Smoke Generators - Venturi Type

[el Ducko]

Hey, Ross...? Know of any way to grind up wood chips into smaller chips or dust, short of buying an expensive wood chipper? Looks like you could go either larger (your suggestion, with the limb pieces)or smaller (ground up) in chip size in order to increase fuel density.
Russ

[ssorllih]

Russ I haven't been able to come up with anything that isn't terribly labor intensive. Modify a lawn mower so that the large chip could be dumped down a chute into the blade and a screen would retain it until the particle size passed the screen.

[NorthFork]

I use a table saw with a pretty coarse carbide blade. If in need of just sawdust I set the rip fence very close to the blade and run limbs about 2 to 3 in. dia. through it. If I am wanting some disks and chunks I will set the fence back anywhere from 1/2" to 1" and cut chunks from the limbs or even larger (I have run up to 6" limbs through it by rotating the limbs and cutting full depth of the blade). You can pick up a decent saw at Home Cheapo or Lowe's for not too much and you are set, there is a good variety of blades that will give you finer or coarser results. You do need to practice some care (safety glasses etc.) but all in all it is a simple and inexpensive procedure. I just finished running about 5 gallons of cherry and apple sawdust and it only took about an hour.

I usually burn (propane heat source) a mix of sawdust, pellets and chunks to get the desired result and other than the pellets (I am blessed with a local source of good pellets-hickory, mesquite, apple, cherry, alder and maple-for $11.00/20lbs) I cut it all with the table saw. I have good sources for maple, cherry, apple and alder so it is pretty easy to keep a good supply of the various woods. The table saw makes it easy--

[ssorllih]

Northfork, Please be very careful I am not close enough to lend you a hand.

[NorthFork]

Northfork, Please be very careful I am not close enough to lend you a hand.

Point well taken Ross-you can never be careful enough-

Thank you
Pat

[jbk101]

Hello all,

I'll go try to build one myself, if you don't mind. I think you said in an earlier post that it's 4" pipe, right

I don't mind at all - This one is a 2 inch diameter pipe - I used a left over piece of pipe, had my hardware store cut and thread it for me and purchased the caps and any pipe fittings that I did not have already laying around - Total cost was under $60.00 (US) that includes my air pumps.

In regards to the leak - I don't believe its back pressure just a loose fitting - I used a standard thread tap instead of a pipe thread tap (Its What I Had, and did not want to spend any money on a pipe thread tap.) A little solder I believe will fix the problem.

As far as moving the inlet air line closer to the outlet tube - it is actually within a 1/2 inch of the outlet tube. any closer and it would make it harder to load any larger wood chips into the unit, so that's why I left it that way. Close enough for government work

My goal was to come up with a inexpensive cold smoke generator for my smoker which is Propane fired and quickly raised the internal temperature (great if your smoking some ribs or wanting to make some pulled pork etc.) The unit never raised the internal temperature on the initial trail (it was cold outside the day I tried it - around 40 degrees f.) So I am hoping that as the temperature rises (outside) I will be able to better control the internal cabinet temperature and be able produce a better sausage in the long run and also smoke longer into the season.

I like the idea of using my table saw to make some wood chips and some saw dust. I was giving that some thought as I got a lot of maple and some hickory my son got for me last summer when he worked for a tree cutting service. What method are you using to capture it?

The screen I am using in the unit is homemade out of 1/4 inch hardened steel that I cut out then grinded down to fit snuggly just below the fire starter port but still be removable. I drilled holes using a 1/32 drill bit all over. (It took some time and I broke a few bits along the way - But cost again was a factor)

Cleaning out the unit and adding more chips was very easy which I was shooting for when I thought about the design. Painting it was an after thought - Initially was not going to paint it but as the pipe started to Rust, I thought that it would look better painted and of course last longer then an unpainted unit.

Its all a learning curve and sometimes you have to fly by the seat of your pants, make some mistakes, fall down, get back up, dust yourself off and try, again, hopefully learning something along the way without repeating the same mistake.

