ivaneck_]

You are a master in calibration.

[@jasondeeley797]

I found the vlog really interesting, thanks

[@cgoodwin2875]

Nicely done, thanks for the video. I hope their a CO monitor somewhere in the shop - it is pretty much the only safety device I would never be without.

[@cliveramsbotty6077]

most detectors won't sound below 50ppm which is an awful lot of carbon monoxide, you could stick your head in a boiler flue and still not hit 50. you're absolutely correct you should fit a detector but also have your workshop regularly inspected by someone with a flue gas analyser to measure ambient levels of co to ensure you aren't subjected to prolonged periods of low level exposure.

[@SubculturalMoKa]

great little projekt, fun to watch!

[@ianvicedomini2648]

It’s great seeing guys like you on this site because there’s inspiration in every video and a comical side too. Great video mate 👍🏼😉

[@KeithOlson]

FWIW, if you replace the bottom of the steel chimney with a refractory brick chimney, you will create a secondary burn chamber where, when it comes up to temperature in 5-10 minutes, all smoke/creosote/etc. entering it will ignite so that none will enter the steel part of the chimney. (Basically, creating a 'rocket mass heater'. You should look that term up to see how to make your burner even *MORE* efficient.) Cheers!

[@ianoliver3879]

Most excellent stuff. Thank you very much.

[@tjacksonwoodworker3726]

An idea for you... there are molds you can make where you mix sawdust and water, compress and then dry and you have a brickette you can burn. Good for you, I salute you trying to use everything you have so there is no waste. That is what our grandparents did.

[@retiree1033]

That hydraulic ram at the end might be a clue that he's about to make his own.

[@tjacksonwoodworker3726]

@@retiree1033 hope he does..Engineers without Borders sows people how to make these all over the world.

[@ronaureliuschilton9303]

Your mix of talents is amazing, who doesn’t like a little risk in a wood shop 🤣. Is there any chance you could do a video on how you made the vacuum table for your veneers? Your other how to’s have been very good.

[@myksweet]

Awesome! The Fire Breathing Frankenburner.

[@spideybrent]

Hello from Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada. Thanks for sharing your great video’s please keep them coming.

[@cadjs]

Nice work mate. Dave Engels and you in one morning...a great start to Saturday!

[@tomasmowlam5787]

Yes mate. Been considering making a pellet maker for a while. Look forward to the sequel

[@grandadsworkshop5394]

Great job on the woodburner

[@eiward]

Nicely done.

[@clomb1234]

Entertaining on so many levels.

[@beadowarrior]

Just in time for the great British summer! Good job mate