My First Rocket Stove

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jennyjj01
Posts: 3429
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

My First Rocket Stove

Post by jennyjj01 »

A power cut last week encouraged me to finally get the rocket stove prototype built. Had the components for ages.
I wish I could take the credit for building it, but I persuaded my beloved that it would be a fun project and a perfect birthday present while stuck at home, :lol: .
I was project manager, *tea maker and head **nurse, but that's another story * :lol: :lol: :lol:

The components were stupidly expensive, based on £6 worth of steel paint can, 4 x 400g food cans, some car exhaust sealer and a big bag of vermiculite from the garden centre. It could have been far cheaper, but what the heck. Design was based on one from youtube,...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6ValmUnjz4 but modified square inlet. Hubby figured it was easier to cut rectangular holes than elliptical ones. The top burner was made from a wire basket. Pictures below, and design and measurements on request.

Observations:-
**Those tins were damned sharp. Tried cutting with snips and ended up using a Dremil. Poor hubby got a few nasty scratches. parts joined together with the exhaust repair paste.
The burn chamber used two cans joined together. The top one was of the sort that easily stacks.
Air flow was tricky and there's something wrong with my burner. I suspect it needs restricting a bit with some sort of castle wall arrangement.
Feeding a few sticks down into the flue seemed better to get it burning faster. We used a bit of newspaper and a splash of white spirit to get it going.
We ran out of vermiculite, so mixed in some gravel. The gravel being damp was a bad idea and restricted the burn by causing steam, until we dried it out by removing the lid. The exhaust sealer was a luxury. It cracked and didn't last.

But it boiled a pan of water, which I made a celebration *tea with, reasonably quickly on a chopped up 6 inch piece of wood.

As much as this WAS a fun project, it won't be my go-to stove when the power goes off. For what it cost to build, I could have bought a lot of camping gas, which I'll now buy ASAP.
stove.jpg
Last edited by jennyjj01 on Sun Jun 21, 2020 8:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

Not Feeling Optimistic. Let me be wrong
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8733
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: My First Rocket Stove

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

Hi I'm Andy and I'm a stoveaholic :mrgreen:

These are great can be had a bit cheaper if you shop about

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lixada-Stain ... SwHHRa7sGM


A big bag of wood pellet cat litter (un used ;) ) will last ages ..

Then you can start on the neighbors shed they won't miss the trim round the roof or the fence cappings at first :lol:


For pure hot water production you can't go wrong with a storm kettle / Kelly kettle

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STORM-Kettle ... SwzJhZzmaP

From brewing a mug of tea to sterilisation or suspect water it's probably the most fuel efficient option it will even sit on some stoves and boils nice and quick
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
jennyjj01
Posts: 3429
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

Re: My First Rocket Stove

Post by jennyjj01 »

Yorkshire Andy wrote: Sun Jun 21, 2020 8:10 pm Hi I'm Andy and I'm a stoveaholic :mrgreen:

These are great can be had a bit cheaper if you shop about

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lixada-Stain ... SwHHRa7sGM


A big bag of wood pellet cat litter (un used ;) ) will last ages ..

For pure hot water production you can't go wrong with a storm kettle / Kelly kettle

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STORM-Kettle ... SwzJhZzmaP
Thanks Andy.
I don't really know why I went for the silly DIY option. It certainly wasn't cost.
I'd seen and sort of dismissed the flat pack type stoves, but the one you linked too looks good.
LOVE the cat litter pellets idea though neighbours fence was my idea too. :lol:
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

Not Feeling Optimistic. Let me be wrong
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8733
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: My First Rocket Stove

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

It's always fun playing with fire :) :lol: :shock: and DIY knowledge always comes in handy


Storm kettle. Wood gas stove bit lower down the same link :)

http://www.uk-preppers.co.uk/forum/view ... 15&t=12689

Seen no end of alcohol penny stoves but I've never had the patience to make one

Look up crazy russian hacker on Facebook he's done a few home made burners
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
jennyjj01
Posts: 3429
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

Re: My First Rocket Stove

Post by jennyjj01 »

Yorkshire Andy wrote: Sun Jun 21, 2020 8:51 pm It's always fun playing with fire :) :lol: :shock: but of DIY knowledge always comes in handy


Storm kettle. Wood gas stove bit lower down the same link :)

http://www.uk-preppers.co.uk/forum/view ... 15&t=12689
Woodgas stove ordered < £15 :) It looks so elegant. I'll pass on the storm kettle for now.

Note to self...... Don't become a stove junky. It could be an expensive hobby.

