Great engineering of something so simple yet obviously overlooked by so many (not gonna lie, I wouldn't have thought of it). I've been researching rocket stoves for a good while now and see so many great ideas. I have a feeling once I actually build one (still want to use the scrap water tank I have somehow), it's going to be a hodgepodge of several different designs.
Hello from Denmark. Thank you very much for your outstanding way of sharing all your findings and expertice in plain English. I am about to cast a complete j-tube and riser in a mix of perlite, sodium silicate and high temp mortar. Thank you again. Peter
You're a Genius! Thanks for all you do. I have a mining claim in the States and live on it off grid 6 months out of the year. Hot water and efficient heat are a real problem. Your videos have given me many options. I hope some day you can market your builds, I am sure you will have great success. Best wishes to you and yours.
Your vortex seems to be the most easily produced one there is on YT. I did make a basic rocket using a 55 gallon barrel and insulated refractory brick (the kind used in kiln interiors), based on the build by zerofossilfuel . It works well but like you, I want more. I found where I can get a mortar mix of the same material as the bricks. Will be casting a riser this summer. Thank you for the inspiration.
Very cool. When I build mine, I won't bother with the kicker on the fire box. Instead I'll try making only 2 cuts into the riser; across the top, and then vertically where the long side of the box will join. I'll then bend the face of the riser inward to kick start a vortex. It'll take less effort I think. Hopefully it works as well. Maybe I'll try both methods, I like to experiment.
Now the build in the chamber makes sense,keep the good work up,all stoves in the future will be built in this way!.keep it simple,always the way to go!
thanks! for the response , i wasn't sure on the insulation but was aware that my desperately made riser out of thin sheetmetal would fade so i thought it might be a good idea to make the insulation out refractory mortar so as to leave a cast when the steel diteriates " my attempted homemade version using , perlite ,hydrated lime ,silica sand and fire clay .i think next time i'll use just perlite with a heavy gage riser . thanks again.
okech po Hi yes you can use the casting around the thin metal riser and im sure that will do the job fine. I am casting my riser with a similar mixture so wont be adding any further insulation around the outside of it. Your metal riser will fall apart at the bottom inside your casting but it will fall off in flakes which you can remove easily. cheers.
Thank you for sharing this information. Really appreciate the rotating chimney cap to prevent down draft. I subscribed and will be anxious to see your further work.
Thanks for your reply! Yes the idea was flawed and now I'm considering doing just what you suggest. I will cut two holes one on each side of the riser about 2'' from the bottom and weld a 45 degree angled fitting to and run a 1'' pipe out through the bottom base plate and have those pipes come out and down on a slight angle about 3'' below it at the front of my burn chamber.I'll then install a damper mechanism to control the air draw. I'll draw up a crude sketch and post it on my channel.;-}
Do you think there is a difference in which direction a vortex should rotate, clockwise vs counter-clockwise in the upper hemisphere vs the lower hemisphere?
also you can add an air intake on chimney up fire, air cold tube along chmaber > hot air and an A.V.E.C. vortex upper the chimney (fire wiil destroy it quick if not done in strong steel and put just up air intake) ,see you.
Hi ppotty1, I have watched all your rocket stove videos and am on the verge of starting my own build. I have built other small wood stoves before but want to take it to the next level. I am interested in long burn times without fiddling with the wood constantly. How long of a burn is reasonable with your stove? How big of a fire box would I need to get a 4 hr burn? I am looking to build a 4" diameter riser model based mostly on your design. Thanks for any insights. Love the detailed vids.
then have it enter into the burn chamber at the heat riser junction with another airtight fitting? I got this idea (or brain-fart) after I watched your rocket stove water heater video. I ask because my burn chamber on my first build is on 4'' square tubing, and running a secondary air pipe in there would reduce my fuel capacity in that location. Just a thought, with your expertise you may make it work. Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this.
thanyou what will you use for insulation around the outside of rizer>or will you> what is the purpose of the insulation and does the type depend on the thickness of the riser>?
okech po Hi I usually use perlite but some use vermiculite or fire blanket, the purpose it to keep the heat inside the riser making it hotter than its surroundings to promote complete combustion and better updraught, if you used firebrick for a riser then there would be no need to insulate. Normal steel wont last very long due to the temps but stainless lasts longer, ideally any kind of steel should be insulated however some people dont bother.
