Homemade Collapsible Reflector Oven. How I made it and first time use.
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- Опубліковано 21 сер 2024
- In this video I will show you how I made my reflector oven for baking tasty treats at camp. I then bake a delicious cheese and Jalapeño bread to test it out! I hope you enjoy and thanks for watching!
every time I watch one of your videos I learn something new thank you for the videos
It's now official, you are the coolest bushcrafter on UA-cam 👍 absolutely fantastic
Stay safe Keith
Hehehe! Well thank you Keith, I'm not sure I've been called cool before!! Glad you enjoyed it my friend. Atb, Simon.
Love it .Food is always better in the woods.
brilliant...well designed. AWESOME
Is there no end to this man’s talent/skills?
Going back through your videos I really enjoy watching your inginuity ( being a cabinet maker/joiner now site Carpenter rmyself ) the diversity of your skills and the materials you work with is impressive.
I have even thought of getting a sewing machine to make canvas pouches etc to my own specifications.
Thank you!
Go for it, once you start sewing, there’s no stopping! 😂👍
Great video. I made one years ago which uses some machine screws and wing nuts to hold it together - I like your design better!
Hi Simon, just came across your video & loved the reflector oven you built. I'm in a suburban area in New York, USA & really don't camp. I have a Coleman Camping Oven I use to bake outdoors with & works for me. I thought that if you built a metal cover to put around the fire that angled to the front of the oven you'd grab more heat. Almost like a heat shield. My friend made me a shield from welding blanket for my Coleman to cover the slot holes (losing heat) & cover the propane burner against the wind. Thanks again for sharing your idea.
Better than you could buy at the shop!
What an amazing idea, Simon! Thank you for making this video and sharing it! The potential for us bushies is unlimited!
Always a pleasure, Simone!
Thank you so much for the great content and fun videos. I spend a good bit of time out in the bush and your videos and ideas always help me to think outside the box. Cheers Mate!
Very nice build! Thank you!
Neat! Shared on a Danisk bushcraft forum.
I have two simple suggestions for the oven, that would make it easier to assemble:
1) Round or angle the corners on the tabs that go into the slots on back plate.
2) Do the same to the corners around the slots that join the plates - sort of like a "funnel", leading the pieces together.
+P.H. Rankin Hansen - That’s a good idea - I think I’ll do that - it will make it easier to slot the pieces together. Thanks! Atb, Simon.
Love your DIY videos. You are a very awesome person. Thanks for all your great videos! D
It is all about the infrared light. Great design. You are right about needing a hot fire. It will pay to experiment with the fire to produce a large infrared face on the side facing the oven. It needs to be a tall fire that is fed wood from the side opposite the oven and has no wood blocking the light from the glowing coal to the oven. Such an oven would be great when your fire is just too large and hot to cook on gracefully. Maybe a parallelly stacked log fire could be scaled down to work.
Thank you - good to hear some scientific facts and advise! 👍
I remember as a scout our troop made reflector ovens and then took them on a winter camping trip, guess I should make another for the nostalgia lol
Hi. Am i glad i seen this video. Just made a camp stove. Now i want to make an oven. You just taught me how. thank you very much. But there is a funny side to this comment. I watched your video and i was so intrested that i forgot to subscribe and lost your video. Just spent two hours looking for you when all i had to do is learn how to use my phone. So thank you twice. The oven and my phone. Been watching you for some time and each time i forgot to subscribe so there it is.
Nice work and good idea salvaging/repurposing materials from your military surplus find. Thanks for sharing!
+Jeffrey Mutch - Cheers Jeffrey, I think it's always a good idea to recycle and upcycle in this modern throw away age. Glad you enjoyed it, Atb, Simon.
Ordinary kitchen/bathroom cleaning paste with a very fine-grained abrasive component works fine to polish metals, I got a nice shine on some brass trinkets I made for friends with that.
Tip of the day! Cheaper than brasso that’s for sure! Thanks Johan!
I found that with a bit of effort it ended up taking even the tiniest scratches off, which Brasso doesn't
Quality mate, I'm forever making stoves with my nippers and been toying with knocking up a camp oven. Never thought of a reflector type. Thanks for sharing Simon
really appreciate the craftsmanship with everything you make and of course the Food, many thanks
out standing video, can't wait to see this inprodution
Simon, I have looked at many designs and yours by far is the best I've seen. Good job! Would you be willing to post a schematic of your oven on line? I'd love to build one like yours with my grandson.