You are right about DIY knowledge, even if I have to get some help. It's all about confidence, and in this case teamwork.
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

Not Feeling Optimistic. Let me be wrong
ForgeCorvus
Posts: 3035
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:32 pm

Re: My First Rocket Stove

Post by ForgeCorvus »

Seeing as we're having a meeting
My name is Crow.... And I am a stoveaholic.

I've got Hobos and gasifiers, I've messed around with hexi (Civ. and Mil.) and flirted with Greenheat and other chafing gels.
I have stoves that take pretty much every gas cartridge available in this country as well as others that use paraffin and/or petrol
I've got one setup that can use any of seven different fuel types.... Not that I'm obsessed or anything.

However if I just want a brew to go or a quick boil, it always seems to be a pop can alky stove I end up packing (a Wellburner rather then a penny stove).... I even made one once with jets in only two sides for use with mess tins.

If you're interested I try a put up a How-To.


And now I have the urge to make a Rocket :oops:
jennyjj01 wrote:"I'm not in the least bit worried because I'm prepared: Are you?"
Londonpreppy wrote: At its core all prepping is, is making sure you're not down to your last sheet of loo roll when you really need a poo.
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featherstick
Posts: 1124
Joined: Mon Feb 17, 2014 9:09 pm

Re: My First Rocket Stove

Post by featherstick »

jennyjj01 wrote: Sun Jun 21, 2020 8:49 pm
Thanks Andy.
I don't really know why I went for the silly DIY option. It certainly wasn't cost.
I'd seen and sort of dismissed the flat pack type stoves, but the one you linked too looks good.
LOVE the cat litter pellets idea though neighbours fence was my idea too. :lol:
[/quote]

It's ALWAYS worth playing about with something - you've now got real, first-hand experience of manipulating actual objects towards acheiving a desired outcome. I am willing to bet you'll be modifying and improving it in time. You should be proud of the accomplishment and the attempt.

My first rocket stove was built from old bricks on a campsite, it worked ok. Next one was a big tin and a little tin joined at right angles. Kids helped. We cooked bacon and eggs on it at 8am while SWMBO was still asleep, then did a load of popcorn. It's since disappeared into the recycling. I know the kids now understand fire and stoves. We have a stovetec rocket stove which are great if you can find one cheap.

I've made penny stoves with a SAK with a bit of success but nothing I'd post on a forum. Would love to see yours Crow.

Kelly kettles are the business for boiling water, I have to say, it's the one thing I'd rescue.
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8733
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: My First Rocket Stove

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

jennyjj01 wrote: Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:24 pm
You are right about DIY knowledge, even if I have to get some help. It's all about confidence, and in this case teamwork.
Did you stand there hands on hips directing the hubby from just out of range of been clouted by flailing arms legs and flying spanners like Mrs Andy does? :lol:



I'm in the same level as crow regarding my "collection"

I've added gas drop vents at floor level in my shed incase I have a leak in my incendiary cupboard really need a metal box to store them all in ....


What I would say is photograph each stage of unpacking the wood gas stove as it's akin to putting those little wooden russian stacking dolls away after 3 bottles of cheap plonk ;)
Screenshot_20200622-215102.png


Screenshot_20200622-215113.png
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8733
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: My First Rocket Stove

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

Screenshot_20200622-215743.png
A few of my collection

Taking in threaded cartridges, camping Gaz easi click , alcohol gel / dragon fire/ hexi.. petrol / white gas.. I've also got a basic bistro stove (not a fan but cartridges are widely available) and a 2 burner with BBQ type grill

https://www.campingaz.com/uk/p-22932-ca ... -plus.aspx

Plus the gas BBQ with side burner

Oh and the pizza oven we did our Christmas goose in it two years ago .. people on the public path which passes 2 doors away were getting wiffs of a BBQ and jealous looks followed :geek:
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
jennyjj01
Posts: 3429
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

Re: My First Rocket Stove

Post by jennyjj01 »

Yorkshire Andy wrote: Mon Jun 22, 2020 8:50 pm Did you stand there hands on hips directing the hubby from just out of range of been clouted by flailing arms legs and flying spanners like Mrs Andy does? :lol:
No. It was a proper team effort. Showed him the one on you-tube and I showed the assorted bits. We drew up and tweaked the plan and then I let him teach me how to cut the holes and assemble it (not) safely :) Hardest part was explaining the 'why' :) :tinfoil :roll:
I'm in the same level as crow regarding my "collection"
I'm in awe of your collection. If I ever start showing stove obsession, somebody shoot me :) :) Joking, and no offence meant,
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

Not Feeling Optimistic. Let me be wrong