Rocket Stove Install

Discussion in 'Off Grid Living' started by Gopherman, Dec 3, 2015.


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  1. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    I've been messing around with these for about a year now and finally got around to installing one in my greenhouse!:whistle:
    It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! The mixer took the hard part right out of it! I video taped some of it, unfortunately I realized a little late I should be filming, but Oh well, I include a little drawing to cover what didn't get filmed.

     
  2. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    Ok I got distracted by the six pack abs at the front of the video. I'm back now. ..

    So you are filling with cob and letting it dry and then putting in more cob? I love the bricks they look awesome!
     
  3. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    Yeah he's a granola boy! He's a crossfit trainer/ health food freak/,/./! LOL
     
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  4. pearlselby

    pearlselby Monkey++

    WOW @Gopherman...I am going to have my husband watch this. It looks really good. Love your garden.
     
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  5. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    Amazing! Another awesome project by @Gopherman. Your plants are still looking great.

    oh and ditto, what @Ganado, nice abs.... :)
     
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2015
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  6. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    @Gopherman, can you post the drawing you had in the video? Pretty Please?

    and another shot of the native bamy abs wouldn't hurt (n) ;)
     
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  7. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    Rocket Stove Pic.
    [​IMG]
     
  8. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    It's actually better if you don't let it dry and do it all at once. Those little holes you see in the top layer are there because it was our last load for the day, they are anchors for the next batch we do. When cob dries, it's like removing concrete.
    Lot's of Video's on this subject, almost too many! Everyone makes them because they are cool, but a few of them are really good. The main thing to remember that the temps at the elbow where it rises are extremely high and failure will happen at some point if you use steel pipe.
    The one I built out of Tin burned out in a few uses, the one I built out of 1/4" steel started glowing.
    I built another out of refractory clay but it's for the BOL house, it will not fail because the material I used to make it is rated for almost 2000*F.
    That one cost me around $250 for the refractory clay and $50 for the fittings I used for the mold, but, I wont ever have to tear it down and rebuild it.
    Also the plate at the top gets really hot too, I have seen videos where they hit 1000*, those stoves are usually the ones where they build the fire chamber directly under the chimney and the flames hit the steel lid, if you are hitting these temps you need to use 1/2" steel. I don't think anyone needs those kind of temp's. it's dangerous. I was shooting for 650* and was able to hit that by lengthening the chase tube leading to the elbow.
    This stove radiates the heat 360* where as wood stoves heat the top plate only and most of the heat escapes out of the flue! Do you really need your stove to hit 1000*?
     
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2015
  9. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    @Gopherman you make me laugh every time thanks for the native bamy abs photo!

    refractory clay, I would never have thought to use this. Nice job!
     
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  10. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

  11. Tully Mars

    Tully Mars Metal weldin' monkey

    G-Man, could a person just use refractory brick, or fire brick in the construction? I have a source for as much as I want/need. Also, was thinking of using sch 40 or 80 pipe instead of stove pipe. As a pipe welder in a former life, wouldn't be much to fab. Thoughts?
     
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  12. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    Absolutely you can! just make sure and use fireplace mortar and you'll never have a problem with it failing.As far as the exhaust pipe, I think< you would want it to transfer heat quickly, i have never seen anyone do it like that yet!
    I just installed a Damper and a thermometer at the exhaust pipe going out and I'm hitting 225*.
    As soon as the rest of the cob is on it, it think it should drop to abut 90*(I hope)! The Damper made a big difference in the burn rate! It has to be open enough for the flames and smoke not to climb out of the fire box but not so far that it turns into a Forge. Temp at the top lid was hitting 700* I really want to tame this down a little that's too hot. 45 min. burn and the cob hit 90* at a 3 hour burn looking at hopefully 200* and then the fire can die out and it should continue to heat all night. ( I hope!)
     
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  13. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    I installed a grill therm. in the exit flue, I'm hitting 250-275. Your right that Laser Therm. is a piece of Crap!It's supposed to read too 1,000* but It was saying 70* and was burning my hand when I touched it!:eek:
    The Grill Therm. goes to 700. I just have to restrict the fire with air flow. I have a small air compressor tank so I'm going to modify it for the feed area and put a damper on it.
    Overall it's working pretty darn good, a little too good.o_O
    I would like to use wood chips or pellets eventually, but that's a whole different can of worms!
     
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2015
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  14. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    I've been looking at wood chippers their kinda high here. I've been spending a lot of money the last couple months on Prep. Tech.I will have to wait and see if I can pick one up cheap! Maybe the flea market or Craigslist. I did buy a canoe a couple weeks ago though!:whistle:
     
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  15. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    I just got done cooking eggs on my Greenhouse rocket stove. Comparable time as the kitchen stove. I'm timing how long it takes to boil 2 gallons of water.
     
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