Rémy LaCabaneFieutée

Hi, here is my feedback and experience with heating a container using wood.

I built several wood stoves before arriving at my current solution.
My stove is a high-radiation model based on the design of workshop sawdust stoves. It allows me to burn all types of wood: firewood, reclaimed wood, compressed wood, etc.



Although my living space is 12 m², the stove has a power output of 6 kW. The need for extra power is explained by my absence during the day while I work in my workshop.
So I run two heating sessions of 1 hour and 30 minutes each per day.
The stove has two sides covered with bricks, for a total of 20 bricks. They store heat during the heating phase and release it over approximately 6 to 7 hours.
I did not choose a traditional mass rocket stove because I sometimes leave for several days, and in winter the temperature inside the container drops to 0°C. With my stove, I can raise the temperature by 19°C in one hour. However, it would take several hours with a mass rocket stove.
In terms of wood consumption, I need about two steres of firewood per year, or 500 kg of compressed logs.
When I’m not using compressed logs, I prepare my own firewood by cutting down damaged trees using a Japanese hand saw and a reciprocating saw, which I recharge using my solar panels.

Hello, the Type D No. 62 plane created by Stanley is a tool designed for working on end grain and knotty wood.

Hi Larry, I agree with you about the possibilities of semi-automatic welding. Flux-cored wire welding is a very versatile technique that I recommend to many people who want to practice welding. Logically, I should be using a MIG process to build my stoves, but I have a very personal attachment to stick welding and its old-fashioned charm.

Thanks for the compliment, Rez. Yes, in my initial designs I had considered routing the flue gases all the way around the oven. I chose a different approach because of the difficulty of cleaning and to keep the stove compact.
By using my terracotta hearth, it’s possible to put in a pizza just 30 minutes after lighting the fire, and the cooking takes about 20 minutes. Terracotta really helps simplify setup and improves ease of use for wood-fired cookstoves, at least for smaller models.

Hi, I have been using all kinds of machetes for many years. It is indeed quite difficult to find ones that are both lightweight and effective. Many models prioritize an overly military-style appearance to be fashionable, and as a result become too thick, too heavy, and inefficient.


It’s better to turn to manufacturers of agricultural machetes—those designed for cutting sugar cane are extremely lightweight in use.
Brands such as Tramontina, Imacasa, and 32Dumas produce good machetes.

Thanks a lot for the compliment, Rico!

Hi John, a ram pump is a great idea. For now, I’m not really developing the container any further. I’m using what I’ve learned to design my new home, a sort of treehouse. I’ll come back to the pump idea when the time comes.

I am working on a platform to put a cabin on, the hexagone's diameter will be 6,40 meters, it could be good to put another container on.

Hello, here is some feedback on my water setup.
I was fortunate to find a spring on my land, and I chose to filter its water rather than have running water. I also decided not to use a conventional system with a pump and taps. I live in a somewhat cold region and sometimes I’m away for 3 or 4 days. When I come back, it can occasionally freeze inside the container. Without a conventional setup, I don’t have anything to drain to prevent pipes from bursting.


So I mainly use a gravity water filter. I chose a Gravidyn model from the manufacturer Katadyn, with ceramic filters. I live in an area with very little pollution, so I didn’t need to opt for activated carbon.

The filtered water is used for everything related to food: cooking, washing dishes, and washing hands. Showers and laundry are done with unfiltered water.
Since I don’t have a pump, I use a modified garden sprayer to take my showers.

Hi Kathleen, thank you very much for your message, the video is great. The modification of the EcoZoom stove is very clever, and this model of geared pruning shears are fantastic for preparing firewood.
At one point, I tried to make the smallest wood-burning cookstove possible, and I built this model which, despite its tiny size, includes an oven:

Hi Larry, yes, I work with stick welding. It’s true that MIG welding is faster. I chose stick welding for its ruggedness and simplicity. Since we do repairs in the workshop, I sometimes have to weld different types of metals and a wide range of thicknesses.

Sometimes, when working on construction equipment, we have to weld outdoors. Stick welding is very practical in windy conditions because it provides good gas shielding for the weld, unlike MIG or TIG.
For the stoves, I use stick pulsed welding, it's very efficient and easiest than usual stick welding.

I think the chainsaw is an old Husqvarna or Shindaiwa. It’s a forested region, and I have quite a nice collection of them in for repair! Dolmar is pretty good too.

Thank you very much!
I manufacture the stoves in small batches. For now, they mainly help fund my workshop so I can develop new inventions.
It’s a space I share with my brother, besides the stoves, we repair or modify just about anything that comes our way

Thank you all for your messages!

Hi John, your question about whether the insulation should be in contact with the metal sheet or not is one of the major questions in this type of construction. At the moment, I don’t know, and I’m not sure a definitive answer can be found.
Spray polyurethane foam remains a well-known solution, although it is somewhat debatable.
I chose to leave an air gap because I was using a fibrous insulation material that is potentially hydrophilic.
With insulation materials such as cork or hemp, I think direct contact with the metal sheet is possible.
It also seems possible that having the insulation in contact with the metal could reduce condensation.
Regarding the window sealing, the photo only shows the beginning of the process. Both the window and the frame have seals on all four sides.

Hi Rico, I remain very satisfied with my experience. The one aspect I would redo is the internal insulation of the roof sheet. This container was my first experiment in the field of autonomous housing. It serves as a laboratory for a future, slightly larger home that I plan to start building this year.