Playing With Fire: Rocket Stove Build for a Summer Kitchen (Workshop)

Description

Join in for a hot time at a workshop entitled "Playing With Fire: Rocket Stove Build for a Summer Kitchen" coordinated by the Local Living Venture near Canton, NY. During this all-day event on Saturday, June 11, attendees will learn how to build a solid, basic rocket stove and explore many variations on the theme. Rocket stoves are used all over the world, especially in places where wood fuel sources are in demand, because they produce high heat output with very little wood fuel, almost no emissions, and no creosote build up. Many hikers and campers are familiar with small versions of this simple technology. The unit that will be built is designed for use outdoors under cover and is perfect for boiling off maple syrup, canning items from the garden, and preparing meals during the warmer months when heat inside the home is not preferable. The workshop program consists of several components, starting with fire science and rocket stove theory and demonstration of several variations on the theme, including a cook stove retrofit with a water heater. The main feature will be to build a working downdraft/downfeed style summer kitchen stove unit. The base of the unit is a prefabricated core that was welded to specifications from scrap materials by Sheehan's Welding in Potsdam, NY. The group will first assemble the metal core with chimney pipe and cook top detailing. Participants will then gain experience in mixing cob and applying the inner and outer layers of cob mix, followed by a test fire of the completed unit. The workshop will conclude with an optional tour and discussion of other units in neighborhood, including a large J-tube Rocket Mass Heater (RMH) built with national experts Erica and Ernie Wisner in 2012. Volunteer workshop presenter Eddie Goldstein is a self-identified "fire geek" and has been tinkering with dozens of versions of rocket stoves, from camp-style stoves to retrofitting a Stanley wood cookstove and many variations in between, for over a decade. Goldstein has been heating and cooking exclusively with wood fuel for over thirty years and has five functioning rocket (or rocket-like) stoves that are used as part of his daily life. Workshop participants will benefit from the hundreds of hours of experimentation that Goldstein has conducted with dozens of prototypes. He states: "Of course, fire itself has been my most valuable teacher. I look forward to sharing what I have learned with you." There is a suggested donation of $45 general public, $80 couple/family rate for two people, $25 student. Partial scholarships are available upon request. Additionally, each workshop registration includes free tickets for the raffling off of the unit that will be built. The stove is set up for portability, with angle iron "handles" and weighing in around 2-250 pounds. Due to limited space, advance registration for this hands-on workshop is strongly suggested. There will be a wait list on a first-come, first-served basis. More information can be found at LocalLivingVenture.org in the Full Events Schedule. To register, send an email to LocalLivingVenture@gmail.com or call (315) 347-4223 to reserve a spot, noting the number in party, contact phone number and email address when reserving. Email confirmation will be sent to all registrants within 24-48 hours. The workshop site is located approximately 10 miles from downtown Canton, NY. Exact details, including directions, will be included in the RSVP Confirmation that is sent to all registered participants. Free primitive camping is available for out-of-town attendees, by prior arrangement.