If in the Southern Hemisphere should the vortex spin the other way (clockwise) ? Or would the coriolis effect be too small at this scale to make any difference? This is a real question as I hope to make an 8 inch batch type rocket mass heater here in New Zealand
Hi there, the effect in reality is very weak. which ever side of the hemisphere you are on it makes no difference which way you spin the vortex. For instance if you spin water in a bowl one way you can very easily spin it the other way and the coriolis effect will not have the force to stop or turn it in the other direction. Cheers.
Mark, To burn something completely, there needs to be enough oxygen to burn all available carbon in a piece of wood. Nothing else. How quickly a piece of wood burns depends on the availability of oxygen.
In two months of heavy burn the secondary air channel in my Walker Core system melted. How has your metal stove held up over the years? Also, I'm in the market for a big hearty chopping blade. Any in the works? As far as commercial blades right now it's a toss up between the Svord Golok and their Von Tempsky bowie.
My SSteel riser failed after 2 years use which is why I tried a cast refractory riser, thats held up perfect and has other advantages over steel. My next big knife will be in W2 maybe a camp kinfe or bowie not sure yet but i have a other knives to get done before i think about that one, I also need to get a surface grinder built for the forged knives will free up so much time for me.
I would like to start a business from home making and selling rocket stoves ...I have made a basic rocket stove but the vortex design looks like I would sell more than the basic design ...wish me luck
How important is the riser tube height in relation to the outer barrel?...I know this is an unrelated question but I just subscribed so I am playing catch up with my questions. I have built a steel burn chamber using this design and it worked real well in test burns but when I installed and set the barrel and ducting in place it doesn't work at all.....I have a firebrick rocket stove in my shop that works real well so I am wondering just where I went wrong with the latest one....Thanks
Hi Dan, I have the same problem, unfortunately nobody has answered you. If I put the barrel over the heat riser, the draft decreases and the stove produces smoke. My heat riser is about 120cm tall and insulated and the barrel is an old water heating boiler with 50cm diameter and about 170 tall, the gap between the heat riser and the upper end of the barrell is about 7cm, i use a 16cm diameter duct-system and all cross-sections are almost identical. did you meanwhile solve the problem and can give me some advice? I would thank you for that
Dan Pollock flue pipe height the higher the flue pipe the more suction you get therefore the more airflow you get I'm running into Smokey issues with my oil burner I actually added a fan because of the way the system setup I don't have tolerances for a high flu pipe I know I'm doing a little bit different situation but fire is fire and flue pipe is a flue pipe I use a hair dryer in the beginning then I graduated to a dedicated blower I'm trying to get all the pieces together of the build I'll put them on my channel sometime
Hi ppotty1; I've been toying with the idea of adding a secondary preheated air inlet on my rocket stove. My thought is this; Knowing that copper melts at 1983 degrees Farenheit, would it be possible to use a 3/4'' , 6-8' long copper pipe that would have its open air draw or intake end at the bottom of the stove and have run up and alongside the LP bottle, then enter it into the bottle in an airtight fitting, then coil it a few turns at a spot below its melting point in the heat riser (cont.)
Great engineering of something so simple yet obviously overlooked by so many (not gonna lie, I wouldn't have thought of it). I've been researching rocket stoves for a good while now and see so many great ideas. I have a feeling once I actually build one (still want to use the scrap water tank I have somehow), it's going to be a hodgepodge of several different designs.
Hello from Denmark.
Thank you very much for your outstanding way of sharing all your findings and expertice in plain English. I am about to cast a complete j-tube and riser in a mix of perlite, sodium silicate and high temp mortar.
Thank you again.
Peter
+Peter Møller Thanks peter and good luck with your project.
You're a Genius! Thanks for all you do. I have a mining claim in the States and live on it off grid 6 months out of the year. Hot water and efficient heat are a real problem. Your videos have given me many options. I hope some day you can market your builds, I am sure you will have great success. Best wishes to you and yours.
Rob S Thanks alot Rob I seemed to have missed your comment. Cheers.
Your vortex seems to be the most easily produced one there is on YT. I did make a basic rocket using a 55 gallon barrel and insulated refractory brick (the kind used in kiln interiors), based on the build by zerofossilfuel . It works well but like you, I want more. I found where I can get a mortar mix of the same material as the bricks. Will be casting a riser this summer. Thank you for the inspiration.
tomwalz Thanks Tom inducing a vortex will improve the output for sure.Cheers.
tomwalz please share where you found the martar mix
Brilliantly simple design and presentation! Love the mock-up too. Thank you!
