Rocket Stove powered Outdoor/Pizza/Barrel Oven

Hi all. First posting so I'll start by saying yes I already have Iantos book and yes I have the DVDs (just need to get around to watching all of them). And this forum seems pretty active so I'm hoping for a bit of help

My goal is to build my Mum a rocket stove powered pizza oven before Christmas as a thank you for helping me finish my 6 year degree.

So far the design is a bit rough in my head, but the idea was to run a J tube rocket stove into the bottom of a cut down 55 gallon drum to act as the oven. Insulate the hell out of the chimney and the oven, make it look pretty, and I'm hoping it will get hot enough to cook a pizza - please tell me it's going to work??? I still have a few doubts. And a few questions I could use some advice about.

So, regarding a rocket stove chimney. Does the requirement for the cross sectional area being constant the whole way through apply like in a RMH? Only I have a piece of flue left over from replacing the inside chimney that's about the right height, but it goes from 6inch to 4inch diameter that would be convienient to use. It burned alright when I set a test fire in the mock up J tube, but I want to get it going as hot as possible.

Is cement a good insulator? Again there are a few bags in the shed that could do with using up, and was thinking I could use it up around the chimney and as a base to support the oven.

Better to have a chimney out of the top of the oven or use the door as an exit for gases like a regular cob oven? Was thinking a chimney on top would create more of a draw through the oven which would be beneficial to the rocket? Was planning to put a diffuser plate of some sort on the rocket chimney entrance and chimney exit as well.

That's all for now I think... Thank you kindly

This picture was my first trial run of a J tube using the things I had on hand. The stone on top got too hot to touch. Theory proved to mum, so i got the go ahead to play some more

Hi,

I'm also planning to build such a thing - my idea is to use a 44 gallon drum, lying horizontally and lined internally with 25mm thick firebricks in an effort to retain some heat.

On your rocket prototype, how long did it take to get up to maximum temperature?

Cheers,

Tim

Check out this link.

https://permies.com/t/21864/rocket-stoves/Nice-youtube-Rocket-coboven-patio

i think this is exactly what your wanting to build...

part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OIZekftbxw

part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UId4mT4NcJw

i use a mixture of Portland cement, natural clay, and pearlite for my refractory insulation. i have this mixture used in a forge i built.. however on my RMH im currently working on im using a 1in thick ceramic blanket from amazon.com

Oh thank you so much! I have been playing around with bricks trying to get dimensions and lengths right and it's been driving me nuts. Using cob and that bucket form to create the rocket stove seems like a great solution to that problem.

I think I will still try to put it under a drum laid on its side. The drum I have has a lid that I will make into the door. I also have a piece of solid steel that was an old barbecue plate that fits in the drum to form a nice shelf to cook on. Debating weather or not to find a piece of fireboard to put under the steel to deflect the heat around it a bit.

This project is slowly coming together in my head, and with getting materials together, hopefully will start to get onto the doing it in the next few weeks.

I need to get a infra red thermometer and an oven thermometer to stick in the side of the oven. I wasn't game to stick my mercury one at the top of the stack when I fired it, it seemed way hotter than 100 degrees C.

lmao... i just realized i posted a link to the same video miles did...hahah

I like this one


It is easy to adapt to a j tube configuration and the materials are easy to find for almost no money

oh I almost forgot if you have the space in your outside barrel put your exaust as low (with enouf clearance for the gasses to go out ) as posible
you recuperate more heat like that ,it will work a bit like a bell system + if you can isolate it almost completely