Chris McClellan

Cottage Rocket Heater Meetup: Build Your Own to take home
June 15-16
Burton, Ohio
If you want to learn how to build a rocket mass heater the best way is to come build one, and now you can take one home with you when you go.
For the price of the workshop ($200) plus any parts you need you can become a Rocket Scientist (a parts and price list is provided to participants so you can scrounge).
See several iterations of the rocket mass heater at work at our location then build and take home one of our "Cottage Rockets" with removeable mass (pea gravel or cob) or just the core.
If you want to participate as a helper (not take home a rocket) or as part of a group let me know and we will work out a discount or trade. Info@unclemud.com for more information or to RSVP.

I will also be teaching this workshop as part of the appropriate technology course in Montana in July where it will be a great bargain due to the materials cost being very low ($200).
https://richsoil.com/atc.jsp
Tell them Uncle Mud sent you.

Here's he latest pics of the "Cottage Rocket" Portable Rocket Mass Heater we will be building at the ATC. --Mud

Where are you Doug? We are developing shippable cores and complete shippable rockets you just add mass to. Currently the best way to get one of ours is to come do one of our two day workshops and take a rocket home with you. For more information see the end of this thread https://permies.com/t/80/31100/Rocket-Mass-Heater-Shippable-Core
I have used a dragonheater for several years now in part of my house, a Liberator Rocket Heater in one of my cottages, one of my own design in the other side of the house and in my rental and others I've built in a friend's school bus, several greenhouses, and the library at my kid's school. If you are near Cleveland come visit us. If not then watch for us at the Mother Earth News Fairs or join us at the Homestead/ATC workshop at Paul's in Montana in July and build one to take home. https://richsoil.com/atc.jsp Tell them Uncle Mud sent you.

Ryan's workshop is going to be great fun. We will also be building a portable cottage rocket you can take home at the Homesteading / Alternative Technology Workshop at Wheaton Labs in July https://richsoil.com/atc.jsp tell then Uncle Mud sent you.

Rocket Mass Heater Workshop
August 25 – August 26
http://rocketmassheaterworkshop.com/

We will be constructing a Rocket Mass Heater at the homestead of Joy and Ryan Kudasik in Fairfield, PA. This will be an intensive workshop led by Uncle Mud (a.k.a. Chris McClellan). During the workshop we will learn how Rocket Mass Heaters work, how to get materials and fuel for cheap or free, and how to build your own. Walk away with valuable knowledge, hands-on experience, and the confidence to build one for yourself.

Hey all,
I wanted to update you on our quest for a shippable core. As I posted last month, most of the action in our R&D department is happening in the form of monthly "Build Your Own Cottage Rocket to Take Home" workshops. This week we hosted the owner of a local upholstery shop whose mini-split heater barely keeps the shop at 50 degrees through the winter. She's been following RMHs on Youtube and decided she was tired of being cold and was going to do something about it. Enclosed are pictures of their 8" Cottage Rocket in the "Tall Workshop Rocket" Configuration. Tall meaning two barrels high, and Workshop meaning there's a little cob in the bottom to hold things in place but the barrels are mainly empty to give off quick heat and boy do they. We also built a matching "Tall" bell to get more heat out of the exhaust.  Paul Wheaton has been bugging me to take pictures of a pretty one so here you go. I've also enclosed nicer pictures of the one in the greenhouse at my son's school. and the now painted cottage rocket we built with Nathan in February. He did a very fetching build of our lightweight bell-bench design. It has cast iron legs from a cheopo barrel stove kit, a dropped barrel top for a more comfortable sitting height, and a cob saddle for a little thermal mass and improved comfort.

We'll be showing off a six inch model at the Mother Earth News Fairs starting April 28-9 in Asheville NC. Our next build is this week for a hydroponic greenhouse here in Cleveland with a couple Case Western Reserve University Mechanical Engineering students. Feel free to contact me if you want to come out. We'll also be building them at the ATC at Wheaton Labs in July if you want to join the fun. https://richsoil.com/atc.jsp tell them Uncle Mud sent you.

I would be interested in helping if the Elders requested it. If they even wanted to send some of their young people to learn we could put them up here and teach them how to do this for themselves. --Mud

Cottage Rocket Heater Meetup: Build Your Own to take home
March 16-17 or April 13-14
Burton, Ohio
If you want to learn how to build a rocket mass heater the best way is to come build one, and now you can take one home with you when you go.
For the price of the workshop ($200) plus any parts you need you can become a Rocket Scientist (a parts and price list is provided to participants so you can scrounge).
See several iterations of the rocket mass heater at work at our location then build and take home one of our "Cottage Rockets" with removeable mass (pea gravel or cob) or just the core.
If you want to participate as a helper (not take home a rocket) or as part of a group let me know and we will work out a discount or trade. Info@unclemud.com for more information or to RSVP.

I will also be teaching this workshop as part of the appropriate technology course in Montana in July where it will be a great bargain due to the materials cost being very low ($200).
https://richsoil.com/atc.jsp
Tell them Uncle Mud sent you.

Natural Building Workshop
Texarkana, TX
May 10-19

Join me, Uncle Mud, and Cob Cottage alumni Cat Taylor in the Piney Woods as we build a cob house. Hands on learning and shade-tree lectures. Topics of interest include
Cob
Bale Cob
Round Pole Carpentry
Earthen Plasters
Building Code & Legal Issues
Design Principles for Passive Heating & Cooling
And more...
Great food, camping, swimming & hot showers provided. $850 per person, $800 per person for groups of 2+. Se habla Espanol (not me very well, but we will have translators).

For more information and registration call Cat at 817-812-4909 or seacat.cg@gmail.com Tell them Uncle Mud sent you.

Conrad, I want to introduce y'all to my teaching partner James Juczak, retired shop teacher who lives off-grid in a home he built himself from local natural and salvaged materials. He and I have all sorts of cool plans for projects and we want to hear yours. The latest official description can always be found here https://richsoil.com/atc.jsp but the short version is:

1. Homestead Tools: Selecting, Maintaining and Basic Safe Usage
--Safety Gear & Protocols Hands On
--Metal Shop (Mig Welder, Torch, Grinder, Saws)
--Field Wood Shop (Solar Powered Chain Saw & Saw Mill)

2. Shelter:
--Hands On Building Design
--Build a Small Insulated, Moveable Cottage on Skids
--Natural Building Sampler

3. Water:
--Finding Water
--Improving Existing Water Resources
--Water Catchment and Off Grid, Low Pressure Plumbing
--Cheap, Safe Composting Toilets and Greywater Gardening

4. Energy:
--Understanding and Tuning your Energy Needs
--Performing Basic Electrical Repairs
--Build a Portable Rocket Mass Heater out of Mud & Scrap Metal
--Mobile Power for your Tools and Toys (Voltswagon & Solar Tractor)

Story Time (evening presentation ideas, not hands-on)
--Natural Building Around the World
--Harvesting the Local Waste Stream
--Maintaining the Homestead Boneyard (or Genteel Hoarding)
--Rocket Mass Heaters
--How to find Land
--No Mortgage Building Strategies
--How to Succeed in Building an Intentional Community
--Free Hot Water from Compost


We are curently discussing the exact projects for the welding and natural building sampler and electrical repair sections, so input is welcome.

--Mud