new guy design questions

[lockupnomad]

Hi all, so like another new member, I'm trying to have it all in one place. I want a rocket stove cooker AND heater AND bbq AND supermodel girlfriend (throwing down the gauntlet for you uber-smarties, haha)

Here is my wish-list, er I mean design concept:
-20mm ammo can housing,
-3"galvanized (yes, I'm aware of the need to remove the coating, this is a mock-up) horizontal feed tube (may be a j tube after reading some more),
- "T" shaped burn chamber, but vented inside the can. (I want to pre heat air in the can
- another "T" /chimney port inside the can to allow the entire system to expel out the fleu
-plugs and spark arrester screens for changing the congiguration inside the can to eithed a bbq whsn the lid is off or a wood stove for the tipi.

Mostly I need to get some ideas on the viability of a changeable configuration that will allow me to build one stove for a rocmet cooker then with a plug or two use it as a bbq grill or wood stove, depending on need.

The supermodel bit was an attempt at humor...or was it?

[lockupnomad]

Will it work???

[lockupnomad]

Also, sorry about the spelling. Regular pc died this am, had to type all this on the smart phone...fat fingers and all. Thanks for the feedback.

[Donkey]

When you get that stove purring, ALL of the metal bits inside the combustion area will burn out in no time.
Stainless will probably take the heat, though will be MUCH more expensive.
Now that I've seen the pipe you plan to use, I don't honestly know if you CAN make a rocket with the stuff... Worth a try, I suppose.

What do you mean by "vented in the can"?

[lockupnomad]

By vented into the can, I meant the back of the burn chamber "T", and the upper "T" port beneath the lid acting as the fleu to the smoke stack.

Do you think the pipe will melt? The ammo can will melt? The plugs will melt? I'm not quite sure what will burn up?

I know it could be expensive if over "engineered", that's why I'm thinking out loud here.

[lockupnomad]

I guess I hoped the ports inside the can, when the lid is on, would serve to heat the air and subsequently the outer walls to provide radient heat in the tent. I am beginning to understand I may need a second container for that purpose. I was hoping to make a door on the end opposite the burn chamber for a regular wood stove configuration., when not using the rocket.

[Donkey]

Have you built a Tin-Can Rocket yet?

If you haven't, try that first. There's a lot to be learned by building a known-to-work model first, even one as simple as the can stove.
Note: You can substitute wood ash for pearlite (used in the instructable), it will compact over time, but it's free.

To your steel pipe melting: it seems the stove may be so small that it won't make enough heat to burn through.. Then again, it might, though probably not too fast.
Only way to find out for sure is do it and see. At least it's an inexpensive test, the risk is almost 0.

[lockupnomad]

Yes, I did build a soup can rocket stove, from youtube. It works well, so I've been reading and youtubing rockets, gassifiers, potbelly, etc. I built a propane tank potbelly and a soup can gassifier. Then I tripped over a pdf file on bio-char and then hybrid stoves.

I started reading how some folks are trying to mix and combine features of rocket stoves and gassifiers, gassifiers and anila, etc. When I saw a ammo can wood stove/pot belly style, then a ammo can rocket, I began to think about a stove platform that could be changeable to suit a need, for example a rocket when cooking to use less fuel, rhen a bbq grill for tail-gating, then a tent stove/oven for winter camping/hunting. Then a way to make it all fit into one or two ammo boxes to store and transport. I have bitten off a lot here, I know but figured while "going to school" Id ask some smarter more experienced folks to accelerate my learning curve.

I do appreciate the feedback.

[lockupnomad]

So for an update, I welded up a can sleeve, welded my combustion chamber inside it, built a detachable collapsible stand, added a chimney and fired it up. Thought it was gonna take off by the sound of the air being sucked into the firebox. Will post more pics as I figure more out.

[lockupnomad]

Here's another pic

[lockupnomad]

And one more.

With the rocket "sleeve" I can pull the rocket isolate and insulate the rocket, pull the entire sleeve out of the ammo can and use the can as either a bbq grill or a wood stove or a smoker. At least that's the grand design. So far so good.

[Donkey]

Huh... Interesting.
You are aware of the old true-ism, that building a gizmo to do too many things gets you a gizmo that does none of them well?
It's one of those laws of the universe...

Still, fun looking project.
Keep us updated, K?

[lockupnomad]

I have heard that before. I tend to agree most times too. Having a little time to think on things with my project here, I agree the rocket needs to remain un-complicated. I think I'm going to section it off within its sleeve and add some wood as for insulation, at least initially. The ammo can will remain a removable shell for the rocket and this way I can reconfigure it to fit my needs and to store accessories like grills, stand, shelving brackets, etc.

I think Ill secure a second ammo can to use for storage of accessories and use my first can to house and transport the rocket. In the meanwhile, I think I'm ready to do some testing. Ill try to shoot a video and youtube it. I guess Ill have to start another thread to add more pics. I can't seem to add more here.

[lockupnomad]

Here is the rocket cooker configuration

[lockupnomad]

Here are the parts and pieces all spread out, as you can see a second ammo can would be usefull...