Alexandra Malecki

Now that I'm back home, I've collected all of my documentation from multiple rocket builds that were spread out over many months and many trips. I think I spent an hour looking for a single photo that I knew I took and I'm so relieved that I found it!!

It feels so exciting to finally submit for the 2 Rocket Mass Heaters that I started building months ago. On this last trip I accessorized the rockets, finished the cob, and took the videos of starting the rockets.

The first rocket bench I built, I'll never forget how amazed everyone was by how much warmth was generated by such little fuel. "But wait, there's more!" and I brought everyone outside to see the exhaust and it was clear, everyone was psyched!! It's one thing to hear about rocket mass heaters and it's a whole different thing to actually experience it - to feel and see it for yourself. I was really satisfied with how this build went and I'm really happy that it's in a community space so that many people get to experience it! I heard good things about it's performance this past winter, the dance parties that were had on it despite the cob being unfinished, and I inspected the system this summer for ash buildup and creosote and it looked great. I wish I could have added more benches to this system and recessed the benches into the ground. This was definitely a successful experiment and I'm happy to submit for this BB!

6 BBs left to go!

I had originally planned on building a second RMH at a local educational farm in my city but they kept pushing the install date back month after month due to a host of hurdles on their end. I hope to still install one next season in a hoophouse that they'd like to use for a classroom and season extender.

Fortunately, I was still able to meet my wood rocket BB requirements with an unexpected rocket bench build. In the cottage where I originally built a 6in rocket stove, the couple who lives in this space desired an 8in rocket because they found the 8in rocket bench far easier to feed and they wanted more BTUs. So I dismantled the stove, which was so insightful to get feedback on my construction choices. I didn't like the 5min riser or dry stack and I found that some of the straw in the cob foundation had burned under the burn tunnel. There were a few other aspects wrt the stove itself that I wanted to experiment with as well (and planned to with the fruit stove that I started building two weeks ago). So, a larger (6" to 8") yet more compact (smaller footprint) system was built in it's place. I have to say that I'm getting pretty proficient at installing these systems; less hesitation and more execution. It was nice that this system had minimal cob work to do -- I find that this takes the greatest amount of time and energy.

5 BBs left to go!

I look forward to getting feedback on how these rockets perform in this next season with these changes and new accessories that I fabricated.

I built a second 8" J-tube RMH this time with a 6" exhaust. For this experiment, I used a cattail mortar mix to stack the firebrick, used firebrick and perlite+cattail mortar mix for the riser, and made the bench smaller due to space limitations. I offset the riser and asymmetrically insulated the riser to direct radiant heat optimally into the space. I also included a p-channel, version 2 ash scoop, feed cover, and integrated kindling holder and handle into the cold start cap.

The radiator barrel is a functional cleanout and the end of the double barrel bench is also a functional cleanout. This system is very easy to maintain and works very well; no visible smoke out the chimney <5mins.

Here's my video of starting the rocket:

I built an 8in J-tube rocket mass heater with an 8in exhaust. For this experiment, I dry stacked the firebrick (which I won't do again since the cob can shift the brick), made a "5min riser" (which actually took far more than 5min to build), and a juice box exhaust out of a double barrel bench. I also included a p-channel, version 2 ash scoop, metal dragon art, and a feed cover.

The radiator barrel is a functional cleanout and the end of the double barrel bench is also a functional cleanout. This system is very easy to maintain and works very well; no smoke <5mins.

I added a bonus photo of my cold start access showing an eyebolt attached to a handle to hold the kindling --> Uncle Mud's idea from the red cabin rocket that I think I made nicer.

Here's my video of starting the rocket:  

I rarely watch movies or shows and I could care less about actors, plots, and/or highly simulated content, as Paul can attest to. However, when I’m laid up I like to go through my list of documentaries or other similar content.

Today I watched living the change, you can also watch it here: https://www.happenfilms.com/films/living-the-change

It was a well done documentary that captured a good breadth of information. I’ll admit that I don’t think I learned anything new but it always makes me feel good to see other people also making changes. Oh, I should say that I am amazed by the forest gardens that were filmed; I aspire to garden in this way with a few hugels too.

