Here is a superefficient wood fired heater you can build for yourself in a weekend for less than a hundred dollars. This book explains in detail exactly how to build one, then how to use it in a range of applications. We discuss materials: where to find them, what to pay and how to make use of found and recycled parts. The section on fire and fuels is thorough but simple; we tried to keep away from numbers wherever possible. There are success stories, case studies, references and where to find further information, all heavily illustrated. Home heating can be expensive both in capital equipment and in running costs. If we heat by gas, oil or electricity we are supporting a big corporation and impoverishing ourselves. By building an extra efficient heating system you will be one more big step off the treadmill and your move to self-sufficiency and true wealth. Good luck with your stove! From the Introduction by Ianto Evans
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
88 of 88 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A quick google search will get you this book direct from the author for $15+$ shipping. Or online in pdf for $10.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
80 of 83 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
How can one rightly deduct a star when the book in question performs it's intended purpose and confirms to the reader whether its subject is the right solution for them? Any author can tell you that some particular choice solves all the world's problems, but it is less common to find a book which actually tells the reader the downsides of its subject and how to determine whether it suits your particular need and personality or not. In that regard, then, this book certainly succeeds. It tells the reader exactly what is involved in the construction, what kind of performance to expect, and how much maintenance is realistically involved. That seems worthy of an addition star to me, even if I never build a rocket stove. Would you drop a star from a book about sky diving because you decided you didn't want to jump out of an airplane?
This book does a fine job of explaining the concepts of "rocket" style wood stove design and construction. This 2nd edition also includes reports from individual designers and users, which I tend to find very valuable as it grounds the material in real-world applications. The book covers all important concepts in detail and admirably explains which dimensions are important and which are less so. I found the step-by-step pictures to be invaluable to helping the reader actually build their own stove, but I also found some of the descriptions and associated diagrams to be confusing. A few things that were included in diagrams were not well explained or at least not well understood by this reader without multiple readings. To the authors' credit, however, some of the details are difficult to describe with words. I also found that while the authors do a good job of telling the reader the potential dangers of a positive-pressure flue system, they didn't describe their own methods for sealing metal duct systems.
In short, this book would be extremely valuable to those contemplating a wood heating system of any type, but it is a must for those seeking 90% efficiency from a wood-burning appliance for home heating. Masonry heaters can often match this efficiency (see The Book of Masonry Stoves for more), but they start at about US$10,000 and typically require advanced masonry skills. I have a personal affection for masonry heaters with glass viewing doors and top ovens, but a rocket stove is much more accessible for a do-it-yourselfer and is more versatile to fit both fast radiant and slow mass heating needs. Whole-house masonry heaters can't heat up quickly, which could matter to people that are away from home for long periods. Rocket stoves can heat you up rapidly while still offering substantial heat storage, if you build them to do so. They are certainly worth your consideration and this book is written by the world's foremost fiddlers with Rocket Stoves. This 2nd edition still comes across as a work in progress, but Rocket Stoves already have proven themselves to be long-term, efficient solutions to many heating needs. With this book in hand, virtually anyone can build their own heating solution powered by a renewable resource.
This book does a fine job of explaining the concepts of "rocket" style wood stove design and construction. This 2nd edition also includes reports from individual designers and users, which I tend to find very valuable as it grounds the material in real-world applications. The book covers all important concepts in detail and admirably explains which dimensions are important and which are less so. I found the step-by-step pictures to be invaluable to helping the reader actually build their own stove, but I also found some of the descriptions and associated diagrams to be confusing. A few things that were included in diagrams were not well explained or at least not well understood by this reader without multiple readings. To the authors' credit, however, some of the details are difficult to describe with words. I also found that while the authors do a good job of telling the reader the potential dangers of a positive-pressure flue system, they didn't describe their own methods for sealing metal duct systems.