[NorthFork]

I like the idea of using my table saw to make some wood chips and some saw dust. I was giving that some thought as I got a lot of maple and some hickory my son got for me last summer when he worked for a tree cutting service. What method are you using to capture it?

jbk101-My saw is on a open stand with a sub frame around the legs midway between the table and the floor. I simply pin (clothes pin) a plastic sheet around the frame and form a trough into a cardboard box that slips under the frame and extends out a short distance from the frame. I usually place a larger sheet of plastic under the frame and box to catch any wayward sawdust. Run a piece through the saw and observe the discharge and it will be pretty obvious where you need to place the box and plastic sheets to capture the most product.

And like Ross said-be careful, you can get everything from kickbacks to flying (at escape velocity) chunks of wood and slivers. Stand to the side, not behind the blade and wear a good pair of safety glasses, and keep a good grip on the stock as you feed it into the saw.

Pat

[ssorllih]

I had a kickback fracture my thumb while I did have a good grip. I shudder to consider where that stick would have gone if it had flown free.

[jbk101]

Ross and Pat,

Thanks for the advice, Unfortunately I am too well aware of the pitfalls with kickbacks etc. associated with table-saws along with various other power tools. I have had a few kickback incidents in my time that made me have to go change my underwear and safety glasses are a must.

My table saw sounds similar to yours in construction and your box idea is got my mind working on a couple of Ideas

I know where the majority of my discharge is with my table saw just capturing it safely is my biggest concern, along with trying not to waste too much of the wood. I will have to think about it but I will come up with a way

Thanks allot again and keep up the great sausage making,
John

[orf]

I thought about collecting my own chips but why don't you just call a local small cabinet shop and ask them for their shavings from a planer,most will give them away for free,.they make wonderful chips .If it's run through a planer chances are theres no plywood in them but double check and tell them what you want them for just to be sure. throwing a ring or two of smoked sausage will keep you in all the chips you'll need I'm sure.orf...

[el Ducko]

This one is a 2 inch diameter pipe ...

Thanks. That's what I needed to know. (4" is quite a bit more expensive.)

My goal was to come up with a inexpensive cold smoke generator for my smoker which is Propane fired and quickly raised the internal temperature (great if your smoking some ribs or wanting to make some pulled pork etc.) The unit never raised the internal temperature on the initial trial...

...and it looks like you did it- - inexpensive, solves the smoke generation problem, doesn't raise the smoker cabinet temperature... exactly what we all need.

The screen I am using in the unit is homemade out of 1/4 inch hardened steel that I cut out then grinded down to fit snuggly just below the fire starter port but still be removable. I drilled holes using a 1/32 drill bit all over...

Thanks. I have some aluminum mesh from a gutter cover. ...think I'll use that.

Its all a learning curve and sometimes you have to fly by the seat of your pants, make some mistakes, fall down, get back up, dust yourself off and try, again, hopefully learning something along the way without repeating the same mistake.

I seem to repeat mine! ...but I try not to, too often. ...especially those involving fire or electrical problems. Good luck, and stay safe! ...and thanks for your help.

[ssorllih]

When seeking material for a smoker or a smoke generator don't overlook the scrap metal dealers. They buy tons of scrap and will cheerfully sell bits and pieces. Any piece of iron can be thrown into a hot fire and cleaned.

[jbk101]

I have some aluminum mesh from a gutter cover. ...think I'll use that

I've tried that and it will end up melting, that's why I went with a piece of hardened steel that had some thickness to it. I was a little harder to cut but worth the trouble I believe. The ideal material would be to use a Stainless Steel Mesh Screen as Ross is correct Scrap yard is the way to go.
John

[Shuswap]

I made a venture type smoke generator for my 2-door Masterbuilt propane smoker. Its burning cherry shavings made on my thickness planer. Now I have to be careful not to overdo the smoke on my Maple back bacon.

[el Ducko]

Looks like it works well. (How much Jaegermeister did you have to drink to come up with the design? ) Congratulations on solving a problem that we all seem to face- - steady, controllable smoke production.

How about some details, please? What sort of internal arrangement? ...holes in the bottom? How long will it deliver smoke, on how much wood? (...sawdust, if I read your "thickness planer" note correctly.) Is it possible to use wood chips? (I never could get chips to stay alight.)