Thank you! Glad you liked it. The whole design is based on the size of the grill you use, so that is step one really, get a grill you intend to use as the shelf, the rest of the dimensions are determined by it. If you get a grill, let me know, I’d be more than happy to help you out with the rest. Atb, Simon.
Brilliant design and workmanship. My homemade ones look pretty crude in comparison. BTW, you don't have to worry about keeping it shiny, "reflector" ovens trap radiant heat more than reflect it, and sooty ones work as well as shiny ones, maybe even better.
A most excellent build! Will be great for elk camp this year.
How incredibly interesting and clever and impressive!
Just watched this one Simon. Great piece of work. Inspired me, now on the lookout for scrap ally sheet 👍👍👍
Great bit of engineering Simon. Keeping it simple and lightweight. A replacement for the Dutch oven that's actually viable for backpacking. That bread looks delicious!
I am so glad I came across your video. I'm going to be doing a lot of videos on my own channel soon, and I was going to try to find a reflector oven to do some camp cooking videos. But after seeing your video, I will be making my own as well, and when I get that video made, I'll be giving your channel a plug on mine since yours is the inspiration for mine..it also works out really well for me to make mine the same way, because I am a scrapper, and I come across metal items all the time that people are throwing out to the rubbish here in the US. Rather than see it all end up in a landfill, I grab it and recycle it at the local scrap yard. And even if I never come across the pieces for projects like this while I'm out scrapping, I can often find the things I want at the scrap yard, and only end up paying scrap price for the metal, which is pennies on the dollar. So again, thank you for sharing your video, and I'll be sure to check out more on your channel soon. And from what I noticed from a quick glance at your channel, I'll be spending some time there, and so, I subscribed your channel. Best wishes, and hope to see more great things on yours.
Great video! I'm always amazed at the inventive abilities of bushcrafters! Your reflective oven certainly seems to fit right in with this and it certainly seems to work quite well! Simple and effective design...always the best! Again, thanks for sharing and safe bushcrafting to you and yours ALWAYS!
Thank you Kenn, glad you liked it! It does work very well especially with a good hot fire! To me, bushcraft is all about making life as comfortable as possible in a wilderness environment - and although this would be a pre-made, carry-in item, it certainly improves the scope of campfire cooking. I’m sure something similar could be made in camp - a mini lean to shelter- style oven from sticks - I’ll have to give it a go sometime, lol! Thanks for watching, Atb, Simon.
Great job !!
I welded a propane tank inside of an old water pressure tank (double jacket) and stuck a rocket stove under it.
Works great but too heavy to be truly portable.
I like the simplicity of your build...Never even thought of a reflector oven.
Time to break out the scrap metal...thanks for sharing!!
C.A.D. Cardboard added design.
Hahaha! That’s good! 😆
CAD reference. Two of my favourite things. Bushcraft eating and Project Binky. Food and metal fabrication. 😁😁😁
Very nice job my friend.
What a fantastic product you have turned out there. The scale and finished article both look spot on 👍 I might have to have a go at one of those in the future.
Adventure Outside - Thank you - glad you like it - it works really well with a good hot fire! And quite straight forward to make. Cheers and Atb, Simon.
You are a true inventor you should sell these,I would definitely buy one.
I made one years ago out of 2 pieces of flat sheet with key rings at the top so it folded flat and under it I had 2 flat pieces held together but with a nut between them to give an air gap so that what ever was cooking would not burn all the heat was reflected back on the top from the 2 big flat pieces that are held together with the ring holder set up like a tent over the top later I enclosed the ends a little bit to help keep the heat in and I watched many roasts and cakes and also dampers through the open ends
Nice one! You should make a video on it! 😁 I’d be interested to watch it!
simply great ! now i know what i have to do this weekend
well done, great idea and simple
Clark A Webb - Thanks Clark, I was really pleased with how well it worked. Atb, Simon.
Good job Simon ! You nailed it once again !
+Vlad Bucur - Hehehe!! Cheers mate! It did come out well and works much better than I expected!! Atb, Simon.
I have been tossing around the ideal of make a reflector oven and your is fantastic my friend I like the way yours goes together
+ric cartwright - Thanks Ric, glad you like it. It works much better than I expected and wasn't too hard to make, you could easily make it with normal tools too, I just used my machines to make it easier!! Well recommend having a go! Atb mate, Simon.
OMG, cool idea. Dang. Good for extended power cuts like the flood we had. I was one of the lucky ones whose home wasn't affected at all. UK like the rest of the world paying top dollar for power.
That was pretty good...A little bit heavy for a backpacking 🎒 but , I think 🤔 if it was smaller, it might just work great 👍 THANKS ..A great video
Great Job Simon!
