Rocket Stove by EAZEE

This rocket stove is a great welding project for beginners. You'll need to ensure you have access to a MIG welder and workshop tools. I have made several of these but, this version is easiest to make. There are several ways to do this and they way I have made this is not the most cost efficient, therefore, I have included another way in my step by step method.

A rocket stove is a portable stove fed by air and supplied with wood via a self-feeding chute on the front. Once alight it can be used to heat, cook food or boil water.

You will need:

Tools and equipment; MIG welder, vice, band-saw, hacksaw, grinder, pliers, scriber, file, corner jig/mitre clamp (you can use a block of metal if unavailable), protractor for marking the 45 degree, a slide square and rule.

Materials:

4 x plates at 3mm x 100mm x 500mm long for the main chimney. (CR3 LCS)

4 x plates at 3mm x 100mm x 210mm long for the feeder. (CR3 LCS)

1 x plate at 3mm x 100mm x 70mm for the hinged cap. (CR3 LCS)

1 x plate at 3mm x 100mm x 130mm for the additional air intake. (CR3 LCS)

5 x 6mm x 80mm rod for the pan supports and for the hinged cap handle. (LCS)

1 x 6mm x 180mm x 180mm for the base plate. (LCS)

4 x 20mm x 20mm x 40mm long feet for the base plate. (BDMS)

1 x hinge to suit

NOTE: A much easier way to do this is using 100mm x 100mm x 3mm box section but I only had these materials at the time. Instead of using CR3 you can use hot rolled material which will be cheaper.

Cut up your material ready to weld and deburr (if using box section cut one end of the chute section at a 45 degree angle that should measure 206mm on the longest edge and go to step 7).

Tack together the main chimney. Always tack it together first and then weld. This will stop it from distorting. A good way to check if your assembly is square is to check across the corners as in the pictures above. Space your tacks about 50-75mm apart.

Tack together your chute. Use the same method as with the chimney.

Weld both the chute and chimney but, feather (grind or flatten off) the tacks before welding. This will stop any leaks or lumps from forming. As this is 3mm material, it is safe to weld downwards. Any thicker then consider welding in a flat position.

Mark out where to cut the 45 degree angle on the chute.

Cut off with bandsaw, hacksaw or cutting disc on angle grinder.

Deburr all parts and offer up chute to chimney so you can mark out where it will sit.

Cut out hole on the chimney using angle grinder with cutting disc or hacksaw.

Fit additional air intake in to the chute at 30mm from the bottom. Stitch this in 6 places. I spaced this out using whatever I could find as you can see in the picture.

Fit chute to chimney and to base plate and tack on. You'll need to mark out where the chimney/chute assembly will sit on your plate.

Fully weld chute to chimney and to base plate

Tack on hinge to chute and cap.

Weld hinge cap assembly. If hinge is holed like mine was then just fill in the holes with weld (puddle weld).

Add hinge handle and weld on.

Turn on to top of chimney and space out about 40 mm.

Bend pan supports in vice using a hammer.

Weld pan supports on to top 4 corners

Mark out, tack on 4 feet to base plate then,fully weld on 4 feet.

Remove all spatter and clean accordingly.

The first picture shows it going with the door open and the second closed.

Enjoy :)

You can change any of this for different materials or methods you may wish to use. Just because I have said that these are the tools you'd need doesn't mean that this can't be made without them. You can scale this up and make it larger or scale down to suit your needs. There are also many different designs out there that work the same way. Good luck! :)