Hello Matt,
I'm excited about finding your discussion group. I'm an avid do-it-yourselfer who lives in Colorado halfway between Denver and Co. Springs. I've been contemplating building a Rocket Mass Heater in my basement as a supplement to the other heat sources I have. After my central unit died on a single-digit weekend day
, I have invested in some kerosene and propane heaters.
I love the idea of the "portable" unit. Most of the wood readily available to me is rather small (scrub oak mostly). I wanted to build a smaller stove for burning this and other scrap wood. And maybe compressed or rolled up scrap paper.
I know I have a lot of reading to do yet. But a couple of questions come to mind. Do you have any tips for where to find the smaller metal drums? The suppliers I have found just have 55 gallon ones. And while I've read several books and designs I've never seen a stove where someone has increased the height of the chimney/barrel. The designs are usually one-barrel-high. I wonder if anyone has tried a 2 or 1-1/2 high chimney? My thinking is that this would increase the draw.
When I get around to building mine I'll be sure to take pictures and keep you posted. Thanks again for sharing your designs and experience!
Cliff Shelby
Castle Rock, Colorado