Watching the documentary reminded me of a time when I was sitting in a lecture room for a sustainable engineering course at university. I recall feeling a state of urgency to find solutions. Some technology to be discovered. Of course, I was a product of modernism.

I continue to feel a state of urgency to find solutions, far more so now than I did when I was at university because I think about my children’s future. However, I’m no longer disillusioned that some sort of new tech will carry us past peak oil.

As I’ve continued to search for things to make sense,
I find it rather beautiful, natural, and simple that the solutions are rather beautiful, natural, and simple. This doesn’t imply at all that it’s easy.

I’ve been working tirelessly on the skip program because I’m hopeful that my family and I can prepare a future for ourselves on land without having to trade our financial stability for it. However, I’m not disillusioned that it’s going to be easy after this point. In many ways I know that the work will just be beginning. Outside of tending the land, the real work will be in building resilience in relationships and helping others up because we’re all interdependent. Continuing to plant the seeds for diversity and growth for the future. Learning skills and life ways that existed prior to fossil fuels. This era of modernization and convenience will have consequences when it ends and I’d like to prepare my children and as many people as I can for this change.


There’s so much work to be done that I just don’t have the patience to watch tv or movies. But I am finding irony in that the film I watched to rest is just getting me more energized to get things done.

Hey Nancy, thank you! The wings are made from a bike rotor for hydraulic disc brakes.

Small update on progress… I got myself a deep gash from the stovepipe so I’m going to need to pause the water heater project and heal. I’ll just need to schedule a return trip. Now I have a second rave review for cut rescue powder. No pics this time.

I ran both rocket mass heaters and they both perform well. No visible smoke <5mins. I’ll have to upload the documentation for that when I return home to a desktop. It’s so nice to wrap up both of those projects!!

While I’m here, I was able to submit for community art. I made the dragon a few months ago but I didn’t have enough room to travel with my husband’s MIG welder previously so I finally got it mounted on this trip!
https://permies.com/wiki/124904/pep-community/install-public-art-PEP-BB#3447810 I’ll have to edit the link when I’m at a desktop.

7 BBs left to go!

All I have left to do at this point to complete the rocket wood level is complete this rocket water heater and upload all documentation. I plan to mount the tank today. I still need to fill with insulation, connect the plumbing interface, build the brick air gap, and let it rip!! It’ll take a few more days of work to complete this BB.

Nicole Alderman wrote:
In this Badge Bit, you will make a piece of art that will be displayed publicly (accessible from off of your property, and for the benefit of those off of your property).  It should be made with natural or re-purposed materials.  Paint is allowed but discouraged.  Time spent painting won't be counted towards the hours so a mural may count for 0 points.  This project will be scored based on standard Oddball points of professional work time.  It can be one giant project, or a series of smaller ones.  

Here are some ideas:

They could be welded, like these (from this thread):

Minimum requirements:
- get 2 to 4 points according to oddball rules
- you did the work by yourself
- in clear view of the public and for the benefit of the public
- paint and unnatural materials are discouraged

Provide the following proof as pics or video (>2 min):
- location where the art will go
- your art in progress
- art completed and installed in its permanent location

I began this experiment with low expectations that my dragon would look like a dragon. I figured I’d need to add a plaque to clarify “you’re looking at an interpretive dragon”.

As it turns out, I think I arted pretty well!! No plaque needed.

My first rocket was built in a community barn cafe… as they call it. I wanted to add dragon art to it to symbolize the message that Uncle Mud told me: treat every rocket like a temperamental pet dragon. You need to get to know it and befriend it for it to perform well for you” well… maybe I shouldn’t use exact quotes since that’s my version/paraphrase.

Right, back to the BB, I spent approximately 24 hrs on this metal dragon. I collected scrap metal for months and didn’t use anything new. I used a MIG welder to build the dragon and mount it to a barrel.

