Rocket Stove

[Okie73]

Has anyone out there tried using a rocket stove to heat a smelting pot/dutch oven. I'm seriously thinking about building one for this use.

[Maximumbob54]

I made a cinder block rocket stove a few years ago and the blocks burned up pretty good after a few uses. If you are going to make one and make it large enough to hold a dutch oven then then you need to use fire rated blocks or steel.

[ubetcha]

I was also looking to use a rocket stove. Just can beat the price for fuel which is basically nothing. I plan on using fire brick but just haven't had the time to locate them in any stores. My concern would be the regulation of the temperature. I understand that the temp can been regulated by closing off the air intake slightly.

[GoBig]

I've used a small rocket stove to melt lead in a six pound capacity cast iron pot. Worked very well. I imagine a larger stove would work fine for a big pot set up. Definitely use steel and not cinderblocks if you want it to last more than a few sessions.

[duckey]

Have not used one, saw one built out of old stove pipe on Live Free or Die on Nat Geo. They bought the stove pipe for $2 out of a salvage yard. Never seen one until then but smelting lead popped into my mind after seeing it in action.

[1989toddm]

I've used a small rocket stove to melt lead in a six pound capacity cast iron pot. Worked very well. I imagine a larger stove would work fine for a big pot set up. Definitely use steel and not cinderblocks if you want it to last more than a few sessions.

So what's the trick to making it burn?? I built a rocket stove out of coffee cans..and I can't get it to take off and roar like everyone says they do. I used dry split kindling, I thought that would be the perfect fuel.

[GoBig]

I started it with paper in the stove with the sticks of dry wood extending over it. Going cheap, I insulated it with garden dirt around the stove. It didn't seem to take off and roar until the dirt dried out and stopped stealing heat. The thin sticks will burn quickly so watch carefully and keep feeding the wood in.

[1989toddm]

Same exact procedure I followed. I used garden dirt as well..I just couldn't keep the flame going. I mean, it burnt for 5 minutes but never got hot enough to boil the little pan of water I had over it. Do you have any pictures?

[Okie73]

Here is the one I built yesterday out of scrap from work. http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/20/732446c4232b045cf328364777798193.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/20/87bec7aa2134a6ea554e3e842dececc8.jpg

[Okie73]

I need to build a grate to go on top and may increase the size of fuel chute.

[rush1886]

Looking at that photo, I can see no grate, upon which to set a pot.

Then, I wondered, if a feller could come down from the top surface of the pipe, say 1/2", and drill a series of 3/8" dia holes around the circumference of the pipe, if that would be effective? It certainly would put that stove into the KISS mode!

[GoBig]

Instead of drilling holes, I would just notch the top of the pipe. The area under the shelf looks kind of big. How does it run?

[rush1886]

Howdy GoBig. Youtube has a string of videos on the rocket stove, if you're inclined.

Basically, the "shelf" in the stove pictured above, does not go all the way to the rear of the 2 channel pieces. It stops in approx. the beginning area of the circular pipe section. The fuel for this type of stove, is essentially twigs. Nothing bigger around than say your thumb. The fuel is ignited and fed into the stove, on the "top shelf". The "bottom shelf" is nothing more than free air, getting in under the fuel, thereby creating an almost afterburner effect.

Just guessing, but this stove appears to be approx. 6" channel, and 6" pipe. The info I've seen and read, would indicate a slightly taller cylinder would allow a bit more of the afterburner effect.

The basics are thus: if this stove is 6" on the cylinder, one could expect to boil a gallon of water in about 10-15 mins, with no more than a good handful of twigs.

[Okie73]

5 1/2" pipe
6" channel
I have now insulated the whole thing with about 2 1/2 inches of perlite. http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09/28/436e8db40b813ac8c34ef39adfcc4d54.jpg
I also divided the section of pipe that I cut out and tacked it to the top. I did one burn in this stove to check the function before I insulated it and I have to say it worked really well. I should have all of the heat transfer to the pot and a better burn now.
Sorry for the delayed response.

[CastingFool]

I made a rocket stove out of tin cans and insulated it with perlite. Used dryer lint to get the twigs started. Once the twigs got going, it seemed to work well. I put 1/2 gal of water on an aluminum pot and got it up to 195 degrees, in about 15 minutes. but then I had to go. I don't know if larger twigs would have worked better. I did use up two big handfuls of twigs to get the water to that temp. Later on, I found out there is some sort of formula that tells you how high the "chimney" should be, depending on the diameter of the pipe or something like that.