two rocket mass heater workshops in October 2013

Not a workshop participant.

Still a fan of shippable core service and would like to see the plan for the latest design.

The shippale core has value for the recipient who is less able to make their own and is a huge step closer to implementation of the Rocket core in an actual application.

I have the time and interest in making them to share with others, but would like to build on the work of others.

Not sure what all will be made available in terms of designs and whatnot.

I do know that this will be something of a poor-man's version of what will be sold later.

And we are still doing a variety of tests. The key is that we have some bare minimum stuff now. Ernie and Erica will arrive about five days before the first workshop and we will continue to refine up to the first workshop.

I know that I have agreement from everybody that folks coming to the workshop will get the know-how and the materials and what they do with it after that is their own business. But I do not have agreement from the innovators on whether it is okay to publicly share this work. I suspect it will be shared, in time. I just don't know if it will me a few months down the road or a few years.

These shippable cores ... are they sized to meet the heating needs for a certain range of square footage? If so, what is it? Or is this an irrelevant question?

I may be more interested in learning to build shippable cores than the RMH itself. Since I'm in the Portland, OR area, I think I may be able to easily sell some. Shippable, or sell out of the back of my truck?

I want to take a core home!

While I'm not ready to build my own RMH yet, I look forward to the day when I can. Having a shippable core and a materials list along with instruction would be ideal and I'd be more than happy to pay for it. When it comes to RMH, I love the technology but feel nervous about tackling the whole thing myself. I bought the Wood Stove 2.0 dvd set and have been taking notes while I watch. In the next few years I'll be installing a RMH and hope that E&E et al will have a nice online store where I can purchase a core and perhaps some pretty bench/riser designs.

That's my two cents

Yes I would be interested in building up to two of those on this trip. How much coin are we talking about?

I am most certainly interested!!! Oh wait... broke volunteer here who cannot afford the workshop... and cannot do more volunteer work on the farm in lieu of the admission fee, darn ... so much for "the love of the craft"..

Ernie and Erica and you deserve all the credit.

Just sayin' ...

There is the opportunity for remote fabrication of a design that has value.

By reducing fabrication back-logs through multiple approved assembly sites that also offer reduced ground transportation costs and diversity of material sources and costs as well as willing labor usually makes distributing the design very lucrative to go regional and national...

Kinda like the New Englanders who make knitted sweaters for larger companies on a piece-work basis.

I am really excited about the core and the ability to make it myself. I may be able to attend a workshop but haven't signed up yet. My upcoming jobs might keep me from attending. So, if I can make it, I would definitely pay for at least 1 and maybe 2. If I cant make it, then the info on how would be great. I have the four dvds and am looking forward to this new set of info.

Also, which workshop will be focusing on building the cores? Or can I sign up for either one and get the "core" experience?

The "shippable core" definitely piqued my interest... I won't be able to make it to either workshop, but this seems like the sort of thing that can help RMH go mainstream. Building the "mass" part seems fairly simple, it's the core that looks the most intimidating to get just right. I definitely would be interested in buying a DVD showing how to build shippable cores.

Wow, my wife and I really want to attend a RSMH (and shippable core) workshop, but we are Brits living in Austria and we'll be at a family wedding in the UK on 26th Oct. We are loving the Permies, Richsoil and other permaculture websites we have found recently. Thanks and have a fab workshop. Nige

The cores that folks will be taking home from this workshop will be about 2 feet by 3 feet and about 14 inches high. Roughly-ish.

The costs will definitely come in under $150 per core. I am currently talking to suppliers about materials and with a bit of luck, I think some designs might come in less than $100. But of course it depends on a lot of factors - one of which is quantity. This won't include the riser. I do hope to have at least two riser designs here. One will be rather ultimate, but will cost a lot. There are some designs for a riser under a hundred bucks. We'll see what we can come up with.

Bob Brocious wrote:These shippable cores ... are they sized to meet the heating needs for a certain range of square footage? If so, what is it? Or is this an irrelevant question?

This question is a bit like "how long is a piece of string?"

It depends on the size of the house, how insulated it is, the design of the mass, how cold it gets outside, how warm do you like it inside, etc.

We will be doing only 8 inch systems in this workshop. 8 inch are the larger systems.

