Adrian Abascal

Julia Winter wrote:Please check out my thread about our rocket oven:

Julia, This is wonderful. I'm inspired to make some cob after a cursory look about how to make it. Here in central Texas we have a clay rich soil.

Question. (or two)

Around your firebricks duraboard I notice you have some sort of masonry? Are those just concrete blocks? Also, what are you using to cement them together? I do see some sort of bonding material between the blocks.

I like how you later-on covered the entire J tube in Cobb. I hope to reproduce that since we have access to hundreds of thousands of pounds of clay rich dirt and sand.

Thank you for helping answer my questions!

Burl Smith wrote:

Hmmm...Until someone with experience pitches in it looks to me like a stand is necessary to suspend the barrel containing the oven over the J tube.

I figured I could just build something out of wood... But how do I clean out the ash? I feel like Im trying to reinvent the wheel overhere.

I bought the plans and have been cutting into my steel drums and it is tremendously helpful to have step-by-step help, even with how to operate a grinder. It is Idiot proof.

But there are 4 MAJOR deficiencies that are NOT idiot proof and I'm stumped with how to solve the problem.

1. I don't have a clue about how to build the J-Tube. There is go guide with the DVD I bought and not even dimensions with the companion guide. On the site there are some details about building a J-tube, but it requires welding! I'm lucky enough to be able to operate a metal grinder. A welder is wayyyy outside my skillset. What do I do? Just stack up bricks or something? what dimensions?

2. The DVD and the companion guide tell me to use Duraboard. I have no idea where to source it. One place sells 1 sq. ft. pieces of something like it, for $30. Can I just use firebricks?

3. I barely know what cob is let alone how to make it. Is there some sort of high-temp concrete that I can buy from Homedepot or something?

4. How do I mount the oven on the J-tube? Do I build some sort of stand? How high?

I thought if I bought the DVD I'd be able to build a functional rocket oven. I can only build the oven, the J-tube is a mystery. Can anyone help please.

Is there  no-weld version of this?

I have just purchased the DVD streaming. How do I get the companion guide?

Edited: I just paid the $5

I love the video. Except

I don't understand how to build the J Tube. What are the materials? I have no idea from the video.

How do I stand up the oven on the J tube? Do I build a stand out of wood?  Won't it burn?