ADOBE STOVE/ ROCKET
STOVE AND SQUARE FOOT
GARDEN TRAINING
Fighting Poverty, Empowering People
Why Adobe Stoves or Rocket Stoves?
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Indoor solid-burning fires that fill homes with smoke kill
nearly one million children a year
Smoke causes respiratory illness
Smoke causes eye problems
Indoor pollution is the fourth greatest risk factor for
death and disease in the Third World
Adobe stoves ventilate smoke out of the home
decreasing the negative effects of open fires
Rocket Stoves reduce smoke pollution in the home by
improving the combustion of wood fuel. As a result it
also reduces fuel use and efficiency of cooking.
How to decide if you will build an
Adobe stove or a Rocket Stove?
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What are the needs of
the community?
What does the
individual want?
What are the cooking
needs of the individual?
What materials are
available?
How much time do you
have to complete the
project?
Building a Stove- 10 Design Principles
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Insulate around the fire using lightweight, heatresistant materials
Place an insulated short chimney right above the fire
to burn up the smoke and speed the draft
Heat and burn the tips of the sticks as they enter the
fire to make flame, not smoke
High and low heat are created by how many sticks
are pushed into the fire
Maintain a good fast draft from under the fire, up
through the coals. Avoid too much extra air above the
fire to cool it.
Information from Aprovecho Research Center
10 Design Principles Cont.
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Too little draft being pulled into the fire will result in
smoke and excess charcoal.
Keep unrestricted airflow by maintaining cross
sectional area through the stove. The opening into the
fire, the size of the space within the stove where air
flows, and the chimney should be about the same size.
Use a grate under the fire
Insulate the heat flow path, from the fire, to and
around the pot(s) or griddle.
Maximize heat transfer to the pots with properly sized
gaps.
Information from Aprovecho Research Center
Building an Adobe Stove
Getting Started
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First gather all your materials
Measure pots so you will know how big to make the stove
Decide where you want to build your stove, you want to
build the stove where one normally cooks and where a
woman will be comfortable cooking.
A corner is a good place to build the stove as this will require
only two walls to be built instead of four.
 The location must include:
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Air flow
 Roof or shelter from rain
 Level ground
 Hole for the chimney
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Materials: the Frame and Base
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Bricks, Cinder blocks, or
Wood
If using wood you will
need a hammer, nails, and
saw
 If no other material can
be found large rocks may
be a suitable alternative,
it is however important to
make the walls as level
and strong as possible or
the structure will not hold.
 You will also need rocks
and dry dirt to fill in the
base
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Materials: Burners and Piping
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4 medium sized cans or banana stock
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1 medium can or a 2 liter bottle or banana stock
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One for the fuel opening
Two for the back burners (only one is needed if you plan on making a two
burner stove)
1 large pot or plastic bowl
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Used to make a hole for the chimney (very important)
2 or 3, depending on the size of your stove, large cans (paint can or
larger)
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These will be placed inside the stove to conduct the smoke
For the main burner
Use something the same size as the woman’s main cooking pot
Metal grate or some sort of shelf for the fire
1 foot metal bar (rebar) or chicken wire
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For extra support above fuel opening
Materials: Adobe Mixture
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4 wheelbarrows of Clay (Africa-anthill dirt, Fiji-red sticky soil, Belize-white mahl)
 This will be used to fill the stove
 It is important to have something that will form a strong mold so that the stove does not
crack or break. Ask locals what is used for brick making or pottery or the type of dirt
most used for this type of building.
2 wheelbarrows of Sand
Small fiber
 Suitable fibers include: dry grass, coconut husks, straw, stripped corn husks and pine
needles
 Fiber should be cut into small pieces
Sieve
 To sift clay and sand
Water
 To help hold together the clay, sand, and fiber
Shovel, spade or hoe
 To mix the clay, sand, and fiber
Materials: Finishing
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Cement
 To plaster the sides and top of stove
(optional)
Tin pipe or several cans
 To make the chimney
Tarp/ banana leaves
 Used to cover the stove while it is drying
Other miscellaneous tools that will be
helpful
 Level
 Knife
 Can opener
 Measuring tape
 Trowel
 String
 Machete
Building the Base and Frame
The Base
The Frame
Laying the Stove
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Cut the banana stock to
form the molding for the
burners, tunnels and fuel
openings
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If you are using tin cans
remove the tops and
bottoms and cover them in
ashes or plastic so they will
be easier to remove
Lay the prepared pieces in
the stove, the layout shown
may be used or it may be
modified to better fit the
needs of the individual
Don’t forget to Slant it Up
Creating a well
working stove is all
about airflow. Smoke
rises so make sure the
stove slants up so the
chimney and back
burners are slightly
higher that the front.
