Tuesday, August 12, 2008

My Solar Funnel


For the first post I thought I'd show the solar cooker I made as well as the plans I followed.

The plans are here and the solar funnel I made is 50% larger then the one described. For an idea of size, the pot in the picture is a 3 gallon stock pot. If you plan to make one yourself, here are a few tips.

First, make sure the template you make to trace your outlines is very accurate. Otherwise each little mistake will be compounded as you progress. It's pretty easy to do, just take care to be accurate. I could do it, so can you.

Second, in the instructions it says to put the foil on after folding and securing it together. I think you will be less frustrated if you put the foil on while the cardboard is still flat, then cut off any excess and fold as directed. You will waste a bit of foil, but you will probably be much less aggravated when you are finished.


Last, the glue I used was simple Elmer's glue watered down 50/50. I used a pastry brush to apply it.

The end product is sturdy, 3 feet across at the top and 18 inches tall.

You will have to figure out how you want to put your pot in the cooker when using it too. I rigged up a pole that is attached to a base so it stands straight up in the air. The pole goes through the bottom of the cooker and at the top is attached a wire platform (a simple wire rack used for baking or cooling). Eventually I will set the base on a Lazy Susan type setup so I can easily turn it into the sun as needed.




Materials list-

3' by 6' sheet of cardboard (If you follow the directions at the link you will need a 2' by 4' sheet)
1 box foil (25' size)
Elmer's glue
Duck tape (to tape all edges together after folding and gluing)

No comments: