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Post by swizzle on Jul 5, 2008 11:47:15 GMT -8
I've been looking for info on rocket stoves for a while. Me and my dad are interested in building the top loading rocket stove for indoor use. I'm thinking about making one to burn my paper trash and heat 15 to 20 gallon barrel of water in the process. I was reading that the shelf helps to heat up the air as its sucked into the stove pipe. I was wondering if attaching a copper sheet or some type of copper piping added to the bottom of the plate might help to conduct the heat a little better? I have a couple different sized steel barrels to play with as well as a 100# propane tank and some smaller propane tanks. I might tinker with a few different designs and try to create at least one decent stove. I would like to see more pics and schematics for these stoves as well as video's. Any help will be appreciated. Thanx, Swizzle
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Post by canyon on Jul 6, 2008 8:23:15 GMT -8
Could you explain the shelf you are talking about? I'm not clear on what you mean.  Also, what is the purpose of the stove? Trash burning? Heating x gallons of water? Mass storage or no? What is your region/climate? |
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Post by swizzle on Jul 12, 2008 15:33:52 GMT -8
Sorry it takes so long to reply. The shelf I'm talking about I've seen on the smaller camping sized pocket rocket stoves. It basically divides the stove pipe into 2 equal parts. The wood goes on top and the air flows underneath. The only problem is having to constantly push the wood into the stove as only the ends gets burnt. I was thinking about using 2 different stoves. One to heat water and one as a mobile home heater. I'm only thinking small scale for now. I want to build a little radiant heater and then work my way up. I have a 15 gallon, a 25 gallon and a 55 gallon drum to work with. The 15 gallon is the best looking of the 3 and would probably be the main water tank. Any help on making a usable model before winter would be great. I live in upstate New York. Thanx, Jason
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Post by Donkey on Jul 14, 2008 8:41:43 GMT -8
Ah.. Got it. The shelf is used in Aprovecho style horizontal feed cooking rockets.. It's necessary if you plan to feed the stove horizontally. Considering why this stove was originally designed (cooking in places with severe wood shortages) it's a good thing that the fire goes out when the operator isn't paying attention. The Cob Cottage style feed is different. It has (in case you haven't seen it) a 90 degree bend in the end, making the feed tube vertical. Wood is loaded vertically and falls into the fire as it's support is burned away from below. This makes that shelf unnecessary. I recommend you buy the Rocket Stove book written by Ianto Evans and Leslie Jackson.. The website for the book is www.rocketstoves.com/You could check out the water heating thread here, I've added a drawing that may be helpful. Also the water heater that canyon made in the thread over in experiments,results is pretty darn cool.. |
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Post by swizzle on Jul 19, 2008 16:06:38 GMT -8
Well I built my first rocket cook stove and had fun with the whole experience. I'm drinking a cup of tea right now that I heated up with it. I'm using pallets from work as cooking fuel. So far I've cooked 3 meals with varying results. I see plenty of room for improvements. I think I just needed to get that first test in just to see how good it works for daily use. I can say that I'm saving on propane already. I did buy the eBook that you posted the link too. Its really got my gears grinding. I was just wondering what your take on flues is. I have a thick aluminim glue tank from work that I can cut the ends off of to make a 2 foot flue maybe 2 and a half. Its probably about the same diameter as an 8" stove pipe. I wish it was longer but its definately a start for another test model. My question on flues is which do you guys prefer? Metal or clay and is there a better alternative to thin tin stove pipes and where do I find it? Swizzle
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Post by canyon on Jul 20, 2008 23:33:30 GMT -8
Swizzle, Not sure if you're talking about using the aluminum for a heat riser or a flue later down flow? Aluminum melts at 1220 degrees f so wouldn't last long in the original tubular form as a heat riser. It does conduct well so as a heat exchanging flue embedded in the later part of a mass bench it would be fine. As for the metal or clay flue preference question please be more specific on what the use is(mass bench, heat riser, final stack,or what?). As an alternative to thin tin stove pipe I like thick steel pipe but it requires welding to join. You can sometimes score some at scrap yards or the dump or from a metal shop's scrap pile. Just don't used galvanized.  |
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