Colorado Bob's Solar Oven: Welding Steel

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Welding Steel

I have not welded steel in 30 years. And I never have had any time on a wire welder. I learned welding in the shop at O.L. Slaton Jr. High in 1963. That gave me enough courage, to be a hippie welder years later. But finally it was in the oilfield I practiced enough to be just O.K. But that was all stick welding. This frame is being made with a wire welder. I like it. I'm not any good as a welder, but I like it.

Made a $31.00 trip to Home Depot for fastners. Axel nuts, screws to mount the oven shell on the frame, a 1/4 - 20 tap and drill, to tap the frame. And $11.30 for 4 bolts, they're in the clip. Dropped another $10.00 for grinding wheels at Harbor Freight.

I am about to start the sheet metal work tomorrow. I spent time in a sheet metal shop. The rest of this fabrication work is sheet metal.

1 comment:

Durward DiscussionJune 5, 2009 at 9:56 PM
Congratulations on reaching your goal. Extras can go towards those third world ovens.
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WHAT THIS IS

What This Part II

A vlog of the building of a large Telkes Type solar oven on a wheeled carriage, using heavy 26 inch garden cart wheels.
The total surface area of my glass is 673.75 sq. in. or 4.86 sq feet.
That's 24.5 X 27.5 inches.
The reflectors are 6,129 sq in. or 42.56 sq feet .
That's 8.82 to 1
47.42 sq feet of total collecting power going into a box that is 10.89 cu. feet of space. Insulated with 3 types of insulation 5 inches thick.
The oven is all steel construction. Construction began on June 1st 2009, and is documented in short clips, of each day's work.
The project begins on June 1st 2009 in the archives .

What This I
For 40 years the concept of solar ovens has rotated around the idea of bringing relief to a charcoal starved 3rd world. I read "Direct Use of the Sun's Energy" by Farrington Daniels in 1973. And it was 10 years old when I found it. It's the bible of solar power. Nothing has changed about the things Daniels laid out. Nothing. Materials science developed since 1964, but the things Daniels states about the sun, and the problems of capturing, and using that stored energy, it haven't changed a bit.

But back to the ovens. This spring I planted a lot of sweet corn with the idea I would cook it , and sell it on a stick. Always with the idea of using solar power to do it. So, I went looking for the state of the art in solar ovens. It's still stuck on all those charcoal burners in the 3rd world.

Which is to say , " How do we make a solar oven from cardboard, and tin foil, and heat a 3 qt pot ? "

I'm serious, a fellow perfected that oven . It's called the Global Sun Oven . You can buy one for $289 bucks. Your purchase sends one somewhere into the 3rd world as well. And they're great, but I can't cook 100 ears of corn on one, all at one time. Which made me think , neither can someone in the 3rd world. No one has designed , and built a small solar oven like a backyard grill. With wheels on one end, and handles on the other, about 4 feet long.

So, that's what this is, this is the building of that oven, with that goal in mind. All the designs, plans and clips will be free to anyone who can use them. Whether, it's tamales in Mexico, lamb in Mecca, or corn on Buddy Holly Ave.

Materials List

1 - 46.5" X 39 ft roll Reflec Tech Mirror film
1 - 4 X 25 roll Prodex Foil Insulation
6 - Rolls 2" X 60 ft. Foil Tape
1 - 6 pc. carton 2 X 48 X 24 rigid Mineral Board Isulation
1 - 4X8 Rigid Fiberglass insulation
2 - 26" spoke wire wheels w/ 3/4" bearings
2 - 3/4" nuts; 6 - 3/4" flat washers' 2 3/4" lock washers
1-20 ft 3/4" cold rolled round rod - 50" X 3/4" cold rolled round rod - axle
1 - 20 ft 1" - 1/8 angle
2 - 20 ft 1" square tube
5 - 100 count 3/16th pop rivets, small, med.
4 pcs. 2' X 10' 2' right angle 26 ga. sheet metal
5 sheets of 26 ga sheet metal 41 1/2 " X 10 " 2"

Colorado Bob's Solar Oven

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Welding Steel

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