Yes build shippable
I am not attending the class but the feedback is needed to build cores consistently

Jason Lindsay wrote:I am really excited about the core and the ability to make it myself. I may be able to attend a workshop but haven't signed up yet. My upcoming jobs might keep me from attending. So, if I can make it, I would definitely pay for at least 1 and maybe 2. If I cant make it, then the info on how would be great. I have the four dvds and am looking forward to this new set of info.

Also, which workshop will be focusing on building the cores? Or can I sign up for either one and get the "core" experience?

If there is enough interest, then I suspect that "how to build your own shippable core" will be in both. It would certainly make the materials costs cheaper.

I would be interested.

Benjamin Riniker wrote:Yes build shippable
I am not attending the class but the feedback is needed to build cores consistently

Right now I am only planning as far as the workshops.

So when you registered, you got a gob of information from Jocelyn. Reply to that and tell Jocelyn how many cores you want.

If you have not yet registered for the workshop, then you might want to do that today.

Regrettably, I will not be attending the workshop. However, I am enthralled with the idea of a stoppable core. As someone else mentioned here, I believe this paves the way to reaching a critical mass. I like that rocket mass heaters appeal to the DIY crowd and tinkerers, but I recognise that this brings some drawbacks to the state of affairs, and I believe that shippable cores enable mass production and standardisation which can set homeowners and code inspectors at ease, and make legislation more attainable as well.

paul wheaton wrote:

Jason Lindsay wrote:I am really excited about the core and the ability to make it myself. I may be able to attend a workshop but haven't signed up yet. My upcoming jobs might keep me from attending. So, if I can make it, I would definitely pay for at least 1 and maybe 2. If I cant make it, then the info on how would be great. I have the four dvds and am looking forward to this new set of info.

Also, which workshop will be focusing on building the cores? Or can I sign up for either one and get the "core" experience?

If there is enough interest, then I suspect that "how to build your own shippable core" will be in both. It would certainly make the materials costs cheaper.

So far, I show 3 attendees for the Oct. 18-20 workshop are interested in 4-5 cores, and one attendee from the Oct. 25-27 workshop is interested in 2 cores.

If I had my druthers, i would attend the second workshop involving the cob and be part of "The Core Experience". I prefer the cob workshop because I've yet to work with cob and I like the idea of designing it for a tipi. The pea gravel mobile workshop seems a straight-forward conversion if I've done the cob version, and the DVD would supplement my conversion to a gravel system.

But... "The Core Experience" is more valuable to me than not doing cob.
So... If I can make the 2nd workshop and do shippable cores then i would do 2 of them. If the cores will only be done on the first workshop then I would do at least 1.

I will know by next wednesday how my schedule will work out and let you know if I can make it or not.
Thanks a bunch, Jason.

I'm a Noobie that's paid for the RMH in a tipi workshop. I'd like to build one shippable core to take with me. 8" that's great ;o) I'm sure looking forward to spending two plus days with you folks.
-=Greg=-

Hi,
I would be very very interested in purchasing a core but I am not in a position to attend the workshop. Would it be possible to purchase a core and a set of the videos and make it work? As an alternative, will there be any workshops given on the east coast anytime soon?

-Kevin

Oh yes! I am definitely interested in this.
Dear Jocelyn please add me to the list!
I am planning on building an 8 inch system.
Thank you!
Meg

Add me to the list of folks that are interested in building a shippable core.

I can't make the workshop but would be interested in the plans or someone building one and would pay for their services.

I want 2 or 3 of them!!!

Now counting
5 or 6 cores requested for the Oct. 18-20 workshop and
3 or 4 cores requested for the Oct. 25-27 workshop
plus
10 to 12 cores (or plans) requested from those not attending (yet).

Jocelyn Campbell wrote:

10 to 12 cores (or plans) requested from those not attending (yet).

Those count as zero.

At this time we are only creating cores for the people in the workshop.

If these folks sign up for the workshop and want a core, please count them then.

There are no plans to make plans. There is a possibility that a video will be recorded - not sure yet what we will do with that.

Ernie and Erica have drawn up plans in the past when things have been in successful operation for at least one year.

