Garey Buck

Fox James I saw your videos of your heater and the mods. you have done with, it is quite impressive. If I were to make a stationary mass heater yours would be perfect.  The plan for me is to have wheels on one end so it can be moved around, it will get used when I smoke meat, or the occasional cigar in the frigid Michigan weather. I tried a propane patio heater is was worthless, that started me down this road.

For short occasional burns is it worth insulating the stack in the barrel?
Does adding the secondary heated air in the bottom make a difference?
I assumed the formula was 9" burn tube, 18" cross tube, 36" stack, if I use a barrel how shorter could it be?  

Assuming your barrel is sitting on the floor or shelf in common to the bottom of your METAL J Tube,  how tall is your barrel?

You say a barrel of some sort?  Other than a 55 gal barrel, what other options do you have for a buck or two?

your 9-18-36 dimensions was based on a proven formula?   Presuming  18" would be your exterior feed tube, 9" would be your cross tube? and 36" your riser?  if different you can post a drawing.   so 18-9-36

Being your planning on this as a patio heater? your vent tube is just going up a ways   Are you planning on insulating this at all?  By watching the video's did you see one that was working really well?  Seems like one to copy then. with NO changes.

Scott, the plan is for this to have wheels on one end so it can be moved out of the way, it will get used when I smoke meat, or the occasional cigar in the frigid Michigan weather. I have not settled on a barrel yet, we have steel bolt barrels that are approx.. 14" diameter, I also have a couple different size air compressor tanks. The intended use is for a portable radiant wood burning heater.

I assumed from what I have read the 9-18-36 was 9" burn tube 18" cross tube and 36" stack, am I incorrect??

For the occasional 4-5 hour run time should I insulate the stack in the barrel?

There are not many videos for what I am trying to do, Little Aussie Rocket Stoves pot belly heater is close in theory, and I am using some of his ideas.
Nothing is welded yet so it can still be changed, that's why I am asking for input to save cutting it apart later.

Okay so I started building my rocket J tube patio heater, can someone answer a couple questions before I weld it all together?  I am using 5" square tube 1/4" thick, (because it was free) I have cut it 9"-18"-36". I plan to put a pull out ash drawer in the  in the bottom horizontal tube, I also plan on a barrel of some sort over the stack, and then a vent pipe out of the barrel. I have watched a lot of videos with many different ideas, and upgrades.

1. I have seen a few people putting an additional air inlet going under the horizontal tube going into the stack to add hot air. Is the beneficial, or a waste of time? If this is used should it just be a hole of extend up in the stack?

2. Will the square tube allow the air to swirl to create a vortex flame, or should a devise something to make it vortex?

3. Is it necessary to insulate the stack inside the barrel?

Any additional input would be appreciated.

Fox James wrote:For a patio heater I would just build a 6” j tube and fit a barrel over the riser, very simple and very effective.
I dont know where you live but if you access to vermiculite board you can build such a core in about one hour.
The core can be moved around and the barrel can be separated and moved or you could add wheels.
You will need a chimney that sticks up about 3-4’ but the heat this set up would deliver will amaze you!

Fox James, I think I will try what you suggest first. I will build a 6" J tube 9"x18"x36", I have a steel bolt barrel that I think might be the perfect size to go over the riser.

Thanks everyone for the input.

Scott, I am looking to build a patio heater to use while smoking meat. I use an off-set wood smoker it is not a set and forget, it requires constant attention to monitor temp. and add wood.

I spent 5 hours outside in 26 deg. weather on Thanksgiving smoking meat, I just want as much heat as possible. Wood fired off-set smoker, so I get a little from it in the front, but I want some from the back. (getting to old to freeze my a-- off)

With a J do you think there would be enough heat coming out of the stack to warrant a heat deflector above? I was thinking about a deflector of some sort on the opposite side of where you would sit, to radiate more toward you?

I was wanting to build mine out of steel tube so I could move in and out of my pavilion. That looks like it might be considered a a J' ish design?

Hi all, I am new to the forum, I am hoping with all your knowledge someone can help me. I live in Michigan, and I recently bought a propane patio heater to use when I smoke meat in the winter, they SUCK. Not enough heat, and the tank freezes up and now less heat. I have been trying to find, or come up with a design for a rocket heater to use as a patio heater, I have not had any luck.

I have looked at J,K and L designs, I want it portable so not a mass heater, and I don't plan on cooking on it. I figure the steel will radiate heat and maybe some sort of collector or radiant shield at the top of the exhaust stack. Steel and wood are not an issue, a work for a company the fabricates steel for buildings, and I have plenty of dead oak. Does anyone have any thoughts, or can you point me in the right direction. Thanks