Thanks John, Atb, Simon.
Grand job there Simon! Jumped over from the Onion Soup video! Loving your work, mate.
This reminds me of my flat pack UCO fire pit grill. I love this!
Reminds me of a folding reflector oven I built from Boy's Life magazine plans circa:1948. Remember Reynolds do-it-yourself aluminum? Good job!!!
Thanks! 1948! I'd love to see that article. I'm not familiar with Reynolds diy aluminium - I know of Reynolds of course! I could have just bought sheet aluminium but the old surplus baking sheets and dishes were cheaper! Atb, and thanks for watching! Simon.
Excellent idea, you did a wonderful job. Cheers
Just Brilliant! I showed my wife this video, and the first thing she said was, NO your not getting a band saw. Now I have to come up with something I can build for her that requires the use of a Band saw. ???? LOL. Butter, you need lots of butter.
Hahaha! Good luck!
Turn your food around half way thru the cooking process. It should take ten minutes or so longer in the reflector oven than in your oven at home. Also you need flames not coals to use this oven. At least in my experience cooking on one. Awesome project....
Thanks for the tips Doug - I’m still getting used to it - I definitely needed more heat than I thought. Cheers, Simon.
absolutely ingenious. is there no end to your talents.
Dan Cooper - Haha, cheers Dan! I just love making stuff - not everything turns out well though!! But I have the luxury of only posting the good ones!! Lol! Atb mate, Simon.
Hello again Simon, really well made device. I saw the video where you could not maintain a heat in adverse conditions and also Wilshire mans comment. To combat this if you can find moss as an insulator for the main outer surface area this will help. Obviously you can't have it made from 6mm cold rolled steel so for thermal retention and indeed secondary radiation moss may help. You can also form a baffle at the top sir. Fold some aluminium foil across the top covering the top inch or so, this will "confuse" the thermal dynamic i.e. the heat rolling in around the back and right out the top. In theory it should keep a more stable micro climate around the food. Keep up with the great vids mate, you have already inspired me to buy a 3 man tent for me and my dog to "test the water" in the back garden to start as he doesn't like change to much (a bit like my old dad haha). I used to love camping and simply stopped with work and generally life hitting me in the face like a sack of bricks.
Thank you - you know your stuff! I’ll give the foil trick a try, normally it works really well on its own, but that day was fairly cold and the wood was damp so getting the fire up to temp was an issue too! I actually keep some foil in the bag that the reflector oven lives in, so next time I fire her up I’ll try it out - thanks!! Atb, Simon.
Loving the show and the King of the Hill style music to speeded up section
s...lol. In your fire series I missed part one. I was hoping you'd cover the best woods for fire i.e. for heat flame etc. I take a pack of wood with me; a bunch of kindling with a fibre nest inside I simply light with a lighter and it's good to go, fire in 30 seconds and full in 5 minutes. I am hoping to get some more work soon to buy some parts to build my bike camper and trailer - it takes the camping gear and then opens up into a cabin when put together, I got the idea from a guy designing small bicycle campers for touring - the thing I do. Camping allows me solace from the world and it's craziness and my mental health issues, I was always more at home in the bush. Thanks for your great videos sir.
Hi Simon. Just a suggestion but I think you’ll get really good results if you use a parallel log lay fire to maximise sideways heat. A pyramid fire probably sends too much heat straight up
Nice reflector oven and great use of recycled materials. I can't wait to see it in action in a future video. I've seen people cook fish in them.
Canoeman094 - Cheers, glad you enjoyed it! Funnily enough, I thought as I was baking the bread about baking some fish in it, I reckon it would work well!! I'll give it a try sometime!! Atb, Simon.
I am absolutely making this.
Deja vu, I was just about to chuck out my old battered oven pans when I saw this video, you are inspiring, thank you, I am also inspired now to look at dual purposing a lot of other junk I have. I'll really have to sort out my shed now!
It’s a good time for sorting out your gear and up cycling! 👍
I am so going to make this. I see cinnamon rolls in my future.
I could almost smell the bread...! Very innovative Simon, I like that. ATB PaulC
+Paul C2629 - Cheers Paul! I'd love to take the credit for reflector ovens, but they have been around for years, I just tweaked it a bit! Glad you enjoyed! Atb, Simon.
Hmm I have to say this is a brilliant idea!! I love it! Cheers.
Simon. Having followed you for a while, I thought I would check out your older videos. This one makes me think of an additional collab with your friend Richard Outdoors and his products. Thanks for the entertainment and good luck in Scotland soon.
