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DIY: Wood Gasification Stove

The wood gasification stove is a more efficient and cleaner way to cook

using a wood based fire. The design is simple and easy to build with

readily available components and basic tools. The concept behind the

design is also simple. The wood is contained within an inner chamber,

surrounded by a layer of air. Ventilation holes create air flows that draw

the gasses produced by the burning wood down and out into the air

layer. There they heat as they rise to an upper set of ventilation holes

and are ignited as they exit and mix with the burning fuel. This system

results in hotter fire and one with less smoke.

To get started, you will need to gather the following materials:

One new quart paint can. These are available at the large home stores, like Lowe’s or

Home Depot. It’s important that they are new cans that have never held paint. They

typically cost around $3.

One empty and cleaned 19oz Progresso soup can. The size and type of can here are very important as it

just so happens that this can is a perfect fit to the quart paint can.

Quarter-inch hardware cloth. You’ll only need a couple of small pieces.

You’ll also need the following tools:

Drill with “step” bit (you can use regular bits, but the step bit makes it much easier!). The Irwin #1 works

quite well.

Small drill bit for pilot holes (1/16”).

Scissors (for cutting out drilling template)

Tin Snips (for cutting hardware cloth)

Can opener (preferably a safety opener)

Frederick High Adventure: Adventure Cycling Program 1. Cut out drilling guide from template sheet. Each template is sized to exactly wrap

around either the paint can or the soup can. Wrap the template around and tape

into place with wrapping tape. Go ahead and apply all three templates. You should

have one for the bottom of the paint can and one for the top and bottom of the

soup can.

2. Drill pilot holes at each cross hair. Here I am using a small 1/16” drill bit. These

pilot holes will ensure that the step bit doesn’t jump around.

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3. The step bit allows you to drill progressively larger holes. If you do not have a step

bit, you can use normal bits, but it helps to make progressively larger holes. When

you start with the largest bit, it can sometimes bite too deeply and bind, or tear the

metal.

For the paint can, drill the hole out to 3/8”. On this bit, that leaves four steps left

un-drilled. This is an easy way to keep an eye on your depth without having to stop

and check the guides on the bit.

For the soup cans, drill them out to about 5/16” or leaving 6 steps remaining. Don’t

worry if you accidentally sink a step too deep. The sizes aren’t that critical. This

stove design is pretty forgiving.

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4. Next you will remove the bottom from the paint can. A safety opener works best

as it leaves a nice clean edge that won’t be too sharp.

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5. Both cans should now be drilled out and the bottom removed from the paint can.

Now, turn the paint can over (holes up) and insert the soup can into the bottom of

the paint can. This is where the particular type of soup can becomes important.

The top ridge of the soup can fits perfectly into a ring around the inside edge of the

paint can. Apply a little pressure and the soup can should “snap” into place and

remain quite tight.

Go ahead and turn the paint can back over and put the lid on. Pound it into place.

Frederick High Adventure: Adventure Cycling Program This will further tighten the ridge against the soup can. Remove the lid (it might

require a bit of force now).

6. You will next need to create a screen for the bottom inside of your stove. This will

keep the burning wood up and away from the ventilation holes. Start but cutting

out a piece of hardware cloth that is 9 squares by 9 squares:

7. Next, cut out each corner, 3x3, so that you are left with this:

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8. Now fold down the ends to create support legs, each 2 squares high:

9. Insert the screen into the stove and push fit into the bottom:

10. Next, cut a piece of hardware cloth for your pot support. This should be about 22

or 23 squares long by 5 squares high. Cut all sides flush except one end. On that

end, leave the horizontal pieces of wire of the next block attached.

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11. Size the hardware cloth to fit inside the lip of the paint can (where the lid would

sit) . Fold the horizontal wires that you left on one edge so that they fit through the

square on the opposing edge and then fold back to hold in place. Test fit the pot

stand and adjust as needed.

12. Cut a “feeder” hole opposite the side where you fastened the two ends togother.

It should be three holes high and about 5 holes wide.

Frederick High Adventure: Adventure Cycling Program 13. Place the pot stand back on and your stove is now complete!

A few notes on usage:

The holes in the paint can do not wrap all the way around the can. This is by design so that in windy

conditions you can face the solid side facing the wind. The stove will still benefit greatly from additional

wind protection, but this at least will ensure that you won’t have updrafts that are too strong hitting the

bottom of the fire and causing it to burn too hot.

Once you have a pot on, you will need to continue to feed sticks into the fire. This is why you have the

feeder hole in the pot stand. Use small sticks and twigs.

Let the stove completely burn out and cool before touching. It will get hot and will stay hot until the fire

is completely extinguished

Note that the pot stand will fit nicely in the bottom of the stove. Turn it upside down and slip the stand

down in between the soup can and the paint can.

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