Comments on: Finishing the Rocket Stove http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove The magical mixture of mud, sand and straw; mixed with human hands Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:56:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Michael http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove#comment-602 Michael Wed, 30 Jul 2008 22:44:30 +0000 http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove/#comment-602 Check out <a href="http://rocketstoves.com" rel="nofollow">rocketstoves.com</a> Check out rocketstoves.com

]]> By: virginia brightwell http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove#comment-601 virginia brightwell Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:00:29 +0000 http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove/#comment-601 where can i get a book or plans to build this stove and the mass you build around it --to make it all cheaper tha a masonry stove--? where can i get a book or plans to build this stove and the mass you build around it –to make it all cheaper tha a masonry stove–?

]]> By: John http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove#comment-524 John Fri, 04 Apr 2008 01:10:39 +0000 http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove/#comment-524 The weather was finally nice enough and I had some free time to stack my bricks to try out the burn chamber and riser. Being dry stacked and not on level ground I expected all sorts of problems. the Fire bricks (yea,, I went all out and bought 65) were cold so I had to fight to get some draft started. Primed the heat riser twice before it caught. Even with gaps between most of the bricks, once it caught,,,, I was throughly amazed. Sat there for 3 hours feeding it with sticks that fell out of the trees over winter. then I laid my had on the bricks. I was very happy with this first test. Now I am cranked to get my cabin started so I can go with the full Rocket. I was just eyeballing the Pictures in the book and laying the brick close to the way Ianto was in the B&W Picts. Still waiting to get a stainless steel barrel. Now I want to re level the ground under the stove and find a way to temporarily seal up the the spaces to see how much the burn improves. Man this is fun. The weather was finally nice enough and I had some free time to stack my bricks to try out the burn chamber and riser. Being dry stacked and not on level ground I expected all sorts of problems. the Fire bricks (yea,, I went all out and bought 65) were cold so I had to fight to get some draft started. Primed the heat riser twice before it caught.

Even with gaps between most of the bricks, once it caught,,,, I was throughly amazed. Sat there for 3 hours feeding it with sticks that fell out of the trees over winter. then I laid my had on the bricks. I was very happy with this first test. Now I am cranked to get my cabin started so I can go with the full Rocket.

I was just eyeballing the Pictures in the book and laying the brick close to the way Ianto was in the B&W Picts. Still waiting to get a stainless steel barrel. Now I want to re level the ground under the stove and find a way to temporarily seal up the the spaces to see how much the burn improves.

Man this is fun.

]]> By: Michael http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove#comment-513 Michael Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:25:14 +0000 http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove/#comment-513 John, They are standard T's for stove pipe and they seem to fit pretty tight. Let's hope the cob stays intact around the pipe once it rusts out. A stainless barrel would be awesome! Document your project and we'll put it online. Michael John,
They are standard T’s for stove pipe and they seem to fit pretty tight.
Let’s hope the cob stays intact around the pipe once it rusts out. A stainless barrel would be awesome! Document your project and we’ll put it online.

Michael

]]> By: John Wendling http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove#comment-512 John Wendling Sat, 29 Mar 2008 21:01:48 +0000 http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove/#comment-512 Oh Sorry, How are you capping the clean outs? They look like the standard "T" for stove pipe with caps. Are you doing anything to try to make sure they are air tight? John Oh Sorry,

How are you capping the clean outs? They look like the standard “T” for stove pipe with caps. Are you doing anything to try to make sure they are air tight?

John

]]> By: John Wendling http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove#comment-511 John Wendling Sat, 29 Mar 2008 20:55:39 +0000 http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove/#comment-511 Hello again. I was reading a book the other day about the European mass heaters that our masonry stoves are based on. I was under the impression they were mostly made from clay with tile facing. If the cob mix is right (don't ask me yet what that mix is) it should make a cast in place pipe. After the metal pipe rusts out it may stay solid all by it's self. At least we can hope. I bought 65 fire bricks to try a rough one in the back yard to work the bugs out. I'm still looking for a barrel to cover the heat riser and the steel pipe I want to use for the riser. A recycler near me said there is a guy getting ready to bring in a load of 55 gal stainless steel drums. I thought that would look great and wear a long time. Now I have to figure out how to wrap about 30 ft of 8 in pipe through a cob bench and daybed. Oh,, and build the cabin I want to put it in. :) Keep up the testing. And your picts are great at showing how it should all go together John Hello again. I was reading a book the other day about the European mass heaters that our masonry stoves are based on. I was under the impression they were mostly made from clay with tile facing. If the cob mix is right (don’t ask me yet what that mix is) it should make a cast in place pipe. After the metal pipe rusts out it may stay solid all by it’s self. At least we can hope.

I bought 65 fire bricks to try a rough one in the back yard to work the bugs out. I’m still looking for a barrel to cover the heat riser and the steel pipe I want to use for the riser. A recycler near me said there is a guy getting ready to bring in a load of 55 gal stainless steel drums. I thought that would look great and wear a long time. Now I have to figure out how to wrap about 30 ft of 8 in pipe through a cob bench and daybed. Oh,, and build the cabin I want to put it in. :)

Keep up the testing. And your picts are great at showing how it should all go together

