rocket stove burn barrel

Consider an abundance of junk mail plus the paper parts of excessive packaging ....  add in to the mix living in the country and that all garbage requires a trip to the dump.

It seems like there should be some brilliant design for a burn barrel.  Maybe something like a pocket rocket on a larger scale?  A 55 gallon drum with 4 inch pipe in it? 

??

paul wheaton wrote:
Consider an abundance of junk mail plus the paper parts of excessive packaging ....  add in to the mix living in the country and that all garbage requires a trip to the dump.

It seems like there should be some brilliant design for a burn barrel.  Maybe something like a pocket rocket on a larger scale?  A 55 gallon drum with 4 inch pipe in it? 

??

Linda and Ianto once heated their home/office for a full year on nothing but junk mail, using a Pocket Rocket. 
They started signing up for additional mailing lists, just for the free fuel
(This was before they started the school in Coquille, and had just one building to look after.)

-Erica

Excellent!

So .... I take it then that a larger pocket rocket would work outside as a burn barrel replacement?

paul wheaton wrote:
Excellent!

So .... I take it then that a larger pocket rocket would work outside as a burn barrel replacement?

That's more or less what they were designed for.  Comfort heating for hobos, fueled by scrap or junk wood. 

I don't know how it would work if you need to burn agricultural plastic wrap or other bulky petrochemicals; they might clog or over-heat the chimney.  And you could still get some noxious smoke from plastics, oils, or mineral-heavy paint and suchlike muck.
  But I bet you could create something cleaner-burning than a barrel, that would work for you.  The Pocket Rocket design principles improve mixing and draft; you could add a screen, chimney-support, wrap it in cob, build a giant one out of old furnace/boiler parts, or what-have-you. 

Paul, I remember building a stove similar to that pic posted above when I was in boy scouts. It consisted of a 2lb coffee can, perforated along each rim with a can opener. It also served a double purpose as a charcoal starter for the grill.

new vid that might shed some light

Just came across this older posting.  In our county, it's illegal to burn trash, and for good reason.  Most all of that junk mail is printed on bleached paper, which when burned releases dioxans which are highly toxic, not to mention the toxins given off by burning plastics.  The resulting ash is hazardous and is not something that you would want anywhere nearby, especially around pregnant women or young girls as it affects the reproductive system.  Better to recycle the stuff.  Or, if you're as tired of junk mail as we are, you can join my "Just say NO to junk mail" campaign.  If you get junk mail that includes a postage prepaid envelope, you take the entire mailing including the envelope that it all came in, write whatever comment you want on the piece that has your name printed (take me off your mail list, etc.) and shove it all into the return envelope.  That way, the sender will get back all the junk and have to pay for the postage to boot.  If you're especially disgusted, you can add to the weight/cost of postage - your creativity is encouraged here (rusty washers work well).    We hardly ever get junk mail any more. 
Larisa

Walk wrote:
If you're especially disgusted, you can add to the weight/cost of postage - your creativity is encouraged here (rusty washers work well).

I believe that taping a business return envelope or postcard  to a box will get the box delivered.  I don't have any confirmation of this, as no business has contacted me after I sent them a box, but the local post office hasn't had any problem with it.

tel jetson wrote:
I believe that taping a business return envelope or postcard  to a box will get the box delivered.  I don't have any confirmation of this, as no business has contacted me after I sent them a box, but the local post office hasn't had any problem with it.

That raises a question for me. What do you have to line a box with to keep a cow patty fresh for the journey?

Erica Wisner wrote:
Linda and Ianto once heated their home/office for a full year on nothing but junk mail, using a Pocket Rocket. 
They started signing up for additional mailing lists, just for the free fuel
(This was before they started the school in Coquille, and had just one building to look after.)

-Erica

I toured Ianto's place around July 4th, he now has a rocket stove or pocket rocket in every cob building sans the new kitchen building he is making right now... which, IMO, is a work of art.  Visiting his place has given me the confidence and inspiration to work on my own projects with cob.  He's a great smart man.

Emerson White wrote:
That raises a question for me. What do you have to line a box with to keep a cow patty fresh for the journey?

Great question. 

johnlvs2run wrote:
Great question. 

Well, they dry them out slowly, line a box with plastic, and sell Moose droppings to suckers I mean tourists in Vermont.  Most likely the same thing?