In short, this book would be extremely valuable to those contemplating a wood heating system of any type, but it is a must for those seeking 90% efficiency from a wood-burning appliance for home heating. Masonry heaters can often match this efficiency (see The Book of Masonry Stoves for more), but they start at about US$10,000 and typically require advanced masonry skills. I have a personal affection for masonry heaters with glass viewing doors and top ovens, but a rocket stove is much more accessible for a do-it-yourselfer and is more versatile to fit both fast radiant and slow mass heating needs. Whole-house masonry heaters can't heat up quickly, which could matter to people that are away from home for long periods. Rocket stoves can heat you up rapidly while still offering substantial heat storage, if you build them to do so. They are certainly worth your consideration and this book is written by the world's foremost fiddlers with Rocket Stoves. This 2nd edition still comes across as a work in progress, but Rocket Stoves already have proven themselves to be long-term, efficient solutions to many heating needs. With this book in hand, virtually anyone can build their own heating solution powered by a renewable resource.
42 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A couple of years ago I was intrigued by the idea of building a rocket stove after reading about them in Ianto Evans' The Hand Sculpted House. When I read the first little rocket stove book I was very impressed. This second edition with a brand new title is even better! The old edition was written in a clear and comfortable way that made a novice like me feel like I could build one competently. This edition has far more text, new applications for the technology, and has excellent color photos and many more illustrations. The details are much clearer. I'm thoroughly enjoying the rocket stove/cob bench now in my office. If you're interested in natural building, saving resources (including money) this book is a must have.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great reference
Ianto Evans is great. His "Hand Sculpted House" book was amazing and this lived up to my expectations quite well. Read more
Published 2 days ago by Space Man Spiff
Great Details
Excellent details on a new area. The authors give detailed instructions on every step. I built my cob stove based only on the info contained in this book and it has turned out... Read more
Published 15 days ago by Sergio
Michelle C
It is a nice book but the content really was not what I was looking for. The cover shows a girl lounging on a bench made of cob like substance. Read more
Published 1 month ago by michelle beal
rocketlove
great book with quite a bit of detail and theory as well. color photos and drawings probly would have been better to see more of the details but overal prettty good info
Published 3 months ago by Curtis G. Kolenosky
All you need to build this heater.
This book was very relative to what I was trying to do. I needed a nice inexpensive radiant heat for a house that is not always in use. Read more
Published 4 months ago by rhonda
Very Useful
This book is a must have if you are planning on making a rocket stove mass heater. Ianto Evans And Leslie Jackson have put a book together based on experience and organized in such... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Balrog's Fire
Ridiculous Price
At the time of this writing the price of this book on Amazon is $166. (ONE HUNDRED SIXTY SIX) I Googled it and found that the book is in it's 5th printing with lots of updates,... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Ben YaHUaH
Heating has never been so cool.
This book is packed with information on how to adapt a rocket stove to exhaust through thermal mass. Read more
Published 7 months ago by DPACK
Good Book for Do It Yourself Types
The Rocket heater is an interesting concept, fairly well presented in the book.
This type of heater is not for everyone, and the authors describe the pros and cons of... Read more
This type of heater is not for everyone, and the authors describe the pros and cons of... Read more
Published 9 months ago by M. Hocker
Fantastic Practicle Info
This book is jam packed with great practicle info on making an efficient working peice of art. It opens the door to ideas and encourages you to take it and run. Read more
Published 15 months ago by James Thunder
Inside This Book
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
(learn more)
burn tunnel, heat riser, exchange barrel, heated bench, thermal battery, cob cottage, feed tube, feed barrel, water heater tank, burn chamber, combustion unit, first stove, heat storage, natural building Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Rocket Stoves, Pocket Rocket, Chris Reinhart, Cob Cottage Company, Case Studies, Recommended Books, Rocket Mass Stoves New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
burn tunnel, heat riser, exchange barrel, heated bench, thermal battery, cob cottage, feed tube, feed barrel, water heater tank, burn chamber, combustion unit, first stove, heat storage, natural building Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Rocket Stoves, Pocket Rocket, Chris Reinhart, Cob Cottage Company, Case Studies, Recommended Books, Rocket Mass Stoves New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 6
books:
See all 6 books this book cites
- The Heart of the Home (Severn House Large Print) by Grace Thompson in Back Matter
- The Forgotten Art of Building A Good Fireplace by Vrest Orton in Back Matter
- Heating Your Home With Wood by Neil Soderstrom in Back Matter
- The Art of Natural Building: Design, Construction, Resources by Joseph F. Kennedy in Back Matter
- Forgotten Art of Building by Vrest Orton in Back Matter
See all 6 books this book cites
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