Polly put the kettle on...

On Doc's rocket stove

Whadjaneed

Some cans (baked beans/soup etc not aluminium soft drinks)
A drum (this one is a 20 litre size)
Something to cut holes with (I use a nibbler but snips can be used)
Ash from a fire for insulation
A black cat

First of all:
Idiot Safety tip number one - cut metal is sharp, skin is soft and in a fight skin loses. Always.
Idiot Safety tip two - ensure you know what was in the drum - not mine, yours. Be sure to rinse away any inflammable stuff. Search the net for info on what to use to do this.

For the theory behind the rocket stove search the net (for info on searching, go here).

Basically, you have an L-shaped chimney setup and a container to put the chimney in. A huge range of material is used in the construction, but they are designed to use local stuff and burn fuel very efficiently hence very popular in '3rd world/developing' countries - hate that term

Ash is used as insulation. You can use vermiculite or sawdust or a mix of all of these.

If you really want to know more ask me, otherwise let us just get on with it.

Start off stacking your cans to get an idea of how many will fit in the drum. By coincidence, all of mine where the same brand of beans and actually stacked into each other.

Using a can opener (or your teeth), cut tops and bottoms off of all the cans except for one. Leave the bottom on this can. Cut a hole in the side of the can with the bottom intact.



Cut the lid off of the drum.



Then cut a hole in the side of the drum the diameter of a can.



Join them all together. You can see the shape it takes and whether it will fit in the drum.



Start putting some ash in the base of the drum to support the cans.



Continue until the drum is full.



Get approval from Ninja the cat



Cut a piece of mesh to fit the top of the stove.


The wood has to be small enough to fit in the cans (duhh!) and it completely combusts within the stove.




Put the kettle on and wait. Takes about 5 minutes to boil - much heat is generated thus burning any remaining gases - unburnt gas in traditional stoves is known as smoke.



A larger pot takes longer to boil and a watched pot never boils.



You can also use coals. They burn for a long time.

By the way, this is a piccy of one of the gazanias next to my workshop where I was making the stove. Closest I get to gardening.


Many thanks to my lover, Scarecrow, for taking the piccies for me.

Anyhoo, that is it for now, off you go and build one, now

Regards, Doc