portable rocket stove

I wanted a portable rocket stove for use outside or when camping as im getting to stage where i need one to use but have never built one of these types

so i viewed what was online to build my own type

i liked this version by apostol



but may have found another type which has extra functions to it by velo lee



so i made this type as i wanted to add to my system with other things





im having smoke issues at the moment and think its my 80mm riser tube causing this problem or im thinking of adapting another part so the smoke gets sucked up better by cutting higher into the riser tube to the firebox where the black line is



the wood slides down loverly into the bottom but the flames lick back something shocking at the moment but does go up the riser tube

I think cutting and welding a plate in will help, but wouldn't you be better of replacing the 80mm box with 150mm box and making the riser a bit taller!
Just been looking at the photos again....the box section at the base is that open to the feed tube and riser!!
Looks like to me you got to much air circulating and not finding its way up the riser.
Have you tried to limit the air getting in, how about blocking of the feed tube!

you can see the riser tube on the first pic but what ive done is use the vid as reference what is seen in the video is what i built

for the sizes the fire chamber is 6" wide by 5" height with an 1" for the secondary air to run down underneath the burn chamber is 6" x 4"
this goes into a box section 80mm for the riser tube i had underpowered it thinking it maybe enough to pull up on the chimney it does work but causes smoke within the firebox

total size is 480mm high the burn chamber length is 380mm length i have a 40 degree angle from the riser tube which allows the wood to slide in really well

on pretesting i blocked the hole underneath which is the ash tray area

but i get something like this



its this whats drawn me to this system as i can slow it down until its needed use it more for heat near you

Just like Tank said, put some lids to cover wood entrance, air entrance and ash chamber. Increase as well riser tube height by 10 cm or so. Please, do not cut any part of the current stove, just add the parts I referred. With time, you will learn how open the lids have to be to allow optimum combustion.

thankyou for both of your help


i will finish off both systems and then provide videos on both builds and there burn times

heres some pics with doors on and also a night video

I have not changed its height as of yet however any smoke that does come out of the top is sucked back down the secondary air tube as ive noticed this effect happening

the wood sticks are 10" long and 12" long the ones within the wood stove are thin shims for quick start of the system





this system does smoke and i believe it has a primary air problem where flames are being extinguished for not enough primary air

Did you increase the riser tube length?

I think your problem here is that your fire box is to big, taking heat away from the fire itself! You could try insulating the fire box or make it smaller could be another option!

I still think a slightly bigger heat riser would help! But I'm no expert.

after doing the doors i retested it again did get it to smokeless by adding extra holes in the primary burn chamber
however when fully loaded it smoked like a swine

today added the 4" to the top of the riser and now i dont get smoke held within the primary burn chamber like i used to do before. thanks to both

on another note the air chambers near the flames area do help the wood start alight but hinder the wood sliding down if you chop it up with an axe

another thing with mine it has a burn chamber of 14"-15" length x 6" x 4" so long sticks can be used

I think at a cost of the length ive had to higher the riser tube 4" now about 23" high

will upload video soon

the video to the above stove done in daylight time I do suspect the wood im using isnt dry enough as of yet its another year before the wood can be used

I hope you don't mind me saying this but after looking at Liagavelo rocket stove you can see why it's so much better!

A lot of the rocket stoves is made up using 1mm steel plate! Where yours is made up using what looks like 3mm steel plate! Absorbing too much heat!
Not only that but using a blow torch to get the fire going he's putting a lot of heat into the metal!!

As with all rocket stoves and rocket mass heaters you want as much heat as possible exiting the heat riser! But your losing to much through the sides of the burn chamber!

Apostol use to make them using a kiln lining for the burn chamber, but has now stopped doing this. (I don't know why)

I have made a couple of L shaped rocket stoves and both times I've been disappointed with the results :( so next time I make one it will be well insulated!!

Sorry but just looked at Liagavelo rocket stove again and it do look as if it's made up using 3mm plate! :/

all 3 systems are made out of 3mm or 4mm steel no insulation is used in any of the new systems its down to costs and weight that needs to be carried so its best not to use them anymore

it lights up fast but i refuse to use a blowlamp or firestarters as those things you wont carry round with you
if it dosnt light with newspaper say 1 sheet of it, its not portable i use 1 page of newspaper to light each stove even though it might not be whats in our pocket at the time

test of how quick the portable rocket lights up 13mph wind

refills of wood and heat gun tests that most dont show this



this is just a burn box design for other things to be added to it therefore extend the system

It looked as if the wind was playing havoc with the draw of air for it!

I wonder what it would of gone like if you had turned it into the wind!

Watching your video has got me wanting to get mine out of the scrap pile (if it's still there) and expierment with it a bit more.

less wind tonight so tried another burn in this

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5visrz

Burning hot and rich. What type of fuel are you using ? Maybe spruce ?

just using pine wood here in the uk

as i get loads of it from building jobs for free

and of late just dropped a big pine cone tree and got all the logs from it

hey gadily, i was looking at your stove it looks good but i would like you to try to put a basket inside the fuel chamber and try pellets then later put an heat exchanger on the exhaust side to recover the most of the heat

if you do build one

consider a smaller burn chamber ive found that one a little bit ackward with smoke in your face when refilling it as mines a little too close for being a chimney both ways

i have 2 bags of pellets to try on things so yes could do

i had plans to adapt that build so could be used as a rockets stove build with addons