Want a D.I.Y. way to cook food WITHOUT using fossil fuel L.P. or having to buy charcoal? I know I did. That's why I built a "Rocket Grill"!
This is just one variation of a "rocket stove" - a simple appropriate technology for cleanly burning bio-fuels.
The rocket grill is fired by twigs, wood scraps, wood chips, or nearly anything else you can put in it. It naturally drafts air to maximize combustion. Once the the grill is really going, NO smoke comes out the top, only heat, and the grill really does sound like a rocket!
The grill is designed to not only grill, but also boil, bake, braise, and roast!
Because of the simple design and robust construction, it is nearly maintenance free. Unlike an LP grill, the burner will never burn and rust away to nothingness. (And cost good time and money to replace.) There is no piezo-electric starter or other "modern" technology in the grill, which would be prone to failure.
Despite how it looks, the grill is small and light enough for one grown man to lift into the back of a pickup truck. That way, it can travel with for camping or tailgating. (The lid and side tables are also removable for storage and easy packing.) Because it's covered and enclosed, it also qualifies for use as a "backyard fire-pit" in areas that do not allow open fires.
This project is mostly simple metal work. While it does require welding, it's pretty straight-forward. This was really my first-ever welding project.
So lets' gather together our tools and materials and get started!
This is just one variation of a "rocket stove" - a simple appropriate technology for cleanly burning bio-fuels.
The rocket grill is fired by twigs, wood scraps, wood chips, or nearly anything else you can put in it. It naturally drafts air to maximize combustion. Once the the grill is really going, NO smoke comes out the top, only heat, and the grill really does sound like a rocket!
The grill is designed to not only grill, but also boil, bake, braise, and roast!
Because of the simple design and robust construction, it is nearly maintenance free. Unlike an LP grill, the burner will never burn and rust away to nothingness. (And cost good time and money to replace.) There is no piezo-electric starter or other "modern" technology in the grill, which would be prone to failure.
Despite how it looks, the grill is small and light enough for one grown man to lift into the back of a pickup truck. That way, it can travel with for camping or tailgating. (The lid and side tables are also removable for storage and easy packing.) Because it's covered and enclosed, it also qualifies for use as a "backyard fire-pit" in areas that do not allow open fires.
This project is mostly simple metal work. While it does require welding, it's pretty straight-forward. This was really my first-ever welding project.
So lets' gather together our tools and materials and get started!
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Signing UpStep 1: Tools and Materials
TOOLS:
- Angle Grinder
- Grinding disc
- Cut-off disc
- Welder
- Safety glasses, work gloves, welding gloves, Welding helmet, hearing protection
- Drill and drill bits
- OPTIONAL: Laser Level, Bubble Level
MATERIALS:
This project is made mostly from scrap metal, but will need several other parts.
Parts for the Grill itself:
- A Base. Something for the grill to stand on. Must be heat-proof. I used a scrap steel farm implement disc.
- Steel Pipe - Diameter of your choice, but will effect cooking size and fuel rate. I used 6.5 inch diameter scrap steel pipe. About 3 feet in length.
- Steel Water Tank. This becomes the "bowl" top of the grill and cooking surface area.
- 4 x pieces of small diameter steel pipe, about 6" in length
- 2 x 90 degree pipe elbows of same diameter
- 2 x pipe flanges of same diameter
- 2 x pieces of flat material that you like to make side countertop surfaces
- Small scraps of steel plate
Parts for the lid of the grill:
- A piece of wood, species of your choice, sized for a lid handle.
- 2 x Carriage bolts (about 5" long) with matching nuts and washers. Stainless steel is ideal, as these will be exposed to both heat and the elements. Plain steel is fine, lower cost alternative.
- 2 x pieces of copper or steel tube or pipe, slightly larger diameter and shorter length than the carriage bolts, to use as spacers.
- The top end of the water tank.
- Steel plate, about 6" side by 12" long. Perferations or slotted is ideal.
- JB Weld
- Base
- Large Diameter Pipe
- Water Tank
The large diameter pipe needs to be cut into two sections. Make one about 1 foot, and the other about 20" long. The 20" section will be the "vertical tube", and the 1 ft. section will be the "feeder tube"
That water tank that I chose was 16" in diameter. It was already cut apart from a solar water experiment I worked on. The bottom section of the tank is cut to about 1 foot tall. This becomes the cooking area "bowl" top to the grill. The water tank was also chosen because is is large enough diameter to fit my camping cast iron Dutch Oven, and a stock pot that I use for boiling corn.
Stacked up, the base, vertical tube, and water tank section should come to a comfortable standing height for you. The top of the water tank section is the height that grilling will take place.
