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

Ain't nothin' but a hound dog...

...but you still need dog biccies.

Doc's Frugal Dog Biscuits (well, Scarecrow gave me the recipe)
2 Cups Flour
1/4 Cup Sunflower seeds
1/4 Cup Cornmeal (polenta)
2 Tbs melted butter/fat/oil
1/4 Molasses
1/2 Cup soy flour
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup milk beaten with the eggs (actually, beaten into the eggs)

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl (or a bucket, for all I care)

Add oil, molasses and all but 1 Tbs milk/egg mix.

Add more plain milk as needed to make a firm dough.

Knead for a few minutes and let it sit (stand?) for 1/2 hour

Roll out to 1/2" thickness.

Cut into shapes and place on a cookie tray

Brush with the remaining milk/egg mix.

Bake 175c for 30 minutes and leave them to cool down in the oven allowing the biccies to become hard.



Feed to dog as a treat.


Store in a jar.



How hard is that

Love, peace and mung beans

Doc

A sartorial, pictorial tutorial...

...Cut to the chase...with sharp tools!

Recently I was having way too much fun so Scarecrow gave me all the shears and pruning stuff to sharpen.

Here is a quick pictorial tutorial on how to do it.

Whadjaneed
Some files including a round one if sharpening anything with a curve
Wire brush for cleaning the tools and the files
A clean area to work in
Glasses so you can see what the angle is on the blade you are sharpening!
Safety googles - had to say that for legal reasons - remember when common sense was the most common of all the senses, then along came lawyers!




Usually I would start by thoroughly cleaning the tool first and then sharpen the tool.

For the sake of being easy to see the edge of the tool in the photos, I have left the cleaning until afterwards.

You will notice that each tool has a blade with a bevel on it.

When sharpening we will maintain said bevel and use short strokes moving the file away from the body.

It will only take a few such strokes to add a sharp edge.

This technique can also by used on other implements such as scissors and knives, honing the edges on a stone as needed.






A round file is used on the curvey edge of the shears.

Remember, you only need to use a few strokes, maybe 4 or 5 strokes.

Finish by giving the tools a good cleaning.





The finished tools can also have a light spray of silicone to provide them with some protection from rust.


All finished so I can now get back to having fun

Enjoy your sharp tools

Doc

Get stuffed...

...Teddy Bear Stuffers

Was with friends at a craft group recently and I noted that they were making stuffed teddy bears and seemed to be having trouble stuffing the stuff (?wadding) into the body/limbs.

It seemed to be easier if they used a pencil.

I saw this and said to myself "Self, you should make these people some teddy bear stuffing tools"

Using dowel shaped to a simple unsharp point (?) sand smooth and the rest is history.

Wadjaneed
Dowel for handles
Dowel for pointy bits as long as needed
Saw
Drill
Glue

Click on the piccy to get a
bigger piccy and see how easy they are to make

Some small stuffers had a handle on whilst the long ones did not. Did not seem to need it.

Happy stuffing.

Doc