Click for detailed drawings of:
– The side and front cross sections
– Interior and case drawings
– The cover and wood frame
The Fabricated SUNSTOVE solar cooker was designed to be mass produced with hand tools and materials that are available in every country. The unit is affordable (materials cost less than USD $10.00) and it weighs under 5 kilograms, thus is easy to move or store (it hangs easily on a wall). It cooks 5 to 6 liters of food for a family. It is high quality, weather resistant, and user friendly. The SUNSTOVE stacks (nests together) for low-cost packaging and shipping. (Ten fit in the back seat of a car.) The unit is an ideal cottage industry because it does not require expensive machinery or facilities. It uses local materials, and only needs hand tools to manufacture.
Tools:
- Hand riveter and rivets; industrial stapler and staples
- Hand staple gun and staples; hammer and large tacks
- Screwdriver, wood screws, nails, and paint brush
- Tape measure, wood saw, tin snips, scissors, knife
THE KEY: Scrap Aluminum, Lithograph Printing Plates
They are available from newspapers or commercial printers and the government press in every country for the price of scrap aluminum. A reflecting interior wall and exterior case can be fabricated from these plates. They reflect the sun’s rays to the cooking pots, will not rust and, painted black, they absorb and retain the sun’s energy. Best of all they are low cost. A common size is 770mm x 1030mm (30″ x 40″). Different sized plates can be riveted together or the cooker can be designed to use the plates available in any country.
| Frame: | Wood, 90mm wide, 20mm thick, cut to length |
|---|---|
| Cover: | 1.5mm medium impact acrylic or polycarbonate sheet (Note: Plastic film or 3mm glass require frame) |
| Stops: | Recommended method: Three L-shaped metal or plastic stops/retainers, two at bottom, one on side (see drawings) or: |
| Hinge: | Flexible impregnated fabric attached to cover with rivets and to wood frame with screws (see photo). Reminder: STOPS ARE RECOMMENDED |
| Interior: | Scrap aluminum printing plate, 770mm x 1030mm x 0.3mm thick, best size, see drawings for details |
| Insulation: | Fiberglass, jute, or mineral wool mat, rug, carpet, or scrap textiles, wool, cotton, etc. |
| Case: | Scrap aluminum printing plate, 770mm x 1030mm or 30- or 32-gauge galvanized sheet metal |
| Paint: | Black primer that will adhere to aluminum |
IMPORTANT NOTE: MATERIALS AVAILABLE IN YOUR COUNTRY CAN BE SUBSTITUTED AND THE SIZE OF COOKER CAN BE CHANGED TO UTILIZE THESE LOCAL MATERIALS.