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#199875 - 04/08/10 04:38 PM Re: Grinding charcoal to powder [Re: CANOEDOGS]
ILBob Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 02/05/10
Posts: 776
Loc: Northern IL
Originally Posted By: CANOEDOGS
Sue..what sort of charcoal are you using?..i'm let to believe that the stuff you use in a BBQ is not real charcoal but has a lot of nasty stuff added.the real thing seems to be lighter and "crunchy"


The little briquets are usually compressed coal dust, and often have accelerants in them to make them start faster.

Real charcoal does not come in neat little briquets.

Mortar and pestle is the age old solution to grinding things.
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#199879 - 04/08/10 05:48 PM Re: Grinding charcoal to powder [Re: ILBob]
jzmtl Offline
Addict

Registered: 03/18/10
Posts: 530
Loc: Montreal Canada
In case anyone is interested, you can make charcoal out of any wood you have lying around in a wood gasification stove made of two tin cans.

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#199880 - 04/08/10 06:17 PM Re: Grinding charcoal to powder [Re: Susan]
Blast Offline
INTERCEPTOR
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 07/15/02
Posts: 3760
Loc: TX
Do a google search on "plumping mill".

-Blast
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#199882 - 04/08/10 06:29 PM Re: Grinding charcoal to powder [Re: Blast]
benjammin Offline
Rapscallion
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/06/04
Posts: 4020
Loc: Anchorage AK
I've made black powder with charcoal. To turn it into dust, I put it inside a suede leather bag, cinched the bag shut tight, and pounded it with a brick against a concrete curb. The suede kept the charcoal contained, and was tough enough not to be punctured in the process. When I was done, I had about 4 cups of charcoal powder that was as fine as sand or better. It took me maybe 10 minutes all told. I wasn't much concerned with production rate, so probably could've gone quicker.
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#199887 - 04/08/10 10:00 PM Re: Grinding charcoal to powder [Re: benjammin]
sybert777 Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 10/15/09
Posts: 300
Loc: 62208
An idea that popped in my head just now is to use a cheese grater! it is slow but it will get it fine enough and it is probably the easiest to clean! (have the hubby do it...LOL, seems more natural!!!) perverted humor.. I love it!!

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#199894 - 04/09/10 01:06 AM Re: Grinding charcoal to powder [Re: sybert777]
Susan Offline
Geezer

Registered: 01/21/04
Posts: 5163
Loc: W. WA
This is regular wood charcoal, not briquets. The morning after I have a fire in the stove, I pick out the leftover chunks.

Several really good ideas here. I KNEW you guys would come up with some!

I'll try all of them and see how they work!

Thanks!

Sue

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#199896 - 04/09/10 01:38 AM Re: Grinding charcoal to powder [Re: dougwalkabout]
Susan Offline
Geezer

Registered: 01/21/04
Posts: 5163
Loc: W. WA
Doug, I was using small chunks, but there's a new book out on BioChar where they talk about the charcoal in microns.

Which way does the pH go, up? Up, I could use, as my pH is about 5.8.

How do you make it in the 55-gal barrel? I read something about filling the barrel with wood and getting it started, then tipping it over to shut out air intake. Tips?

Sue

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#199903 - 04/09/10 03:18 AM Re: Grinding charcoal to powder [Re: Susan]
EchoingLaugh Offline
Member

Registered: 09/20/09
Posts: 158
Loc: MO, On the Mississippi
plastic bottle with little rocks, marbles, or ball-bearings? shake and then pour out? slipjoint pliers stuck in a bag or covered with something. (thats how i crack hickory nuts, the bag/cover is to keep the flying bits from going all over the place)
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#199922 - 04/09/10 02:32 PM Re: Grinding charcoal to powder [Re: EchoingLaugh]
dougwalkabout Offline
Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3219
Loc: Alberta, Canada
Sue, my char goes in the garden, and the big John Deere rototiller will smash it into powder over time. But in a raised bed or pot-based garden, the best results come from finely-ground char.

Like ashes, char will tend to raise the soil's pH. Sounds like you can add a lot without worrying. I have to watch it, my clay-based soil leans toward alkaline/basic.

My charcoal-making is incredibly primitive -- a Bic and a long-handled spade. When I have a fire in my big firepit or my Landwave mobile burner, I just keep tapping away at the partially burned material and packing down the charcoal to keep the air off it. I have done this for years for natural-wood barbecuing. When the pit is full, I spray it down a little with water (don't saturate) or add a little snow on top, and then put an airtight cover on it. The steam plus cover kills combustion. Done!

I'm planning a better system. I want to make use of the heat produced (I'm in a winter climate) and I want to cut down the amount of smoke I eat (*koff*).

I like this simple setup using two different size metal pails/barrels:
http://www.holon.se/folke/carbon/simplechar/simplechar.shtml#two barells

I'm really intrigued by this burner/charcoal maker:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/03/biochar-breaks-through-in-haiti.php

The other option is to use a "cartridge" system with my existing wood stove. Short pieces of stovepipe with metal caps should do it.

Long post, sorry 'bout that.
Doug

P.S., if you char grass instead of wood, you will get instant powder. No need to grind it.


Edited by dougwalkabout (04/09/10 02:37 PM)

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#199968 - 04/10/10 08:25 AM Re: Grinding charcoal to powder [Re: dougwalkabout]
EMPnotImplyNuclear Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 09/10/08
Posts: 382

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