New with Questions

Hello all. New to boards and many of these concepts. This stove concept is very intriguing to me personally.

I have a few questions since today is the first day I learned of this type of stove.

1. Is there a place for information of the steps for creating a stove, specifications necessary to make it work properly, and materials to use?

2. I have seen what appears to be 55 gallon drums used in making the stove. I would like to know if this is necessary (I mean metal barrel of some nature), or could one place chimney tiles, insulation, then instead of a metal barrel, use larger titles, or bricks in place of a metal drum?

3. These stoves appear to vent horizontally out the side of a dwelling. Can one turn the outlet 90 degrees and create a vertical chimney? This relates to question four.

4. Is there are way/place to check if these stoves would meet state regulations for a wood burning stove?

Thank you for any help offered.

Barton Grey : Welcome to Permies, and a Big Welcome to The 'Rocket' and 'Wood heaters' Forums/Threads ! You will long remember your First few Posts here at Permies,
with over 19,000 Fellow members from ALL around the world, you can come here 24 / 7 and find someone who wants to talk about what you want to talk about !

Lets jump right in ! Your 1st Step is to go to:rocketstoves.com to get your PDF Copy $15.oo of Jackson's and Evans' great book,"Rocket Mass Heaters", there is STILL No
other book in any language, with more Rocket Mass Heater Family Information ! With over 100,000 R.M.H.s world wide most of them were made by following the steps in
'The Book', and over 95% of all the 1st time R.M.H. Builds (that worked) were built by people using 'The Book" ! (I don't make a dime )

2 though you have to have the barrel on the out side there are several ways to make it more attractive,or screen it and it will still work !
2a There are commercial models with some track record on the market Now, see my answer to #4, these new units are much cheaper than that !

3 Ianto Evans found a special place with a stable,and mild micro climate, and he hand built all of the houses to conform to the land and certain minimalists expectations.
if you are hoping to build and use a Rocket Mass Heater R.M.H.in an existing home you should plan for a vertical chimney in designing, assembling parts, and budgeting
for your build !

4 Even though we have a universal building code, it is subject to interpretation locally, this can work in Your favor as a R.M.H. is closest to a Masonry Stove, most costing
Tens of thousands of dollars ! If your Code Enforcement Officer has had experience with this type of stove he will be checking to make sure your unit looks well made and
is a certain distance away from all exposures. Short answer, Yes, it can be done !

Get 'The Book', and come back here often, someone will be here to answer your questions. good luck! For the good of the Craft !

Think like Fire, Flow like a gas, Don't be the Marshmallow ! As Always, your Comments and questions are all Solicited and Welcome ! PYRO - Logically BIG AL !

allen, thank you for your time and help; it is appreciated.

I went to the book author webs site and Amazon, but I saw where reviews stating it was out of date, as methods have been updated regarding the stove. Is this true, or is the book still viable?

I will check into my local codes for Masonry Stoves which would give me a good idea of the steps necessary.

I have so many other questions, but I am trying to watch many videos, but they do not all say the same things, use varying materials, and create the stoves at different levels of finish.

I look forward to learning and being part of the boards.

Thanks again!

Barton Grey : To be out of date it Must be replaced by something > There is no OTHER BOOK, and presently no othe DVD available that is as good as "The Book"!

There is a DVD that is overdue on its original delivery Date that Should be a Great companion piece to 'The Book'. You can look for an update in the Rocket stove forum/threads-
look for ' Is Erica and Ernie's DVD for sale anywhere' in the rocket stoves forums here at Permies, I have spent my $30 USD and am still in hopes that a trip to my mailbox will
give me great joy ! As a fellow member here has said Perfection is the enemy of Good, this is a production problem and should not reflect on Ernie and Erica Wisner !

"the Book'' is still the best resource to allow you to come back here and ask intelligent questions, that will continue to be my recommendation until something else is available on
the market place, and of today I know of nothing even close ! You will not regret the money spent, and buying the PDF Version you get unlimited copies to use without worrying
about damage/loss on your construction site ! Hope this helps BIG AL ! ( I use Amazon too, Had Not seen that review !)