This is my first construction of a rocket type heater. It's more of a concept piece to test out how the draft works. It's a fairly simple design just a couple pieces of pipe that has some turning ability to it, and one of those metal trays that are used to keep food warm. The stove pipe is the middle of the tray just rolled so the one side would be longer than the other to allow for the proper draft to happen.
This is it dismantled. To put it together you just have to push the pipes together one side is textured so they interlock pretty tightly which is important that it be as air tight as possible around the joints.
To get it started take a small amount of newspaper light it and shove it as far down as it will go without getting burned, then lightly blow into the lower side to encourage the draft to pull it up the higher side. Take some dry twigs and place them on top of the paper, and it'll burn quite nicely.
**IMPORTANT** This metal is very thin and heats up to be very hot very quickly! Make sure it is stable BEFORE you start it. I made this mistake and a gust of wind almost knocked it over while it was going so instinctively I tried to grab it to stop it, and this is the result
It didn't so much as burn my finger as it melted the skin currently I don't have a fingerprint on half of this finger still, so lesson learned.
Here the draft is working perfectly there was no flame coming out of the bottom, but a good amount of heat coming out of the top.
When everything is going the way it is supposed to this tiny pocket rocket generates almost no smoke, and burns very clean. Now with that being said because of its small size it is very finicky, one second things are burning nicely no smoke is coming out the next it is puffing like crazy. The draft once established usually holds on its own, and I've found that usually if it is smoking it is because a stick either fell the wrong way, or I put too many in and blocked too much airflow.
Total cost for this project was $8.99, and could easily have been free if I had the patience to gather the materials from recycled bits. Total time for the construction was 10 minutes the trickiest part is getting it a stand which I shortcuted which led to the melted fingerprint, which I don't recommend.
As with any craft idea that involves fire or tools I assume no responsibility for any injury or damages sustained by building, or using this contraption. Just use your sense with it, don't burn around flammable things, and have an extinguisher, and/or water nearby when trying it. You'll want the water anyway to cool the metal down when you're done.
No comments:
Post a Comment