Post by streetheat on Oct 11, 2015 18:26:15 GMT -8
Hi everyone,
I have a project currently in the works. I want to create stoves for people living on the street. I have a few ideas, but I think I could definitely benefit from the creativity and expertise that abounds throughout this forum. My GREATEST roadblock at this point is access to materials. I really want to be able to salvage everything, but my dumpster-diving skills are pretty weak right now, I don't really know where to go and what exactly to look for (how can I identify heat-resistant metals? Safety-wise, what should I be keeping an eye out for? Paints, chemicals, rust, etc?). I don't mind spending a little bit of money here and there if I have to, but definitely the less the better.
I'm living in the city, a cold cold place, and my ideas so far are these:
1) A "pocket rocket", as described in the 3rd edition of Rocket Mass Heaters on pg 82 (under the header "Detroitus" or something). This would be a barrel, or something smaller, with two holes in the top, one for the heat riser/chimney, and one for the feed box (a tube, really, not a box). These would create a lot of heat at the bottom of the barrel, but would of course waste most of the heat generated. I was thinking of feeding the heat riser directly into another barrel, so making it a legit rocket stove, but unless I magically come across an infinite supply of barrels, this isn't super economically feasible, because it would cut the number of stoves I'm making in half, and i want to make as many as possible.
- side question here, how can I cut into those heavy metal barrels? The book says all you need is a hammer, chisel, and tin snips, but those barrels are pretty heavy duty, and I'm not convinced.
- I have this vision of one of these large pocket rockets with heat-tentacles coming out of it, and folks sleeping around it.
- ok, also safety concerns here. I imagine these things getting hot as fuck, and posing a huge fire risk. The book says be careful about having anything flammable within 2-3 feet. A lot of the homeless folks around me are in pretty bad shape (a lot of alcohol and drub abuse going on), and I worry a bit about leaving them with something so potentially dangerous. So I would want to safety-proof what I make as much as possible.
2) Little aluminum can alcohol stoves, accompanied with a brick and a little stand to hold it on. The idea being that folks could heat up the brick, wrap it in a towel, and cuddle it while they sleep. I could churn out a bunch of these, and maybe package them in little kits.
These are my only two conceptual ideas. I would appreciate feedback and any other, completely new ideas people have! I don't want to feel limited to rocket stoves, whatever works! As well, I would really appreciate tips on gathering materials - where I can find barrels and stovepipe, as well as what kinds of metals I should be looking for, and how to identify them.
I have a project currently in the works. I want to create stoves for people living on the street. I have a few ideas, but I think I could definitely benefit from the creativity and expertise that abounds throughout this forum. My GREATEST roadblock at this point is access to materials. I really want to be able to salvage everything, but my dumpster-diving skills are pretty weak right now, I don't really know where to go and what exactly to look for (how can I identify heat-resistant metals? Safety-wise, what should I be keeping an eye out for? Paints, chemicals, rust, etc?). I don't mind spending a little bit of money here and there if I have to, but definitely the less the better.
I'm living in the city, a cold cold place, and my ideas so far are these:
1) A "pocket rocket", as described in the 3rd edition of Rocket Mass Heaters on pg 82 (under the header "Detroitus" or something). This would be a barrel, or something smaller, with two holes in the top, one for the heat riser/chimney, and one for the feed box (a tube, really, not a box). These would create a lot of heat at the bottom of the barrel, but would of course waste most of the heat generated. I was thinking of feeding the heat riser directly into another barrel, so making it a legit rocket stove, but unless I magically come across an infinite supply of barrels, this isn't super economically feasible, because it would cut the number of stoves I'm making in half, and i want to make as many as possible.
- side question here, how can I cut into those heavy metal barrels? The book says all you need is a hammer, chisel, and tin snips, but those barrels are pretty heavy duty, and I'm not convinced.
- I have this vision of one of these large pocket rockets with heat-tentacles coming out of it, and folks sleeping around it.
- ok, also safety concerns here. I imagine these things getting hot as fuck, and posing a huge fire risk. The book says be careful about having anything flammable within 2-3 feet. A lot of the homeless folks around me are in pretty bad shape (a lot of alcohol and drub abuse going on), and I worry a bit about leaving them with something so potentially dangerous. So I would want to safety-proof what I make as much as possible.
2) Little aluminum can alcohol stoves, accompanied with a brick and a little stand to hold it on. The idea being that folks could heat up the brick, wrap it in a towel, and cuddle it while they sleep. I could churn out a bunch of these, and maybe package them in little kits.
These are my only two conceptual ideas. I would appreciate feedback and any other, completely new ideas people have! I don't want to feel limited to rocket stoves, whatever works! As well, I would really appreciate tips on gathering materials - where I can find barrels and stovepipe, as well as what kinds of metals I should be looking for, and how to identify them.