A question for the engineer types out there..

[Larwyn]

My question is........Have I put together a functional "smoker's station" or have I created an incenerator?

I put 4 of these together to place around the property for the renfaire camping season. I have used one of them in front of a large fan without starting a fire, or even having smoke escape back up the stack. But I would still like to hear from anyone on the group who knows a bit more about such things. It does seem to work, and may be safer than having the campers simply chunk their ciggarette butts on the ground.

[Archer_1]

That's actually very similar to the smoker's stations we have outside at various locations around the plant. Put a couple of inches of sand in the bottom of your design to stabilize it would be the only additional recommendation I'd make.

Steve_N.
Northrop Grumman

[Wright]

As a smoker, Sir. I will add that if the smokers with you, cannot police up after themselves (My gosh! there's a campfire pit right there!) please slap them they're making the rest of us look bad....

OH BTW; that looks really cool! should work out well.

[Larwyn]

Steve and Wright

Thanks for your replies. I took the top off of a "Smoker's Oasis" outside the resturant where I ate lunch today. It is a simple funnel, I think the extension below the lid on my version creates more of a smoke trap and less of a tendacy to "draw" like a chimney. I'm sure it will keep water out of the bucket (already weathered a couple of rains). Besides the two 3/4" holes near the top of the stack are the only entrance/exit for air so there should be at least some oxygen starvation inside the unit. The rocks around the metal bucket to keep it centered in the plastic bucket serve as ballast, like the sand suggested by Steve.

Wright, your are right. But the entrace to the shower house and the pool have been a "hot spot" for discarded ciggarett butts in the past. Just trying to make it easier for everybody to be more responsiable (or suffer the "wrath of Wright")........

[asianflava]

I've seen something similar at my car dealership except theirs looked a piston with a connecting rod.

[JunkMan]

I bought a couple for my business, and they are just plastic with a metal pail inside. They work fine, so I think yours should be OK.

[jay]

you need new friends...

[Larwyn]

you need new friends...

Sure new friends are a good thing, but the old ones are keepers too.......

[Larwyn]

I bought a couple for my business, and they are just plastic with a metal pail inside. They work fine, so I think yours should be OK.

I did consider purchasing the commercial units but the price seems very steep. This place is only a campground for about 2 months a year so the budget is tight for such luxuries.

[Jiminsav]

Larwyn, the only thing I see wrong with it is it's plastic..plastic melts and burns..if you can, put a small chunk of dry ice in the bucket before it gets filled up with butts to assist in smothering the smoldering tobbacco.
I have seen the ones you can buy burn and melt into the sidewalk..and GAWD damn it stinks.

[BILLYL]

Larwyn,

After looking at your design - I have seen this before. It looks a lot like a SPUD GUN .

Just need a potatoe and you should get some good distance.


No - all kidding aside - it should work just fine. ANd since you have them already installed they seem to me working fine. Are there any problems with them tipping over? Maybe a small bag of sand wedgeed in around the paint bucket.

Bill

[Woody]

Larwyn, the only thing I see wrong with it is it's plastic..plastic melts and burns..if you can, put a small chunk of dry ice in the bucket before it gets filled up with butts to assist in smothering the smoldering tobbacco.
I have seen the ones you can buy burn and melt into the sidewalk..and GAWD damn it stinks.

Just put alittle water in the bottom of the bucket. Geez, Dry ice, it's an ashtray/butt can not a special effect for a movie

[Jiminsav]

Woody, the dry ice is for the carbon dioxide to extingwish the butts..water evaporates and or gets the bottom layer wet and the top layer still burns.
smarty britches..

and BTW, did you reserve me a spot for anastasia?

[Larwyn]

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions and comments. I mainly wanted to put this out there so I could be informed if I had built a fire hazzard. I know someone out there would have pointed out if there were some dangerous design flaw in my version, as compared to the comercial smokers stations.

Actually, in my uneducated opinion, mine seems safer than the comercial plastic models because the bucket and lid are air tight. The only intake for oxygen is the same stack through which the smoke must escape and with the extension inside the lid it is a very poor chimney design. I tried to break whatever rules I know about incenirator/forge design.....

It was never actually designed. I just put the parts together and that is how it came out...........

[Woody]

Woody, the dry ice is for the carbon dioxide to extingwish the butts..water evaporates and or gets the bottom layer wet and the top layer still burns.
smarty britches..

and BTW, did you reserve me a spot for anastasia?

The wicking factor of water my friend. Water may evaporate, but not like dry ice which evaporates at much higher (extreme rate) Besides water is almost free to use and available just about anywhere Smarty britches

You weren't sure if you were going when you and my wife talked about it I guess. I was not part of the converation as I recall ( alcohol memory lapse or just plain getting old I guess). I will ask my wife when she comes back from Texas from a business trip tommorow about if she did.