View Full Version : Zip Stove vs. Homemade wood stoves???
sirbingo
01-11-2007, 13:33
Not considering the weight of the Sierra Zip Stove, How does it compare to homemade wood stoves I see on the net?
:D
The Zzip stove has a fan. That's the main difference I'm aware of. There are many hacks of the Zzip, however. Zzelph has one, in another thread. I don't think he's fired it up yet. ;)
sirbingo
01-11-2007, 14:36
I know about the fan and double wall and all that stuff...:)
What I want to know is....does the fan and the double wall and and overall design of the Zip work better then say a Hobo stove?
What I want to know is....does the fan and the double wall and and overall design of the Zip work better then say a Hobo stove?
Depends on who you ask, I guess. The guys that designed the Zzip, and most of its users (I think) would say yes. I mean, otherwise having the fan would be stupid, right? But I haven't done a direct A:B comparison, so I can't say for sure.
A while back, I saw a homemade wood stove with a tube soldered through the side that attached to a piece ot tubing. At startup, you blew through the tube to get the fire burning hotly, Afterwards, the fire induced draft was sufficient.
Anyone have experience with that type to compare??
Tom
sirbingo
01-11-2007, 15:06
Thanks Tom,
Thats what I am curious about.
I was planing on adapting a copper blow tube to my homemade wood stove and was wondering if this kind of setup is just as good as the fan/double wall design of the Zip.
Thanks Tom,
Thats what I am curious about.
I was planing on adapting a copper blow tube to my homemade wood stove and was wondering if this kind of setup is just as good as the fan/double wall design of the Zip.
I have used a couple of wood stoves in the past, but never the zip stove. As to the blow tube, I made one out of a brass connector and piece of plastic tubing. I use this when firing up the stove and if I need to add additional wood I will use it again. My blow tube isn't connected to my stove and I have even used it when starting a campfire at times. If you plan to use a wood stove, I highly recommend a blow tube.
Rex
Frolicking Dinosaurs
01-11-2007, 15:42
Franco posted about a new wildwood stove coming out -- stainless steel and 6.8 ozs. Couple that with a blow tube and you might have the perfect long distance wood stove.
Lanthar Mandragoran
01-11-2007, 15:57
What I want to know is....does the fan and the double wall and and overall design of the Zip work better then say a Hobo stove?
As some people have said, it depends on your definition of 'works better'. Hobo stoves are far simpler, fan-stoves burn like forges.
Assuming you don't mind soot (that's what I'm assuming since you're considering wood as a cooking fuel in the first place), the modification you can make to your "hobo" stove that will have the biggest impact on performance is also just about the simplest mod.
Just raise the floor of the stove so that air can come up from below... there are a TON of designs on the 'Net that show this. The Penny Wood stove, the nimblewill, the previously mentioned wild wood, Bill F's ti-mutli-fuel stove... there's a slew of them (I actually listed a few more over on the yahoo.com backpacking stoves group). If you're making a stove out of a food or coffee can, bending some hardware cloth and dropping it in works great (as long as you have breather holes around the bottom).
IMHO, raised floor hobo's are the sweet spot of performance vs simplicity for most DIY wood stove builders.
I also need to give another thumbs-up to the comments of you just need a length of plastic tube and a bit of copper tube to make a blower... no need for fancy connectors on your stove (especially if you have a raised floor), just slide the copper bit in and blow (helps prevent inhaling smoke too... it's really nice...)
sirbingo
01-11-2007, 16:04
Thanks Lanthar!
Thats what I am curious about.
I was planing on adapting a copper blow tube to my homemade wood stove and was wondering if this kind of setup is just as good as the fan/double wall design of the Zip.
__________________
All things considered, your blow tube, your non-smokers lungs, is just as good as the zip.
Buy youself a stainless steel flour sifter at you local dollar store and modify it to your liking. Follow Lanthars instructions, and you saved yourself some big bucks and most important----You Made It
JimSproul
01-11-2007, 22:28
I have had good luck with a home made stove. Here is a good site for information all kinds of stoves there are examples of blow tube and fan drive designs:
http://zenstoves.net/Wood.htm
Johnny Swank
01-12-2007, 09:14
That's a great idea about the flour sifter. How long does the screen hold up to a fire over time?
That's a great idea about the flour sifter. How long does the screen hold up to a fire over time?
I removed the screen and replaced it with 1/4 stainless steel hardware cloth. The original screen will clog with ash quickly.
Just for the heck of it , use it with original screen and let us know how long it lasts. Thanks in advance
Johnny Swank
01-12-2007, 10:18
I'll play with that idea of the sifter as is. Where'd you get the 1/4" stainless screen? Hardwear store or online?
What I want to know is....does the fan and the double wall and and overall design of the Zip work better then say a Hobo stove?
Yes. The key to starting a wood fire is draft. In a home stove the draft is supplied by the heat of the first flames rising up a chimney. A hobo stove has no chimney, so it's a hassle to get going. A zip stove uses a battery and fan to supply the needed combustion air.
Lanthar Mandragoran
01-12-2007, 12:14
Zelph,
Nice call on the flour sifter... actually if you cut it up to make an 'insert' and punched some holes with a HAND PUNCH (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44060), you'd probably skirt the clogging issue...
The attached drawing is a top-down view of said hobo stove.
Lanthar!!!!!
I used a knife to remove original screen,I cut it out. The screen retaining ring is still inside the sifter.
I'm a firm believer in not denying oxygen to any kind of stove, especially a wood burner. Close off the fuel supply not the oxygen.
A pencil can be used to punch holes in the original screen. Most sifters I've seen have multiple screens, the kind that have triggers that activate whirllygigs between the screens to keep the flour flowing.
It's one of many stoves I've built, but not posted. Not enough hours in a day. Within the next month or two I will create a website that will show all the stoves and stuff that I have made and how they were made. It'll be a show and tell site where everyone can post their creations. Maybe even have my own domain. :-?
Lanthar!!!!!
Within the next month or two I will create a website that will show all the stoves and stuff that I have made and how they were made. It'll be a show and tell site where everyone can post their creations. Maybe even have my own domain. :-?
Thats a great idea Lanthar! :sun
You might want to look at Risk's forge:
http://www.imrisk.com/forge/wsforge.htm
A homemade, forced air wood stove.
I'll play with that idea of the sifter as is. Where'd you get the 1/4" stainless screen? Hardwear store or online
I got it a local harware store that caters to the major local contractors.
Risk's forge: Super easy build, I like it, the guy's thinking makes it easy for everyone to make one of their own. Way to go Risk!!!!!
Lanthar, show everyone a photo of the one you made, the one that has the grate raised and well ventilated. Thanks in advance.
Yes. The key to starting a wood fire is draft. In a home stove the draft is supplied by the heat of the first flames rising up a chimney. A hobo stove has no chimney, so it's a hassle to get going. A zip stove uses a battery and fan to supply the needed combustion air.
Hobo stoves are little chimneys that sit on the ground. Make them with lots of air vents at the base, put a grate just above the air vents, use the appropriate size dry fuel and tinder and you won't have a hassel to get it going. It's all in the know how of starting a fire.