3D Plans - Solar Food Dehydrator with Rocket Boost

Do these plans include how to build the rocket part?? I need a lego-like schematic that shows, course by course, if the bricks are on which side, and flush or not flush with surrounding bricks. I've bought other resources that do not show this. If these plans have it, I would totally buy them!

Rebekah Harmon wrote:Do these plans include how to build the rocket part?? I need a lego-like schematic that shows, course by course, if the bricks are on which side, and flush or not flush with surrounding bricks. I've bought other resources that do not show this. If these plans have it, I would totally buy them!

Hi Rebekah, the plans include a step by step guide including the rockety build. It showcases all the parts of the rocket build with measurements and various angles of visualization and details zooms but not to the extend of brick by brick or nail by nail.

I am very curious: what inspired the design of this dehydrator model?  In what circumstances or environments is it intended to be used?  At first glance, it seems counter-intuitive to me.  I understand the basic design of the solar dehydrator, but what is the benefit of adding a rocket... stove? heater?  Seems like there would be great potential to end up cooking what you are trying to dehydrate.

Would love it if someone could provide a quick breakdown of the concept.  Thnx!

Matthew Nistico wrote:I am very curious: what inspired the design of this dehydrator model?  In what circumstances or environments is it intended to be used?  At first glance, it seems counter-intuitive to me.  I understand the basic design of the solar dehydrator, but what is the benefit of adding a rocket... stove? heater?  Seems like there would be great potential to end up cooking what you are trying to dehydrate.

Would love it if someone could provide a quick breakdown of the concept.  Thnx!

Hi  Matthew,

The rocket stove is separated from the dehydration chamber, its function is to heat air and stimulate airflow that dries the food, the food is separate from the heating chamber and will not get cooked. A suction effect is also created by the bell at the top chamber, also powered by the rocket stove,  optimizing the design.

This contraption can work during times of the year when the sun is not as available or during cloudy days and extend its functionality.

Paul Wheaton and Uncle Mud discuss this in detail in the movie, and even more so in the extended full event.

I guess I can never see a plan for something and just see what's there. There's always the what else would this work for question. I'm wondering, could a similar design, without the trays by used to keep a well above freezing over the winter in a cold northeastern Wisconsin winter? Assuming of course that you kept the rocket heater fires burning. I would add insulation but I like the idea of the augmented passive air flow.

This looks incredibly useful and like a great idea, but I'm not currently at a place where I need it or actually have the free cashflow to throw the money at these plans right now vs something else. Is there an easy way to flag this thread as one I want to remember for later?

John Warren wrote:This looks incredibly useful and like a great idea, but I'm not currently at a place where I need it or actually have the free cashflow to throw the money at these plans right now vs something else. Is there an easy way to flag this thread as one I want to remember for later?

I don't know if there's a fancy Permies way but you could copy the URL and put it in someplace you keep like a spreadsheet or notes and/or make an event in your calendar app with notifications. A very useful feature of Gmail if you use that is the Snooze function. Email yourself and when it pops up you can Snooze it to the date you'd like to be reminded of the thread.

John Warren wrote:This looks incredibly useful and like a great idea, but I'm not currently at a place where I need it or actually have the free cashflow to throw the money at these plans right now vs something else. Is there an easy way to flag this thread as one I want to remember for later?

Hi John! You can bookmark this page by pressing the bookmark topic at the top left.

Then you can find your bookmark under your profile icon in

My bookmarks and watches

Here is a pic of the button

what about just using the browser bookmark function?

Yes, please!

questions that a new carpenter might have when trying to read these plans (reposting these from the thread I started):

It says the "roof" part of the frame is 85", but that would make the glass side be pretty much vertical.  In laying it out with a 60 degree angle for the glass front, it looks closer to 40".  Is the 85 supposed to be overhang for the roof so you can store wood there? ("You put your wood in there, man.")?  


Also, it seems that the frame dimensions are including the width of the wood, but it's not clear to a newby if that's the case.  121 1/2" for the front--is that a 10' piece of wood plus the 1 1/2" of the 2x?  is that piece of 2x supposed to be horizontal rather than vertical?  These are the things a novice carpenter wonders.  Thanks, team!

interested   please inform

Robert Chenier wrote:interested   please inform

Hello Robert!

Welcome to the forum!  

Rocket Technology is a safe way to burn wood and store the heat.  This allows us to keep a home, or this case a food dehydrator, evenly warm with very little wood.


This design is a step by step set of plans to build your own non electric food dehydrator.  When the sun is shining, warm dry air circulates through the food chamber.  On cloudy days or at night, you can start a small fire in the burn chamber.   The exhaust from the fire goes through the silver tubes you see in the animation above.   Heat from the fire moves through the system the same way the heat from the sun does.  There is no smoke or wood gas in contact with your food.  


The rocket technology is a very clean burning system.  When the fire is running you will see only heat waves exiting the stove pipe.  There is no smoke.