+william3636 Thanks William glad to help.
Very cool. When I build mine, I won't bother with the kicker on the fire box. Instead I'll try making only 2 cuts into the riser; across the top, and then vertically where the long side of the box will join. I'll then bend the face of the riser inward to kick start a vortex. It'll take less effort I think. Hopefully it works as well. Maybe I'll try both methods, I like to experiment.
Now the build in the chamber makes sense,keep the good work up,all stoves in the future will be built in this way!.keep it simple,always the way to go!
Nice one! You have obviously put quite a lot of thought into your system. One day soon, I hope to build one very similar to yours.
Nice and simple explanation for an essential addition to any rocket build.
Thank you
You are certainly cooking my friend, top vid on rockets.
Great job with the cardboard, I seem to always work with the sheet metal directly for shaping. I think I will try it your way it looks much easier.
thanks! for the response , i wasn't sure on the insulation but was aware that my desperately made riser out of thin sheetmetal would fade so i thought it might be a good idea to make the insulation out refractory mortar so as to leave a cast when the steel diteriates " my attempted homemade version using , perlite ,hydrated lime ,silica sand and fire clay .i think next time i'll use just perlite with a heavy gage riser . thanks again.
okech po Hi yes you can use the casting around the thin metal riser and im sure that will do the job fine. I am casting my riser with a similar mixture so wont be adding any further insulation around the outside of it. Your metal riser will fall apart at the bottom inside your casting but it will fall off in flakes which you can remove easily. cheers.
the simplest ideas are always the best. well done .
Thank you for sharing this information. Really appreciate the rotating chimney cap to prevent down draft. I subscribed and will be anxious to see your further work.
You made this Too easy thanks for the Idea I will get a stove made before next winter So I can use less wood to heat the workshed
I watched this again it is a nice design to add to a stove
Thanks for your reply! Yes the idea was flawed and now I'm considering doing just what you suggest. I will cut two holes one on each side of the riser about 2'' from the bottom and weld a 45 degree angled fitting to and run a 1'' pipe out through the bottom base plate and have those pipes come out and down on a slight angle about 3'' below it at the front of my burn chamber.I'll then install a damper mechanism to control the air draw. I'll draw up a crude sketch and post it on my channel.;-}
Fins&Racks Outdoors I'm still waiting for your crude drawings
Excellent description!!!Thank you!!!!
Do you think there is a difference in which direction a vortex should rotate, clockwise vs counter-clockwise in the upper hemisphere vs the lower hemisphere?
also you can add an air intake on chimney up fire, air cold tube along chmaber > hot air
and an A.V.E.C. vortex upper the chimney (fire wiil destroy it quick if not done in strong steel and put just up air intake)
,see you.
Very nice and well explained video, Thanks a lot.
great vid. great method and concept.
cheers :)
***** Thankyou
I believe ant one above the equator needs to make the bottom on the left side.Counter closewise below and clockwise above the equator
Hi ppotty1, I have watched all your rocket stove videos and am on the verge of starting my own build. I have built other small wood stoves before but want to take it to the next level. I am interested in long burn times without fiddling with the wood constantly. How long of a burn is reasonable with your stove? How big of a fire box would I need to get a 4 hr burn? I am looking to build a 4" diameter riser model based mostly on your design. Thanks for any insights. Love the detailed vids.
then have it enter into the burn chamber at the heat riser junction with another airtight fitting? I got this idea (or brain-fart) after I watched your rocket stove water heater video. I ask because my burn chamber on my first build is on 4'' square tubing, and running a secondary air pipe in there would reduce my fuel capacity in that location. Just a thought, with your expertise you may make it work. Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this.
Well explained. Well thought out, I have subbed you. Thanks for sharing your knowledge mate. atb Norm.
Thanks Norm.
thanyou what will you use for insulation around the outside of rizer>or will you> what is the purpose of the insulation and does the type depend on the thickness of the riser>?
okech po Hi I usually use perlite but some use vermiculite or fire blanket, the purpose it to keep the heat inside the riser making it hotter than its surroundings to promote complete combustion and better updraught, if you used firebrick for a riser then there would be no need to insulate. Normal steel wont last very long due to the temps but stainless lasts longer, ideally any kind of steel should be insulated however some people dont bother.