As for buying a core, we are at a point in R&D where this style will be taught and the people attending could choose to build and sell cores. I know that kit is working on some much more interesting ideas and will be selling cores, but the time frame on that could be three to nine months.

And, mostly, I feel this thread is about people coming to this workshop. I like the idea that the people that come to this workshop will have far, far more candy than the people that don't.

paul wheaton wrote:There are no plans to make plans. There is a possibility that a video will be recorded - not sure yet what we will do with that.

Ernie and Erica have drawn up plans in the past when things have been in successful operation for at least one year.

As for buying a core, we are at a point in R&D where this style will be taught and the people attending could choose to build and sell cores. I know that kit is working on some much more interesting ideas and will be selling cores, but the time frame on that could be three to nine months.

And, mostly, I feel this thread is about people coming to this workshop. I like the idea that the people that come to this workshop will have far, far more candy than the people that don't.

Candy! I'm looking forward to lots of candy.

I am attending the second workshop, want a core, and can pay immediately.

I'm attending the first workshop. Whether I want to bring home a core depends on 2 things.

1. Since I live in Missoula, "shippable" isn't that important to me. I'd like to take a core home with me, but if the "shippable" aspect of it implies a design that trades off some of the performance to make it shippable, then I wouldn't want it as much. However, that's not my impression.

2. I'm going to build one of these at some point anyway, so am I spending less money building it at the workshop or building it at home later? I will do the thing that costs less money.

I assume the answers to these questions mean I will want to bring home a core from the workshop.

YES!!! Ye' Godz, Man!!! There's NOTHING MORE VALUABLE than being able to: 'Make, Test & then...TAKE HOME!!!' that which you Signed Up & Paid Good $ to 'Learn how to DO!!!'

I'm unable to attend the upcoming workshops but developing a shippable core would be a crucial step forward for mass marketing this incredible technology. If I understand correctly the most attention to detail in RM Heaters is getting the core perfect, being able to make and sell these to folks looking for an easier DIY would be an additional income stream for the right permie. Even selling designs that local machine shops could construct would be a very helpful.

paul wheaton wrote:There is a possibility that during the workshop, people will be able to build their own shippable core.
I've come up with a design that I hereby dub: the low tech shippable core. I've run it by E&E and Kit is working up some drawings. Kit will do some tests soon and I'm ordering in materials to build a few. I feel confident that this will work really well.
The question of the moment is: for those coming to the workshop, do you want to build one of these to take home?..... .... are folks interested in this being part of a workshop?

Disclaimer: I live in Australia, and am not/cannot attend the workshop. BUT: whilst I'm still making my way through the 4 DVD's this approach of yours sounds brilliant for those of us a long way away from any workshop providers.
I guess I'm asking: PLEASE include it in the workshop, PLEASE video it - even quick and dirty youtube/paywall, and please make the low-tech approach available somehow so we can do it via distance.
Thank you!

I am not able to attend the workshop but I still had some thoughts on people making their own shippable core. This type of core seems like it would have a lot of value for someone living in a more traditional house in a more urban area. A person like that (me) has a lot of interest in melding the core idea with the wood box idea for a design that can be disassembled and moved.

Based on the prototype I saw in the RMH DVD's I am suggesting the term "castable core" unless I completely misunderstood it's construction and makeup. If so please tell me the method of it's construction if you are willing. Obviously once cast and cured it can be shipped. I have some experience with casting plaster, concrete and metal so I have a lot interest in the possibility of being able to cast a core.

For those of us that are non-attendees I still see the opportunity to sell plans for form work, casting recipes etc. showing how to build one. Also I would think there is a good chance a lot of the materials for making a core come in maybe a 50lb sack or something similar. So you end up with a lot more material than you would need. To me this presents the opportunity to also sell the hard to obtain or expensive materials in the appropriate amounts for specific designs for those of us who would rather make one than buy a finished core.

I'm coming to both RMH workshops and I would like to build one core to take home, sign me up. I can pay for materials as soon as the price point is set. Would it be of the same design as the shippable core from the RMH DVDs? That was certainly an impressive display. Can't wait to build that tipi setup!

I would love to go to both of these workshops but can't. I really hope to see the video and would be willing to pay for a well produced DVD. Permies rocks!