The Mixture
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The mixture is:
2 parts clay
 1 part sand
 Some water
 A few handfuls of fiber
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Mix the clay and sand
together, adding water
to help mix it and make
it stronger. Then add a
few handfuls of fiber to
make the mixture even
stronger.
Get it Right
Not too wet
Not too dry
Make sure to make enough mixture to fill the stove in one work day.
If you have to make the mixture a few times that is ok but make sure
the stove is completed the same day you start.
Fill it Up!
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Before the stove is completely full put the rebar above the fire
source for additional support.
Once the stove is completely full smooth it out. Use a index card or
something flat to create a smooth surface on the top, this will help
keep the structure from cracking.
Your Not Done Yet
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You have now made the main part of the stove but
there are still some critical steps.
 First,
you need to remind the family the stove is not
ready to be cooked on until it is fully dry.
 Second, you need to remind families to twist the cans or
banana stock daily so they can be removed in two
weeks time.
 Third, you need to cover the stove with tarp or banana
leaves to keep it out of direct sunlight.
 Lastly, you need to come back at least two more times to
fix any problems, remove cans or banana stock, plaster
the stove, and most importantly install the chimney.
Stove Check #1
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In about two weeks the
stove should be dry
enough for you too
remove the banana
stock and tin cans.
At this point you can
also carve out burners
so your pots fit nicely
into the stove.
This will also be when
you install the chimney.
Installing the Chimney
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For the chimney you may use tin pipes or tin cans.
Be sure that the seal around the chimney is airtight so that no smoke
can escape back into the house.
You will also want the chimney about a foot outside the house to keep
smoke from reentering and be sure the chimney is protected from the
rain.
Final Stove Check
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This check should be
done about one month
after the original
construction of the stove.
It will ensure that the
stove is dry and ready
to use.
At this check you will
also plaster or tile the
sides of your stove.
As soon as the plaster is
dry the stove is ready to
use.
Trouble Shooting
Possible Problems
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The stove cracks
The stove is blackened
around the edges
You do not have all the
materials you need
Solutions
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Fill in the cracks using
cement
Remove blackened
pieces and fill in with
cement
Find alternatives, be
creative, ask locals
Building Rocket Stoves
Rocket Stove Videos
Rocket stove demo
16 brick rocket stove
Resources
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Design principles for Wood Burning Cook Stove http://www.bioenergylists.org/stovesdoc/Pcia/Design%20Principles%20for%20Wood%20Bu
rning%20Cookstoves.pdf
Rocket Stove User Guide http://www.bioenergylists.org/stovesdoc/Still/AprovechoPlans/ROCKET%20STOVE%20USER
%20GUIDE.pdf
Rocket Stove Design Guide http://www.bioenergylists.org/stovesdoc/Still/AprovechoPlans/Rocket%20Stove%20Design%
20Guide.pdf
How to Build a Rocket Lorena Stove –
http://www.energyandminerals.go.ug/pdf/HOUSEHOLD%20Stoves%20Construction%20Man
ual.pdf
Development and testing of fuel efficient technologies http://www.bioenergylists.org/stovesdoc/Scott/Uganda%20report.pdf
Improved Stove in Peru http://www.bvsde.ops-oms.org/bvsacd/scan/411436/411436-04.pdf
Making Insulative Clay Combustion Chambers http://www.bioenergylists.org/stovesdoc/Still/VC%20Stove/vcstove.html
WHO Impact of Indoor Air Pollution http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/H&SD_Plaq_no9.pdf
Square Foot Gardens
Why Build a Garden?
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People are
malnourished
Inadequate nutrition
Obesity problems
Bring in extra money
by selling produce at
market
How to Build a Square Foot Garden
Choose an Area for the Garden
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Place the garden close to the house for convenience
and as a reminder to take care of the garden
Put the garden in an area that will not puddle after a
heavy rain
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may need to build a moat around the garden so that
water from a heavy rain will be able to drain and/ or a
covering for the garden
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The garden needs to get sun for 6 to 8 hours daily
 Stay
away from trees and shrubs or other shady areas
Building the Box
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It is recommended to make
a 1 Meter X 1 Meter box
(3 feet X 3 feet)
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It is ok to make a little
bigger box, it is better to
have too much space
rather than not enough
The box should be 20
centimeters deep (about 8
inches)
The box can be made
from wood, rocks, cinder
blocks, or bricks
Mel’s Mix
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1/3 blended compost
1/3 peat moss
1/3 coarse vermiculite
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Possible alternatives to
the ingredients of
Mel’s Mix:
 Perlite
can be used
instead of vermiculite
 Coir (coco) can be
used instead of peat
moss
 Sphagnum can be used
instead of peat moss
Alternatives
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You will most likely not be able to find all three
components of Mel’s mix and if you do it could be
expensive.
