Our WILDEST yurt project | Batch box wood stove with radiant floor tubes (Rocket Mass Heater Part 4)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.พ. 2025
- Mud for the cob bench & DIY steel door for the batch box (Vermont off-grid home build)
We started building a rocket mass heater 18 months ago, and since then quite a lot has happened on our property (and in our RV travels). Now, with the help of a special guest we finally have a chance to work on the cob bench. And Charles is fabricating a DIY stove door (with a window!) Plus, we have updates on the bluebird house drama and our nesting robins. And a black bear breaks into our "bear resistant" trash can.
Here are links to the previous episodes in this series:
Rocket Mass Heater Part 1 - introduction & batch box fire bricks
• Rocket Mass Heater Par...
Rocket Mass Heater Part 2 - mortar for the batch box core
• Rocket Mass Heater Par...
Rocket Mass Heater Part 3 - p-channel for the batch box
• Rocket Mass Heater Par...
Here are the open source plans for the design of the batch box burn chamber: batchrocket.eu/en
Welcome to our off-grid homestead in Vermont! Here, we experience the unique rewards and challenges of living in a travel trailer while setting up water, power, and a yurt on the side of a mountain. Charles plans and executes our DIY projects, and flies the drone camera. Jill is our TH-cam videographer. #diy #offgrid #yurt
... Charles... suggestion;
... put 2 wheel on that wheelbarrel.
... simple.. get another matching wheel assembly, some ready-rod, 6 lock nuts.
... ur better half will love it.
..also makes moving stuff much easier as u don't have to do a balancing act, and, 2 tires spreads the weight so travel easier on rough terrain.
... to ur better half;... when u load a wheelbarrel put most of the load at the front, that way the only time u have to lift any weight is when u start moving, once u lift most alll the weight is on the tires, not at the handles
Beautiful mudding! I love all the earthiness, I have great memories of Raku pottery making from watching your rocket mass heater project! Thank You for Sharing~!💚
Nancy is amazing, easy to see where Charles gets his good natured yet diligent work ethic!💖
Isn't that the truth! I hope she sees this.
... good job welding those angle irons.
... bed frame metal is 'garbage' metal/'dirty' metal
My neighbor uses an old Knaack Jobsite Box with a lock attached to keep our bears out of the trash that 3 of us use (we chip in to help her cover the cost of trash pick up). They had a heavy duty hasp latch installed with bolts and welding and then use nothing more then a Miller Twist-Lock Carabiner to lock it shut. the bear seems to have given up here. Maybe you can find something like that?? Bears are highly dangerous and I avoid them if possible.
Big shout out to Nancy!! How many moms would come halfway across the country to play in the mud 😄. Good to see her again. That stove is going to be wonderful this winter 👍.
The kitchen looks SO nice, and how wonderful to see you putting things away in it.
That bear wanted into that trash barrel so badly. It's a shame they can be so dangerous. I guess the one positive is they're black bears and not grizzlies.
Pulling for the baby robins. I had to chuckle at your explaination of the wren's false nesting habit. Just shows you that the little guy can indeed be victorious without a fight 😁.
Have a great week!! See you next time.
🥰🌿♥️
You are SO RIGHT. She's awesome. 🥰
I just saw your latest video about having to move out and came here to see how you got jammed up with fluid leak in your mass heater. You can't use the pex inside the mass. Hard pipe only if you want it to last Soft copper coil will work. I am sorry that this happened to you guys. When you pull it back apart, you might consider doing a 3/4' copper coil inside your barrel with stub in and stub out through the mass, or, consider an outer sleeve for the barrel for the copper coil and fill it with sand to create a thermal battery to keep the heat from the barrel and the sand to keep your coil hot longer during your cooldowns. You can make a sleeve for around the barrel with corrugated metal and self tappers This way, you never have to pull your mass apart again. I hope all works out for you.
Thanks for your ideas. Actually, in real time we did already replace it with copper! Details coming in March 1 episode. Surprisingly, the pex around the stovepipe was unharmed. The place it got hot was where it grazed the bricks too close to the burn box.
@OvertheRiverandThroughtheWoods I have done some extensive research and have worked on a number of designs using the rocket mass base. I just need the land now 😂 I did do one build for a family that included a hobbit house. If you want thermal properties starting underground to begin with is a winner.
This is my favorite part of the yurt, I really like it! do you guys think a similar effect could be done with the radiant floor heat and the heated mass but built around a traditional wood stove like the one you used to have? or do you think it would struggle to transfer the heat? I know y'all aren't experts but Charles is obviously a very smart guy and I would love your thoughts.
Hi there (Charles here). Short answer is yes, I think it could be done.
I have seen a guy that made a water heater (same concept) by wrapping copper tubing around the flu pipe (copper tubing would be expensive though). You could do this and pump it through the floor. Or, it sounds like you want to build a mass around the stove ... you could probably figure a way to run pex through the mass like I did. Just take a little thought on how to design it.
Just remember, if you want to build a mass, to make sure the structure below can bare the weight! Good luck with your project.
I’m shocked to see pex tubing wrapped around the stove pipe. Not a safe combo. Should have used copper for that part.
Yup, second time's a charm.
Y’all did a great job. Looking forward to seeing it working! Love y’all, Aunt Tressa
Thank you, Tressa. Thanks for tuning in, and thanks for helping Mom get here and back!
Your yurt is looking amazing!! Will you guys be back to Quartzsite this coming season?
Thanks! We'll actually be testing out the yurt by staying here in Vermont this winter 🥶
@@OvertheRiverandThroughtheWoods That sounds wonderful! But cold. Look forward to seeing your videos ♡
Looking good! Messy job, huh?
You're not kidding!!
... where did u get the stainless barrel ?
On Facebook Marketplace, previously used in a commercial kitchen. Thick stainless for $400.
Charles have you figured out how the bear got the lid off the septic tank?
(This is Jill) It's the leach field halfway down the driveway rather than the septic cover right behind the yurt. It was secured with two screws and I found the lid face up as it is in the photo, with the screws sheared right off. I gather the bear just put its claws underneath the edge and pried it up.
Hi Guys, thanks for the video. Are you concerned about bears breaking into the yurt? It seems they are pretty industrious and the vinyl walls and some lattice might slow them down a bit. I guess the 2x4 framing might help. If it were me I would put some electrified fencing around the deck.
We have seen another TH-camr that had their yurt broken into by a bear ... electric wire around the deck is absolutely on the list! 🙂
How does the smoke/heat go down? Does it create a draft?
Drafting would be difficult if it weren't for the bypass we are installing at the top of the barrel. That is what the hole in the barrel is for ... we'll be able to open a damper allowing the draft to go directly into the chimney from the top of the barrel. Then when the chimney is heated, we can redirect the exhaust through the bench.
Then the smoke will go down the barrel, not only because it is forced to, but because the barrel will be cooler than the exhaust at that point, so it will descend as it cools.
... it's not being ostentatious to buy urself a decent welding leathers.
... will save u alot of shirts (pinholes from grinding and welding)
I have to ask, better yet, ask yourselves...why???
Check back in January for the answer to that one!