Those are some interesting links about wood gas. What I have in mind is to use found wood to get the charcoal-maker started, and then, once the water has been driven out of the wood, I will then use the wood gas itself, in a closed-feedback loop, to make the process self-perpetuating, from that point on. Of course, I will have wood which is inside of the retort, which itself will be inside of the oven, and then I will also have wood which is outside of the retort, but which is still inside of the oven. Once the white smoke turns to blue, indicating that the water has been driven off, and that the wood gas is available, I will then light the wood gas. At that point, I will be able to smother the burning wood which is outside of the retort, since the heat from that wood will no longer be needed, and since that wood will be good for the next burn. If I discover that I do not need all of the wood gas to keep the process going, which, I suspect, will probably be the case, then, I will condense the left-over wood gas into tar, which I will then use to start the next burn. I expect that, eventually, I will run into a situation where I will not need to put any of the wood outside of the retort at all, but that I will be able to work entirely from the leftover tar from previous burns, which, again, will be converted into wood gas in a closed-feedback loop.
Mike Mandaville Austin, Texas