The Forestry Forum

So we have a tlb 6024 top load boiler and this is our 3rd year heating our 2 buildings 10,000 sqft. I use a track loader with grapple bucket to load it... In my opinion the door design is terrible because when you open the grapple up they hit the door and eventually break 4 - 3/16" bolts that allow the probably 1000lb door hit the ground. Also if it don't break the bolts it messes up the safety latch and allows the door to close on the grapple then you rip the door off trying to get loose from it. So to load it you have to drive full speed at the door opening and precisely open the grapple and simultaneously throw it in reverse and launch the logs into the boiler... they don't advertise this when you buy it. So I have modified the door to open out to the side and allow you full access to the boiler.

Also I'm almost done with a kiln I plan to heat with the boiler and being as I'm out of capacity I have been trying to figure out how to get more heat out of it. I'm in the process of building a dual pass flue gas economizer/ heat exchanger. So I have taken a heavy steel toolbox that I bought 10 years ago for 20 bucks and built 3 - 13" by 13" chambers in it and putting 36 3/4" pipe thru each chamber to run cool return water thru to pre heat it before returning it to the boiler... I don't have pictures of it now but ill get some tomorrow and post tomorrow... ideas ??? Thoughts ? Should be done this week and installed so hopefully it works
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/74647/01414_bmuIM8huVUj_0CI0iP_600x450.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1704651290)
 
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/74647/Screenshot_20240107-140420_Chrome.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1704655059)
 
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/74647/20231117_071928.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1704655126)
 

It looks like that will buff out.  ;D

Lol diffently I have removed all the metal and insulation and when I get this heat exchanger on this week I'm going to spray foam it and replace metal. Hopefully with the new door design I won't be tossing logs thru the front of it anymore.

Is there a side door for ash cleanout?

It's got a small door on leftside bottom originally it had a 6ft long pan that would slide out with all the ashes in it and you could dump and then slide it back in... with no ashes probably weighed 100lbs I cut the pan off the door and now I use a pipe with a flip flopper on the end that let's me pull the ashes out simple and easy

How sturdy is the firebox?  That's a lot of impact when dropping logs in from the top.