Redneck Rocket Stove Build #2
OK, we have had some "modifications" on our Build #2. I took the design John came up with last time, and modified it slightly. We decided that we did need a place just to put in more "fuel", separately from the air chamber. Also, we thought it best to "beef up" our materials, so we went with Fire Brick, we only had one concrete block this time..and it formed the air chamber. I purchase 20 firebrick from our local concrete yard, Ruby Concrete, and they weren't to "pricey", only $1.65 each. I think that is fairly reasonable, especially since, I considered even making my own brick, and I am almost sure that I'd have more than a $1.65 in a brick that I made. When I put this one together, I wanted the "burn" chamber to be bigger, taller and wider. Well, I did make it, after several tries and retries, below is the finished stove, also below that is a picture is my coffee can version of the rocket stove.
It didn't take long for the "fire" to commence! Wow, we started our fire just like last time, a total of 5 tightly wadded paper wads, and the fire went right to blazing. It's totally incredible how easy it is to start a fire with 5 paper wads, and it hasn't failed us yet.
Look at that fire!! Wow! It's like your very own incinerator! You could even hear it! It was like a fiery tornado! The fire got really, really hot, really, really fast! It was incredible! I was there and still don't believe it!
We took one of our firebricks and used it as a door, this way we could close off the "mouth" of the stove when we wanted. Here John is opening up the "mouth" to feed the fire again. The fire was so hot and burned the "fuel" so fast, feeding the fire, was quite regular. It seemed like about the time I sat down, it was time to feed the fire again.
So I fired up the Coffee Can Version of the Rocket Stove, and only 1 paper wad and "poof" instant fire! I think it came out pretty good (especially considering it was me that put it together), the outer chamber is 2 big coffee cans, the inner chamber, is 2 small coffee cans and 1 peanuts can, the "mouth" is 1 coffee can on it's side. Between the inner chamber and the outer chamber it is filled with vermiculite! I never heard of it before, still don't know what it's really for, but it's in the garden department. It is something that you can add to your soil..?? But in researching the rocket stove, vermiculite makes great insulation, so I filled it up, and it did perform exactly as described! I do know of 2 "mods" that need to be done to the coffee can rocket stove, and that is the "mouth" need to be longer (at least 1/2 can longer if not a full can, the "fuel" kept catching on fire and then sliding out the front!! Another "mod" that's needed, is my "fuel" shelf kept moving around...it needs to be mounted in a way that it won't slide around or fall. But this is my first coffee can rocket stove, I think I'll just make the "mods" and then retry it. But it performed really well, for such a small stove. I took "bits and pieces" from 2 stoves that I seen and combined the 2 into this stove, and I think with the necessary "mods" this will be a fine portable stove! We enjoyed playing with our rocket stoves so much, that night "fell", and we were getting hungry, so we cooked supper on our stove!!
You'd think we'd know by now that the stove is super hot, and we should let it "die" down abit before we try to cook on it. We didn't, and our dogs were done in mere seconds, they still were pretty good. After the dogs, we roasted marshmallows and the fire did "die" down so we didn't burn the 'mallows unless it was intentional. Some folks ilke their marshmallows to become "torches", blow 'em out and then eat them, my wife Jenny is like that.
Below is another shot, that we took with the "mouth" door open, see that big bed of coals in there. That's when we should've cooked our dogs, well maybe next time.
After our supper, we just enjoyed the fire, and talked amongst ourselves, below is a short video of the stove in full flame!!
Other projects are in the works, a wind generator, and a big version of the solar heater..stay tuned.
It didn't take long for the "fire" to commence! Wow, we started our fire just like last time, a total of 5 tightly wadded paper wads, and the fire went right to blazing. It's totally incredible how easy it is to start a fire with 5 paper wads, and it hasn't failed us yet.
Look at that fire!! Wow! It's like your very own incinerator! You could even hear it! It was like a fiery tornado! The fire got really, really hot, really, really fast! It was incredible! I was there and still don't believe it!
We took one of our firebricks and used it as a door, this way we could close off the "mouth" of the stove when we wanted. Here John is opening up the "mouth" to feed the fire again. The fire was so hot and burned the "fuel" so fast, feeding the fire, was quite regular. It seemed like about the time I sat down, it was time to feed the fire again.
So I fired up the Coffee Can Version of the Rocket Stove, and only 1 paper wad and "poof" instant fire! I think it came out pretty good (especially considering it was me that put it together), the outer chamber is 2 big coffee cans, the inner chamber, is 2 small coffee cans and 1 peanuts can, the "mouth" is 1 coffee can on it's side. Between the inner chamber and the outer chamber it is filled with vermiculite! I never heard of it before, still don't know what it's really for, but it's in the garden department. It is something that you can add to your soil..?? But in researching the rocket stove, vermiculite makes great insulation, so I filled it up, and it did perform exactly as described! I do know of 2 "mods" that need to be done to the coffee can rocket stove, and that is the "mouth" need to be longer (at least 1/2 can longer if not a full can, the "fuel" kept catching on fire and then sliding out the front!! Another "mod" that's needed, is my "fuel" shelf kept moving around...it needs to be mounted in a way that it won't slide around or fall. But this is my first coffee can rocket stove, I think I'll just make the "mods" and then retry it. But it performed really well, for such a small stove. I took "bits and pieces" from 2 stoves that I seen and combined the 2 into this stove, and I think with the necessary "mods" this will be a fine portable stove! We enjoyed playing with our rocket stoves so much, that night "fell", and we were getting hungry, so we cooked supper on our stove!!
You'd think we'd know by now that the stove is super hot, and we should let it "die" down abit before we try to cook on it. We didn't, and our dogs were done in mere seconds, they still were pretty good. After the dogs, we roasted marshmallows and the fire did "die" down so we didn't burn the 'mallows unless it was intentional. Some folks ilke their marshmallows to become "torches", blow 'em out and then eat them, my wife Jenny is like that.
Below is another shot, that we took with the "mouth" door open, see that big bed of coals in there. That's when we should've cooked our dogs, well maybe next time.
After our supper, we just enjoyed the fire, and talked amongst ourselves, below is a short video of the stove in full flame!!
Other projects are in the works, a wind generator, and a big version of the solar heater..stay tuned.
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