Anyone burning crushed acorn shells? Answer is Yes
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SmokeyTheBear said:
Air dryer in a wagon. No idea of the final moisture content. Whole accorns hats and all. The Maxim has large augers.
harttj said:
Hello Tim
Nice to know there is a wood pellet burner out there that can burn whole acorns! THANKS Tim
Maxim sales site
http://www.maximheat.com/models
From
(broken link removed)Central Boiler manufacturers the Maxim outdoor wood pellet and corn furnace. The Maxim outdoor wood pellet and corn furnace can heat an entire home, multiple buildings along with domestic water. The Maxim doesn't take up valuable living space like indoor wood pellet stoves or corn stoves and is able to heat for days on a single fuel load. It is also efficient, saves as much as 75% on your heating costs and reduces your dependence on foreign oil by heating with renewable energy.
Maxim M175
$7,234 MSRP*
Door
13.5" x 15.5"
Weight
1,200 lbs.
Water Capacity
90 Gallons
Maximum Btu
175,000
Hopper Capacity
7 Bushel (360 lbs.)
Two 4-foot chimney sections are standard.
Optional transfer auger and optional
43-bushel hex hopper available.
Optional hopper extension kit available.
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Hello
Well, Burning Acorn Shells seem to be very plausible. Thanks to everyone's response!! If anyone knows of a better Nut Chopper please let us know.
From the answers above, here is the process:
1. Gather the acorns and put them in a container not more than 6" deep to dry in the sun.
Thanks harttj for the above info
2. If you do not have a Maxim M175 with large augers then you must crush the acorns to the size of your smallest finger's fingernail.
3. Use an electric nut chopper such as the Elite Nut Chopper to grind up the shells.
(broken link removed)
Now there is one other change that depends upon your burn pot and feed rates.
Thanks to Snowy River who burns Hazel Nut shells, this is what was done to the burn pot to keep the shells burning.
Two changes to the pot on the Advantage 2T
I added a stainless filler plate with rows of small air holes to kep the shells from falling through the grate
Added a little steel bar in the pot that aligns with the center of the drop tube.
The bar scatters the shell pieces over the fire, otherwise the stuff just falls into a pile in the middle of the pot and builds up a little CONE.
Over a few hours the pile of shells will just char and continue to gather in size.
The “scatter bar†works fairly well to Help eliminate the issue.
Not perfect but quite workable.
(Two Piccys posted)
Since this piccy was taken I have replaced the little small square plate that the bar is bolted to, with a piece that goes the full width of the fire tray to stop shells from flying out into the surrounding part of the firebox.
During cleaning I found that there was more shells laying unburned in the front of the firebox than was acceptable.
Now with the new piece bolted in, this is eliminated.
The shells slide down the chute, hit the bar and scatter over the pot area. With the lengthened front “Backstop†at times the material hits the plate, then falls back onto the fire.
Usually the Advantage can go all day without my having to stir the pot.
I keep the airflow cranked up a bit (draft rod pulled out about 1/2†from the stop)
I can only make this adjustment after the fire has burned for a hour or so and has established a good bed of coals.
A fresh clean fire pot will burn almost all the shell material between feed cycles on the low setting if I give it too much air right off.
After the hour run time, there is enough coals though to keep the fire active.
I only run the stove on the LOW setting with shells.
This is a 2 second feed and a 7 second burn cycle.
Number 2 setting is 2 on and 5 off and will build more fire than I want for long term burning.
The stove runs hot enough that even on low the stack stays plenty hot so as to not accumulate burnable condensate in the outer end of the pipe.
The little Prodigy is slightly different.
The burn pot is built a tad different and required a slightly different scatter bar to do the job.
A similar idea, but different shape is all.
The first Piccy is the Advantage 2T
The second Piccy is the Prodigy under fire
Snowy
Well, Burning Acorn Shells seem to be very plausible. Thanks to everyone's response!! If anyone knows of a better Nut Chopper please let us know.
From the answers above, here is the process:
1. Gather the acorns and put them in a container not more than 6" deep to dry in the sun.
Thanks harttj for the above info
2. If you do not have a Maxim M175 with large augers then you must crush the acorns to the size of your smallest finger's fingernail.
3. Use an electric nut chopper such as the Elite Nut Chopper to grind up the shells.
(broken link removed)
Now there is one other change that depends upon your burn pot and feed rates.
Thanks to Snowy River who burns Hazel Nut shells, this is what was done to the burn pot to keep the shells burning.
Two changes to the pot on the Advantage 2T
I added a stainless filler plate with rows of small air holes to kep the shells from falling through the grate
Added a little steel bar in the pot that aligns with the center of the drop tube.
The bar scatters the shell pieces over the fire, otherwise the stuff just falls into a pile in the middle of the pot and builds up a little CONE.
Over a few hours the pile of shells will just char and continue to gather in size.
The “scatter bar†works fairly well to Help eliminate the issue.
Not perfect but quite workable.
(Two Piccys posted)
Since this piccy was taken I have replaced the little small square plate that the bar is bolted to, with a piece that goes the full width of the fire tray to stop shells from flying out into the surrounding part of the firebox.
During cleaning I found that there was more shells laying unburned in the front of the firebox than was acceptable.
Now with the new piece bolted in, this is eliminated.
The shells slide down the chute, hit the bar and scatter over the pot area. With the lengthened front “Backstop†at times the material hits the plate, then falls back onto the fire.
Usually the Advantage can go all day without my having to stir the pot.
I keep the airflow cranked up a bit (draft rod pulled out about 1/2†from the stop)
I can only make this adjustment after the fire has burned for a hour or so and has established a good bed of coals.
A fresh clean fire pot will burn almost all the shell material between feed cycles on the low setting if I give it too much air right off.
After the hour run time, there is enough coals though to keep the fire active.
I only run the stove on the LOW setting with shells.
This is a 2 second feed and a 7 second burn cycle.
Number 2 setting is 2 on and 5 off and will build more fire than I want for long term burning.
The stove runs hot enough that even on low the stack stays plenty hot so as to not accumulate burnable condensate in the outer end of the pipe.
The little Prodigy is slightly different.
The burn pot is built a tad different and required a slightly different scatter bar to do the job.
A similar idea, but different shape is all.
The first Piccy is the Advantage 2T
The second Piccy is the Prodigy under fire
Snowy
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Franks said:
*******NEWS FLASH********
Star Jones is now part of the cast of River Dance!
She is said to be partnered up with Rosie O'Donell and practicing in the S. New Hampshire area wearing custom orthotic shoes designed by a new comer named "Don".
Don says "the Acorn inserts build balance and stamina"...nevermind the barrels of by-product....
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