Subscribed on the roast chicken.. Absolutely sold on the oven.. Looking forward to your library.. Cheers from Canada
+CNTrails JMV - Thank you, and thanks for the sub! Glad you enjoyed the video(s), the reflector oven worked really well - better than I was expecting - I’m sure it’ll appear in more videos in the future! As will pot roasts - Mmmmm! Atb, Simon.
I'm very impressed!!
Thank you Curt! Atb, Simon.
Love all the inventions. So useful too!
Thanks Mark! 👍
Great design and excicution. This is the type of thing I like to make for my channel. I haven't had time to make any new videos for about a year but I hope things settle out soon and I can give this a go. If I do I will certainly give your channel the credit
Thanks John, glad you liked it! It’s a really useful addition to the fire for wilderness cooking - you just need a hot fire! Good luck with yours - hope to watch the video when it’s done! 👍 Atb, Simon.
Nice work. Simon. Looks like one from a shop. Top handcrafted.
What a really smart idea!thanks for sharing.best regards,Paco
Thanks Paco! Glad you liked it. Atb, Simon.
I came here looking for info on a reflector oven. I have seen old time pictures of these ovens being used by hunters and lumberjacks in my home province. I have to say I'm quite impressed with your work. Definitely subscribing.
Simon,
Very nice especially if this is your first try at building and using a reflector oven. Over the years I have purchased and built my own using various designs starting from one that did not fold or come apart in any way. That first one worked great (I still have it) but in the canoe it was always strapped on top of all my other gear and looked out of place. I have since streamlined my ovens (usually take two) and made them easy to pack. I love using them and if you don't mind I will give you a bit of advice I have learned the hard way over the years. You already found out that you need to have a hot fire and keep the oven close to the flames, for that reason I bake first and cook the main meal over the remaining coals. Next, a handle or some way of picking up your oven (must be rigid enough) to turn it around to check and rotate your baking. A leather glove is a must but it still is not good to be reaching over the fire (experience). If your fire has rocks on three sides and the oven is placed in front the heat is directed better and will require less wood for cooking. In addition to the logs for the fire keep a pile of small wood that will burn easily and produce a large flame then you can adjust the flame easily while baking. Wind is not constant from one direction but try to set your oven in a way that the wind and ash is not blowing into the oven. If you put your bread etc. in the pan so it does not rise above the pan when cooking you can place a small piece of screen over your baking pan to keep small sparks, ash etc. from settling on your food. Anyway, those are a few suggestions and I hope they help. Great job, I enjoy your channel!
Thank you and thanks for the tips!
There’s a real art to using them it seems - I’ll try it with a fire protected by rocks, makes sense to direct the heat to where it’s needed! 🔥🔥 cheers, Simon
Well done, lad!
Nice one, Simon. Looks like a great bit of kit. I have to agree with other comments, the bread looked amazing mate. Jalapenos, Cheese...Yum. Thanks for sharing. Take care.
AMBushcraft - Thanks Andy, it tasted as good as it looked! Hehehe. Atb mate, Simon.
You earned my subscription.
nice work thanks for sharing good diy project
Cheers, yes, it’s a nice thing to make - and worth it for all those yummy baked goodies you can make next to the fire! Atb, Simon.
Simon I always wanted to make an oven , this cool
Very slick, been looking at reflector ovens, came across your video, would prefer it over the ones I've seen. Really a good job.
Great job! I am very much enjoying the channel.
LoaferXcursions - Thank you my friend, glad you are enjoying the videos. While people are enjoying them, I'll keep making them!! 😀 Atb, Simon.
Nice work 👌
This video made me subscribe. I live across the pond in the Adirondacks. Love canoe/boat camping. I appreciate that you like great food camping while some go sub-par. Great videos! Try out the Mora Kansbol w/ the multi-mount as a secondary knife. It does everything that an axe doesn't. Prep the fire then make dinner. It'll slice a tomato after using it to start a fire. Cheers and thanks!
Thank you and thanks for the sub! 👍 good food is high on the agenda for me when I’m out in the woods or on the river - at the end of the day, what is better than relaxing with a big plate or bowl of something nice to eat! The reflector oven opens up all sorts of tasty options! I’ll take a look at that knife - my normal belt knife is a brute - too thick and heavy for food prep really! I normally use a French Opinel folding pocket knife for those sorts of jobs, but it’s always nice to look at knife options!! Atb, Simon.
awesome work dude! the only thing i would do as a precaution is to take all those pointy corners off! 👍😁
Simon, if I had your talent and knowledge of the equipment and that of David "ReallyBigMonkey6" Pearson(?) I would be a rich man and enjoying my work. You guys amaze me with your innovations. My god, that bread looks sooo delicious! You have what seems to be a "testing" area like my backyard Hobo Camp. Whenever I buy new gear I will always test it out before taking it into the woods especially tents, tarps hammocks and cooking gear. For example if a tent needs seam sealing, I'll set it up before a storm and let it ride out the rain. On one of my tents there was a defective seam near my foot area. One of the new stoves was defective and I returned it for a replacement. Defects that you don't want to experience out in the wilderness. That oven is brilliant but I use aluminum foil and sticks to fashion an oven; using a sheet over and over until it gets destroyed somehow.