John

]]> By: Michael http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove#comment-503 Michael Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:12:18 +0000 http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove/#comment-503 Hi John, Ya the new Rocket is on it's way. I have the <a href="http://organicarts.org/gallery/album/solunit-rocket/" rel="nofollow">project gallery here »</a> I used all but 5 bricks, out of 110, for the rocket. I did double up the bricks in some spots where there is extra heat. The heat riser is pretty tall too. I did cap the heat riser with a perlite / pumice / cob with no straw. The clean out T next to the barrel is the same 8", but it does have some extra volume. This is good for ash collection. Ianto says to have 5 gallons worth of space for ash collection in this spot. I've been wrapping the pipe junctions with aluminum duct tape. Though this isn't the best - it's a start. There is goo you can put in between the gaps too. I would have liked to purchase well casing for the entire horizontal pipe, but the cost was prohibitive. One solid, thick piece of steel, welded if necessary would have done the trick! But here I am with black stove pipe. I share your carbon monoxide (CO) concern. A unobstructed pipe system will allow the gases to escape through the path of least resistance, but what if that happens to be inside your structure? Trouble. For a long term Rocket thicker steel, stainless steel with as few junctions as possible would be the best. I have a CO detector and plan to change the batteries regularly. I imagine that it will take at least 10 years before I have to inspect the stove pipe. Time will tell. Cob is porous and will crack under the thermal shock, so I don't place much hope in it when the metal of the pipe rusts out. Hi John,
Ya the new Rocket is on it’s way. I have the project gallery here »
I used all but 5 bricks, out of 110, for the rocket. I did double up the bricks in some spots where there is extra heat. The heat riser is pretty tall too.

I did cap the heat riser with a perlite / pumice / cob with no straw.
The clean out T next to the barrel is the same 8″, but it does have some extra volume. This is good for ash collection. Ianto says to have 5 gallons worth of space for ash collection in this spot.

I’ve been wrapping the pipe junctions with aluminum duct tape. Though this isn’t the best – it’s a start. There is goo you can put in between the gaps too. I would have liked to purchase well casing for the entire horizontal pipe, but the cost was prohibitive. One solid, thick piece of steel, welded if necessary would have done the trick! But here I am with black stove pipe.

I share your carbon monoxide (CO) concern. A unobstructed pipe system will allow the gases to escape through the path of least resistance, but what if that happens to be inside your structure? Trouble. For a long term Rocket thicker steel, stainless steel with as few junctions as possible would be the best. I have a CO detector and plan to change the batteries regularly.

I imagine that it will take at least 10 years before I have to inspect the stove pipe. Time will tell. Cob is porous and will crack under the thermal shock, so I don’t place much hope in it when the metal of the pipe rusts out.

]]> By: John Wendling http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove#comment-498 John Wendling Wed, 19 Mar 2008 23:29:14 +0000 http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove/#comment-498 I was checking out the picts of the new Rocket.. Nice work. You started with 110 fire bricks. Did you use them all? I have 65 to build a trial one with so I might not have enough to finish the Riser. Did you Cap the perlite? Cob mix without the straw? The T fitting for the ash clean out on the barrel looks bigger than the rest of the piping. Was that just from the angle of the picture? I like the idea of using the T fitting to clean out the ash inside. Did you do anything to make sure of a good seal on the cap or just trust the cap to seal it. After reading the book about these building these heater I would worry a little about the CO Escaping inside the house where I am going to be building this. Since it is only a test one, I will probably use a little clay/mud from the garden to seal up the air leaks. Makes me eager to get building! John I was checking out the picts of the new Rocket.. Nice work. You started with 110 fire bricks. Did you use them all? I have 65 to build a trial one with so I might not have enough to finish the Riser.

Did you Cap the perlite? Cob mix without the straw? The T fitting for the ash clean out on the barrel looks bigger than the rest of the piping. Was that just from the angle of the picture? I like the idea of using the T fitting to clean out the ash inside. Did you do anything to make sure of a good seal on the cap or just trust the cap to seal it. After reading the book about these building these heater I would worry a little about the CO Escaping inside the house where I am going to be building this.

Since it is only a test one, I will probably use a little clay/mud from the garden to seal up the air leaks.

Makes me eager to get building!

John

]]> By: Michael http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove#comment-484 Michael Tue, 26 Feb 2008 07:51:37 +0000 http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove/#comment-484 The tile heat riser is holding up, but it's not in use full time. I've heard tell of the ceramic tile exploding under the intense heat, so not sure it's the best option. Daniel, the barrel isn't necessary, it's just convenient. I'm working on another rocket right now... <a href="http://organicarts.org/gallery/album/solunit-rocket/" rel="nofollow">Solunit Rocket »</a> The tile heat riser is holding up, but it’s not in use full time. I’ve heard tell of the ceramic tile exploding under the intense heat, so not sure it’s the best option.
Daniel, the barrel isn’t necessary, it’s just convenient.
I’m working on another rocket right now… Solunit Rocket »

]]> By: John Wendling http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove#comment-483 John Wendling Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:23:08 +0000 http://ilovecob.com/archive/finishing-the-rocket-stove/#comment-483 Loved the picts! What kind of path did you use in the bench/bed? I am just getting into the research to build one of these rocket mass heaters. I am trying to build an earth sheltered cabin with this as the main heat source. I was also wondering how the clay heat riser was holding up? I was looking at using a 1/4" steal pipe with the vermiculite/cob insulation. Did you take it out that high to increase draft or because of regulations? I am hoping to bring it out at about knee high through the wall with a very short outside stack. The temp should be low enough because I am wrapping it three times through a 4 1/2' wide day bed (at least that is the plan so far). Loved the picts! What kind of path did you use in the bench/bed?
I am just getting into the research to build one of these rocket mass heaters. I am trying to build an earth sheltered cabin with this as the main heat source.
I was also wondering how the clay heat riser was holding up? I was looking at using a 1/4″ steal pipe with the vermiculite/cob insulation.
Did you take it out that high to increase draft or because of regulations? I am hoping to bring it out at about knee high through the wall with a very short outside stack. The temp should be low enough because I am wrapping it three times through a 4 1/2′ wide day bed (at least that is the plan so far).

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