Oh! The last thing to say about this is that I’ll never forget the reactions from people who saw it; glee, amazement, awe- maybe. I mounted the dragon with magnets into a proposed spot for a week and the community approved and supported the installation at their land meeting. This was a fun project!

Thanks Rebekah!! Hugs to you <3

Water Heater build is slowly shaping up! This is the current state, see photos. Firebrick masonry is complete for the j-tube which requires a lot of precision. Each course of the regular brick requires almost a full bucket of mortar so it a lot of material to move around and mix. I’m pretty pleased with it so far.

I often go back and forth about whether to fire the rockets before it dries on its own. There are two different philosophies in this space. Fire early and often or let the clay dry slowly to prevent cracking. I’m on the fence with this project.

I completed the cob work on the first rocket bench on my last trip out but this trip I’ll be wrapping up the metal art and have completed the p channel, ash scoop, and feed cover accessories. Now I just need to run it and take photos.

Meanwhile I’ve been taking some time to continue to move forward on the second rocket bench that I started on my last trip but couldn’t finish. I’ve been building up the layers of the insulation around the riser. I hope to get the stratification barrel on today to run tomorrow morning now that the temps have chilled.

I guess I have 2 rockets to run tomorrow morning!

My friend and I met today so I can get the green light to move forward with the water heater plan implementation. The installation was originally going to go inside a sugar shack. It’s a structure used for condensing maple syrup but he wants to replicate it to make fruit sugar syrup called stroop. The gable roof on the structure would have modifications to vent steam. I started building a non-BB rocket stove to cook the fruit and the water heater was also supposed to go in that same structure.

The structure is not structurally sound.

The water heater was going to be very heavy and the concrete was cracking so it was relocated outside. Now the plumbing won’t be insulated an insulated space so I needed to account for ease of winterization… weatherproofing… added scope.

The fruit rocket was also not viable in that structure so today we decided to abandon that project. There’s a certain point where failure is the best option to restart.  I made plans and have the material for it so I can try again when he figures out his infrastructure, long term vision, and timeline.

As an aside, I’m hopeful that our future home has some Off grid infrastructure that we could scale up or improve. I think I’d like to visit some off-grid farms to research existing systems, I have a few in mind. My friend has limited utilities and actively aims to embrace inconvenience. Inconveniences strengthen us.

Anyway, the water heater project is a go! I attached a photo of my dry mock up/footprint for demonstration. At this point my friend has approved 5 rocket builds and the fruit stove was the first to be abandoned. My friend has a degree in Architecture, we met at a PDC in 2021 I believe. It’s always so helpful for me to consult with him throughout the builds.

I had an opportunity to attend a regenerative farm tour by Jake Takiff who works closely with Mark Shepard. It was really incredible to see how a landscape can change in 9 seasons. There were huge junipers in a ravine that were dying because they’re being drowned. The significance of that is the early succession plants were transitioning to a late succession, deciduous ecosystem with diversity. He had transformed a sage and ragweed plain to silvo pastured, swale rotational grazing with cows. The other aspect I loved was his success with naturalizing animals to be in harmony with the land. Aside from the cows that Jake manages intensively as it’s his main income, he has a variety of other animals on his land that survive and reproduce on their own. At three different times Jake was asked how be keeps his animals from leaving his property. The answer: I’ve made food and habitat so desirable here that they don’t choose to leave. Also, a lot of discussion on stock ponds, swales, and breed selection.

I’m so grateful to have gone to the workshop even if it slowed my progress on tasks today but I thought that it was well worth it! I anticipate that all of the information I got to experience today will be useful soon! I was just reflecting on how 2 years ago I had read dozens of gardening, permaculture, and natural building books but lacked the experience. Since then I’ve focused more on just doing things and building a relationships with people and nature. Now that I’m close to PEP2, I’m eager to steward land with animal systems and do regenerative land management techniques. It would be delightful if the land we move to already has techniques in place to improve the water table and soil.

Also, while I was on the farm I went to inspect some chinking I did on my friend’s log cabin that he’s building. I hope to build my own house one day as well. His log cabin is beautiful but I’d prefer an earthen home.