RMH Without much stovepipe, and without much firebrick?

After reading about RMH my first thought is to build the basic J-tube design, use firebrick for the heat riser, combustion chamber, etc. I also saw the twisting stovepipe as a great way to run 20ft of length. However after actually getting the prices on these items, I am seeing that the brick alone will be almost $400, the 20 ft of stovepipe will also be $300 and thats not counting the necessary T pipes and caps. Now finding barrels, and cob materials is just a matter of hunting around. I have found a number of old 55 gallon barrels just being thrown out. I've found some good deals on stovepipe now and again, but they are never the right size (8") So its getting impossible for me to even consider a RMH without setting aside $1000 or more.

After doing some looking around I am finding people building tubes in different ways
https://permies.com/t/194343/Rocket-Thermal-mass-heater-cinder
An example here, he built the tubes using bricks, this is very appealing to me because I know a place where many bricks are dumped. Ofcourse the main concern there is that bricks will eventually degrade under the high heat.

https://permies.com/t/160/122458/Advice-RMH-build-Hokkaido-Japan
This thread has also really caught my eye because they build the thermal tubes out of half barrels.

I'm interested in any alternative building methods for RMH that require smaller investments from the hardware store.. prices are getting crazier out there!

The half-barrel stratification chamber is a great way to go. Not only do you lose the expense of the length of tubing running through the mass, but it's a lot less restrictive because it's not subject to the friction of the smaller diameter pipe. Peter's documentation of his build is legendary and this makes it easy to follow.

You do have to use good quality  refractory materials for the fire box and the riser, elsewhere you can use clay red brick, you could look for second hand fire bricks.

This thread touches on how far rocket stoves have come from their affordable roots.
They still trump other diy stoves but some  of the improvements in performance have come at a cost in materials.
Even firebrick has been reported to fail and need replacement in certain parts if some rockets.
I think the original j tubes used old red brick and replaced them as they failed.

A core cast from high temperature refractory might be competitive in price to the cost of a firebrick core, but it would take more tools and unlike the bricks, it's hard to dismantle and redo.

Having messed around with low cost alternatives quite a bit, I can say it's an expensive hobby for anyone who actually needs a working heater.

Brand new 2500F Heavy firebrick is just over $2 each.
5" sections of HVAC pipe are under $20.
Crappy sand is free, high-quality sand is less than $20 per #100
Fireclay is $10 a #50 sack
Brand new plain solid clay bricks are .60

You can spend as little or as much as you would like, but you may have to travel to find those supplies at good prices.

thomas rubino wrote:Brand new 2500F Heavy firebrick is just over $2 each.
5" sections of HVAC pipe are under $20.
Crappy sand is free, high-quality sand is less than $20 per #100
Fireclay is $10 a #50 sack
Brand new plain solid clay bricks are .60

Where the heck are you sourcing because I want those deals!
I was quoted $5.81 per firebrick, picked up in person at a major manufacturer.
I paid $75 for a 50 lb bag of fireclay in 2020 and now the same bag is running $268!!!

And speaking to the original poster- yes, these materials can add up in cost. The return on investment is a no brainer though, if you pay a lot to heat. And the security of producing your own heat for warmth and cooking is priceless.

Like most things, you pay more in dollars for something longer lasting. You pay more in time and effort with cheaper builds. The trick is finding the right balance between the two that works for you. Sometimes that means accepting a longer timeframe. I had to push back my in-home heater build until next season so I can accumulate more free/cheap materials.

If you're new to rmh, or not, this is a great movie to check out.  I mean, come on.  Free Heat!
But seriously, this is a great video to check out with lots of great information.  

Hi Matt;
I buy my firebrick and fireclay 120 miles away at Mutual Materials in Missoula, Mt,   I also can go 130 miles over to Spokane Washington, and pay slightly more, plus added sales tax, and get similar prices.      Fireclay is $7.50 for a #50 sack.  in Spokane, I think it is $12 a sack.
Full heavy firebricks are just over $2, split firebricks are $2.50  

I promise similar prices are available within a 200-300  mile radius of your home.
Contractors buy their products from a masonry supply, you can as well.
They do not buy from a box store, they buy in bulk, pallets of firebrick and clay await your discovery.
Do not look online, as many products are not listed.   Call them on the phone and talk to a real person.

The other items all come from home depot.   clay bricks, commercial-sized sand, HVAC pipe all at reasonable prices.

You can spend $2000 building a showpiece RMH or you can spend a few hundred.

William Bronson wrote:This thread touches on how far rocket stoves have come from their affordable roots.
They still trump other diy stoves but some  of the improvements in performance have come at a cost in materials.
Even firebrick has been reported to fail and need replacement in certain parts if some rockets.
I think the original j tubes used old red brick and replaced them as they failed.

A core cast from high temperature refractory might be competitive in price to the cost of a firebrick core, but it would take more tools and unlike the bricks, it's hard to dismantle and redo.

Having messed around with low cost alternatives quite a bit, I can say it's an expensive hobby for anyone who actually needs a working heater.

Thanks for saying this. It's something hard to read when bouncing between options. To me a RMH really seems like a great option because of my lifestyle, being able to have a warm mass at the center of the house, and have that heat be retained for hours and hours is different from normal woodstoves, where you must be there all day feeding the fire every hour... I'm always busy and unable to feed the fire. Far too often I have gotten to the coals too late, and the chimney pipe gets warmer than the box, and I have smoke fill up everything. A woodstove can heat really well, but I find that it burns really hot really close, and leaves frozen water dishes on the floor. My idea was to build 2 or more rocket stoves at different places to ensure heat everywhere. But just one RMH is the cost of several nice used woodstoves...

William Bronson wrote:
Having messed around with low cost alternatives quite a bit, I can say it's an expensive hobby for anyone who actually needs a working heater.

Makes me consider if the wood savings, and warm mass is really worth the investment. But any tips or ideas on how pennies were pinched in acquiring materials will be much appreciated.

Since I live in a city and I'm subject building codes, plus I'm still paying on my mortgage, and there's the insurance issue,I just  mess around with rocket stoves.
If I could build freely in my house, I would have built a by the numbers batch box heater by now.

The ability to be free from paying for heat would be worth it.