Ah! I’m a fan of David’s channel too - he makes some great, thoughtful bits of kit! Yes, I have a little corner of the garden with a fire area and a bench etc, useful sometimes when I can’t get out to film and a nice spot to enjoy a fire and relax! Always good to test out gear before you rely on it - i do the same - nothing worse than realising something doesn’t work when your life might depend on it!! Thanks Alexander, Atb, Simon.
Hi Simon. Great idea. I just love your make it videos.
I love your version better than the Swedish one. I'd purchase yours in a heartbeat; even with the cost of shipping to Canada.
DROFHAPPINESS - Thanks! Glad you liked it, the design is based on the North American one used by trappers and voyageurs in the 1800s, there are some people still making them commercially in the US and Canada I believe. It's a good design that works surprisingly well! Gil Gilpatrick has a DIY design in his Making Outdoor Gear book - it doesn't fold, but forms a container that you can carry other gear in for canoe trips and the like. Thanks for watching! Atb, Simon.
The Swedish one sells for $88 CDN, then there is taxes and shipping on top of that. I have a small pocket stove which interlocks like your design. I do bicycle camping, so I like the compactness of yours. I also have a base camp that I leave set up most of the year, so a bigger model like the Swiss one would be handy there I think it would be cool to make a smaller version of yours, for solo cooking... for someone cycling or hiking alone. They could make up something just a bit bigger than a muffin.
DROFHAPPINESS -That's a great idea, maybe designed to use with a folding stove like the Firebox. Hmmm, I wonder!! Probably not enough radiant heat from a folding stove. I might just have to have a play about with the idea! $88 seems a bit steep for what they are!
Came across this vid buddy. I think I might play around with this method and see what I can come up with. ua-cam.com/video/F_XlGx7P2t0/v-deo.html
DROFHAPPINESS - interesting idea and that worked really well! Reminded me a bit of the Zebra billy/ Firebox oven. Thanks for the link.
Nice I like it thanks
Really enjoyed Simon. Think I'd like to try making one myself. Thanks for the inspiration.
Bread looked amazing also!
This is great, subscribed
great video really enjoyed it
Karl Wright - Thanks Karl, glad you enjoyed it. 👍 Atb, Simon.
Great idea, loving your channel. Steve.
Thanks Steve, glad you're enjoying them! Atb, Simon.
Great Piece Of Mechanism . . . And . . . Engineering . . . Skill . . . Enjoyed This Educational Video . . . As Always . . . Great Job . . . Cheers . . .
Awesome idea, came here from the crusader lid another very good video thanks
Thanks Paul - glad you like it - works surprisingly well if you have a good hot fire! Cheers, Simon.
Simon, a bloke in the woods a very good idea, nice and light weight. I think the crusader lid is the best I've seen, thanks very much for the knowledge and replying look forward to further videos a.t.b
WOW! What a great video, so glad i came across your channel. You have some amazing content and your mods you have done to some of your kit are great ideas.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the video, I love to tinker and make bits and pieces of gear - it’s always nicer to use gear you’ve made yourself too! Thanks for watching and glad you found the channel!
Very nice.
Excellent job!!
+outdoorzombie survival - Thank you sir! Atb, Simon.
very clever. nice project!
Cool thanks Simon!
Great show really glad I found this channel
Simon ......... it has me thinking ....... thinking ........ thinking ......... well done mate
kris4362 - I did a lot of that too!! Thanks mate, Atb, Simon.
From a paleo point of view interesting.
Will ponder on it a bit more ;-)
Simon I love your channel! I've been camping most of my life and only recently started watching others videos, yours are some of the best!!! I love how you are able to teach us new skills. Thank you for sharing your ideas.
My daughter and I are going to be making one of these to try and bake a cake this summer:)
Thanks again
Thanks Keith! Enjoy (both the building and the baking!) 😁
Incredible design...thank you for sharing 😊 PS bread base recipe please.
The recipe is in a responded comment to Mad Jack's comment.
Nifty!