My wife and I designed our house for radi-
ant heat. I installed copper heat exchangers
in the firebox and stovepipe of the Fisher
Grandpa Bear stove I grew up with, and
pumped water through it to heat our radiant
floors. After a hard winter spent feeding the
stove, I realized that a rocket stove would bet-
ter fit our needs. (Rocket stoves are efficient,
convection-driven, biomass-fueled stoves that
burn hotter than conventional stoves.)It took me two to three days to build what
I call the “Dragon.” It has three main compo-
nents: the burn chamber, where combustion
starts; the riser tube, which is the convection
engine that fires the stove; and two heat
exchangers. The heated water is stored in a
330-gallon tank separate from the stove. I
designed a closed system, meaning no water
enters or leaves the system. To build your own
“Dragon,” take a trip to your local salvageyard and size up the scrap-metal compo-
nents, avoiding aluminum.
Learn more about this project at http://www.
TimothyLuce.com/Projects.Burn Chamber
The burn chamber consists of a base, a
grate, an inner wall, a soft copper tubing heat
exchanger, and an outer wall with a lid. The
diameter of your outer wall should be approx-Heavy-Duty DIY
http://www.MotherearthNews.coM 67Materials-^1 ⁄ 4 - to^3 ⁄ 8 -inch-thick steel for base/grate
-^1 ⁄ 16 - to^1 ⁄ 8 -inch-thick steel for burn
chamber inner and outer walls
-^1 ⁄ 16 - to^1 ⁄ 8 -inch-thick steel for riser
tube base
-^1 ⁄ 8 - to^1 ⁄ 4 -inch-thick steel for riser tube/
connecting tube and riser tube outer wall
- Two 50-foot coils of^1 ⁄ 2 -inch soft
copper tubing
-^3 ⁄ 4 -inch rubber hose rated for hot water
tools- Hammer
- Welder
- Jigsaw
- Reciprocating saw
- Torch
- Grinder or plasma cutter for cutting metal
The ‘Dragon’ Rocket Boiler
6 Add 2-by-2 wheelbarrow-style handles to either side of the rab-
bit tractor at the end opposite the wheel.
7 Cut a piece of sheet metal to size for the roof, and build a
frame to fit using the 1-by-4 lumber.
8 Attach the metal to the wood frame with^1 ⁄ 2 -inch screws and
then attach the lid to the top of the rabbit tractor with a piano-
style hinge.9 Finish the tractor lid with a large knob as a handle.
I’ve had my rabbits in this tractor for a while now, and they love
the fresh patch of grass I give them twice daily. I love it because it’s
easy to move and cuts way down on the feed I have to buy, and I’m
able to raise healthy, happy rabbits.
Valinda Mullin
Pomona, Kansasp 66-70 Homestead_Hacks_5.indd 67 10/11/16 9:16 AM