Mel recommends that when working in developing
countries you should use only compost
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this could be complicated as composting takes
time and you want to start your gardens right away
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Find the darkest, richest soil you can and/or ask
locals what they use for farming and start from
there then add your compost when it is ready
Composting
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The first step to composting is
deciding on a site and finding
something to contain the
compost (just a pile is fine
too).
 A compost bin can be
made using wood or metal
posts with wire fencing,
lumber or bamboo sides,
wood pallet sides, brick or
block sides
The pile can be placed on the
ground, the structure does not
need a floor. No matter how
the pile is contained, it should
still allow for airflow.
What to Add to Your Compost Pile
Composting materials can be divided into two categories green and brown
Greens
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vegetable peelings
fruit peelings
grass clippings
coffee grounds
fresh manure
green plant cuttings
annual weeds
young hedge trimmings
Browns
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leaves
hay & straw
paper & cardboard
woody prunings
eggshells
tea bags
sawdust
Do NOT Add
meat & bones
 poultry & fish
 fatty food waste
 whole eggs
 dairy products
 human & pet feces
 pernicious weeds
 treated wood
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Make Great Compost
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Making great compost is like making
a giant layer cake!.
Start with a 4 inch layer of brush,
twigs, hay or straw at the bottom of
the bin. Then add a 4 inch layer of
brown material, then a thin layer of
finished compost or good garden soil.
That's one layer.
Then add a 4 inch layer of green
material topped with a thin layer of
compost or soil. Moisten each layer
by misting it lightly with a garden
hose. Keep adding materials in
alternating layers of greens and
browns until the bin is full.
Once you have a full bin, turn the pile
once a week. The more you turn the
pile the faster you will have finished
compost!
Tips for Composting
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The compost bin should be at least
1m x 1m x 1m minimum. (any smaller
will not heat up enough) but not any
larger than 2m x 2m x 2m maximum.
(any larger will restrict air to the
middle.)
Unpleasant odor.
 Not enough air- turn every week
 Wrong ingredients- remove any
animal, dairy, or bakery products.
 Too wet – Keep moist not soggy.
Won’t Heat up
 Too wet or too dry
 Needs nitrogen type material
(manure, grass clippings, weeds
If you are turning the compost once a week
it should be ready in about one month.
Compost is ready when dark and crumbly
and mostly broken down with a pleasant,
earthy, soil-like smell to it.
Ready to Plant
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The last thing to do before you add the seeds is to
lay out the grid
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Use sticks, slats of wood, string, anything you can find to divide
the garden into nine equal squares
The seeds will be planted in patterns of 1, 4, 9, or
16 depending on the size of the plant
Zip, Zap, BING, BING, BING
p
Tips for Planting
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Choose vegetables and fruits to plant that the people are
used to and familiar with
Plant a variety of plants
Plant 2 to 3 seeds in each hole to ensure that they grow
Plants such as onions, marigolds, and garlic are natural pest
deterrents
Vine plants need to grow up, a structure should be built for
them to grow on, they should also be planted on the north side
of the garden
After harvesting a crop, new compost should be added and a
new and different crop should be planted, planting crops from
the same crop or a crop from the same family in the same soil
can deplete the soil of nutrients and also allow for disease in
the plant.
Watering Your Garden
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Plants should be watered
twice a day
Water immediately after
planting
Water lightly, do not want to
pack down soil, poke holes in
the bottom of metal can to
make a strainer system
Don’t water from overhead
Keep a bucket of water in
the sun so you always have
warm water ready
Plant each plant in a shallow
depression to conserve water
Protecting Your Garden
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Plant Protection cages – three
sided wire mesh “cage” to protect
from animals and adverse
weather
 You will also most likely need
to make some sort of covering
for when it rains. One idea is
to place a tarp over the
protection cage
Weeds – best way to have a
weed free garden is to keep up
with the weeding, also the close
spacing of the plants will help to
shade the soil and prevent weeds
Pests- use natural deterrents like
marigolds or onions planted in
your garden
Remember You are Teaching