To cut the steel, I found that an angle-grinder with a cut-off disc works best. I cuts quickly, without removing to much metal, and makes a nice, straight line. You could also use a reciprocating saw with metal cutting blade, or a plasma-cutter if you have access to one.
To mark a line on a cylindrical object like the pipe or water tank, wrap a straight section of sheet metal around it, and secure with masking or duct tape. Mark this line with a permanent marking pen, then remove the sheet metal.
Cut the pipes and water tank to length, using common-sense safety precautions. (Wear work gloves, eye and hearing protection, etc.)
Cut the top off the water tank, and save to make the lid.
Stack up the base, vertical pipe, and water tank section to get a feel for how your grill will look. If you ware working on a level surface, like a concrete garage floor, you can use a bubble level to make sure your vertical pipe is perfectly straight up and down. (Plumb!)
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I was curious...what did you do with the rest of the water tank? I thought it would make a good insulated base (fill it with vermiculite) between the grill and the disk. Of course, that would make the thing quite a bit heavier.
Another idea for emptying the ashes would be to use a shop vac...if you have one. Of course, make sure the ashes are cold first!
I am going to start looking for a used water tank.
Does the grill draught through the hole in the bottom (implement disk) & out the feeder tube, or are other vents involved?
Before reading this, I had never heard of a rocket stove....
This is something that I would like to learn(welding/metal work) so that I could make a similar project.
TY for sharing Sir!! 8)
Thank you very much for your ideas and your taste in expressing yourself through your words and your creations.
Enjoy your cobs!
Try looking at a metal salvage yard sometime, they are fun places to visit.
Since this project doesn't require new materials, the costs to build can be kept low.
for grilling certain woods are better than others for southern or mexican if possible use mesquite wood for grilling mm
although it might not work because there is little to no smoke to smoke da steak
It really is a major rocket stove. LOL
When I would lift up the grill, the ash would fall right out the bottom. It also left nice little burned holes in my lawn! So, I welded that spot shut.
As it is right now, I just turn the grill upside down. It is lighter than it looks (without the side tables and lid) and I just dump it out into a steel bucket.
It doesn't make that much ash. One advantage of using fuel more efficiently is that there's less waste in the end.
I put some of the ash in my compost pile and the rest spread out in my brush pile.
I've played around with the idea of cutting a "door into the bottom-back of the grill base, and hinging it as a place for ash-removal, but really, it's just so easy to tip the grill over to dump it out when I need to.
An ash clean-out would be a nice feature for a larger or more permanently mounted version of this project.
I heat my 2 story house with 2 wood stoves and a LOT of wood. For a few months I have been looking at various alternatives to the old wood stoves and your project has FINALLY made it clear to me that builds like your Rocket Grill are the basics of a Rocket Burner that can be simply adapted to a host of heat required applications.Thanks for providing one of those sorely needed, "palm slap to the forehead", moments that has started the ball rolling.
Thanks :0)
The other change is that we used the coals stands to hold lava rock, to act as the diffuser for the exhaust gas.
We didn't use the grate design you did, but probably will do in the summer - though we found the thing works great with wood chips too.
You will notice that the one on the right is the metal tray. I work "left to right" for cooking. Raw items are on the left, then they get cooked, then stacked on the right.
The metal tray on the right would be for the cooked items and could help keep them warm.
Every grill should have one.
That being said, now I really need to learn to weld!
Find somebody you know who welds and/or has a welder. Buy them some beer. Have them tell you about welding, have them show you a few sample welds.
Bring your parts over to their place and take your best shot at it!
Drink the beer afterwards to celebrate your awesome new steam punk Rocket Grill!
My friend's wok on his Rocket Stove is AWESOME!
I will need to invite some friends over for pan-Asian food sometime.
Anyway, wish you the best in the contest!
I think for a simple ash clean out, I will eventually make two angled cuts to form a wedge cut-out near the bottom, on the side opposite of the feeder tube. That will then be hinged. It's simple and wouldn't interfere with anything else on the grill.
But even without the food and grill, this still seems like an awesome way to get rid of yard wastes. I reckon with forced air you could smelt on that.
To insulate it you could get the dry mix for fire clay (try a ceramics supply store) or sodium silicate mixed with vermiculite (turns hard at a little over 200 deg F).
Add a coil of copper tube inside and you have hot water!
By adding the fire clay you could cut down on fuel usage because of better heat retention (better temp control as well)
Add some scrap steel and an anvil and you could make even more accessories! AH, the possibilities!
Again loved your 'ible!!!
My Rocket Grill was just for specific cooking uses, but you can make them to heat water, warm a greenhouse, distill your ethanol, or almost anything else you can imagine!
A friend of mine built a really nice water heating coil in his. Works great!
http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Rocket_Stove