If in the Southern Hemisphere should the vortex spin the other way (clockwise) ? Or would the coriolis effect be too small at this scale to make any difference? This is a real question as I hope to make an 8 inch batch type rocket mass heater here in New Zealand
Hi there, the effect in reality is very weak. which ever side of the hemisphere you are on it makes no difference which way you spin the vortex. For instance if you spin water in a bowl one way you can very easily spin it the other way and the coriolis effect will not have the force to stop or turn it in the other direction. Cheers.
Still the best fit up for a rocket stove out there after all these years.
is secondary air still necessary for complete burn
Mark Vaughn Missed your comment Mark, no its not essential providing you have good air flow
Mark,
To burn something completely, there needs to be enough oxygen to burn all available carbon in a piece of wood. Nothing else. How quickly a piece of wood burns depends on the availability of oxygen.
hello again. you are quite the experimentor. but that paper is going to burn. lol
+Tim Spriggs special high temp paper is what you need Tim
Hi , I'm looking at building a rocket stove and would like to know if you have anymore videos on the subject, thanks.
Hi there, Yes look on my channel there is a playlist of rocket stove videos.
In two months of heavy burn the secondary air channel in my Walker Core system melted. How has your metal stove held up over the years?
Also, I'm in the market for a big hearty chopping blade. Any in the works? As far as commercial blades right now it's a toss up between the Svord Golok and their Von Tempsky bowie.
My SSteel riser failed after 2 years use which is why I tried a cast refractory riser, thats held up perfect and has other advantages over steel.
My next big knife will be in W2 maybe a camp kinfe or bowie not sure yet but i have a other knives to get done before i think about that one, I also need to get a surface grinder built for the forged knives will free up so much time for me.
ppotty1 It beats a file!
Damm clever...looking forward to the twin tube box stove....thanks !!!
I would like to start a business from home making and selling rocket stoves ...I have made a basic rocket stove but the vortex design looks like I would sell more than the basic design ...wish me luck
Is it really necessary to weld that corner or could I use Selotape?
I always weld paper prefer masking tape for metal.
How important is the riser tube height in relation to the outer barrel?...I know this is an unrelated question but I just subscribed so I am playing catch up with my questions. I have built a steel burn chamber using this design and it worked real well in test burns but when I installed and set the barrel and ducting in place it doesn't work at all.....I have a firebrick rocket stove in my shop that works real well so I am wondering just where I went wrong with the latest one....Thanks
Hi Dan,
I have the same problem, unfortunately nobody has answered you. If I put the barrel over the heat riser, the draft decreases and the stove produces smoke. My heat riser is about 120cm tall and insulated and the barrel is an old water heating boiler with 50cm diameter and about 170 tall, the gap between the heat riser and the upper end of the barrell is about 7cm, i use a 16cm diameter duct-system and all cross-sections are almost identical. did you meanwhile solve the problem and can give me some advice? I would thank you for that
Dan Pollock 2-5 inches, system dependent.
Dan Pollock flue pipe height the higher the flue pipe the more suction you get therefore the more airflow you get I'm running into Smokey issues with my oil burner I actually added a fan because of the way the system setup I don't have tolerances for a high flu pipe I know I'm doing a little bit different situation but fire is fire and flue pipe is a flue pipe I use a hair dryer in the beginning then I graduated to a dedicated blower I'm trying to get all the pieces together of the build I'll put them on my channel sometime
Great stuff
very nice
why is the vortex good for?
ExcEelAnt!
has anyone yet come up with a formula for the prefect dimensions of a rocket stove firebox and flue?
Hi ppotty1;
I've been toying with the idea of adding a secondary preheated air inlet on my rocket stove. My thought is this;
Knowing that copper melts at 1983 degrees Farenheit, would it be possible to use a 3/4'' , 6-8' long copper pipe that would have its open air draw or intake end at the bottom of the stove and have run up and alongside the LP bottle, then enter it into the bottle in an airtight fitting, then coil it a few turns at a spot below its melting point in the heat riser (cont.)
Thanks for the education
more heat, geeze...wouldn't you melt the top of your riser?
👍
Nice ty
Roy Hines Thanks Roy.
нихуя не понял но очень интересно!