<div dir="ltr">Hey Ron,<div><br></div><div>2. cob is a natural material building method/ material, composed of clay, sand and straw. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cob_(material)">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cob_(material)</a></div><div>It has good heat accumulation properties, while the straw provides some insulation and durability - so all these make a nice stove structure. Accumulation can be reduced with a fired ceramic liner,which gives a faster heat transfer to the pot and it makes it more durable as well, as the heat would crack the cob eventually. As I've written in the email, i like the notion of building an extra surface right next to the fire hole, so its like a modern kitchen stove-top, where you put your hot pots. Cob is a traditional building method in many countries and its gaining popularity in Europe and other western countries as moder building materials are getting more expensive and people are getting sensitive about the materials they implement in their houses. Natural materials would have better properties, like sound insulation, air cleaning, heat retention, etc.</div><div><br></div><div>I recently started to collaborate at Krater, production space in Ljubljana / Slovenia, where we study natural material implementation as building materials and product design <a href="https://krater.si/en">https://krater.si/en</a> We started with invasive species of plants, like japanese knotweed and have this paper brand <a href="https://notweedpaper.com/">https://notweedpaper.com/</a> We implemented invasive species in cob material, like Goldenrod and Knotweed and some others. Also made biomass briquettes from several different species. We also have a lot of clay and gravel and sand on site, so its easy to experiment.</div><div><br></div><div>I was leading the workshop with <a href="https://27.bio.si/">https://27.bio.si/</a> where we are building a tea pavillion to demonstrate using various 'wild' matrials in contemporary designs, so we have built the cob stove to show how easy and applicable it is to almost every living environment in the world </div><div><br></div><div>I currently have some other projects on the go, but am looking for extra funds for development - if any of you happen to know for some we could apply, I'd be happy to know about. Also specifically regarding the cooking stoves, designing kitchens, etc. Richard, I have written to Nora Feldmar, but she did not reply - do you have any contacts with her still? I've had some corporate work in last 10 years but finally saved some moneys and have a small support from Slovenia government now for the next 5 years to work more on development projects.</div><div><br></div><div>3. I haven't done any char-making experiments with my stove, but Jed did in his projects, like you know already.</div><div><br></div><div>4. Funding from Finland was only for the short trip to Malawi, where I started thinking about briquette stoves, back in 2004. Than I got some support from our university in Vancouver/BC, bt that was it pretty much, apart from my master thesis on vernacular, open source design of cooking stoves in developing countries</div><div><br></div><div>5. Yes, Joshua really took the idea of the Roket stove to another level! Joshua, is cob building active in your area? </div><div><br></div><div>Thanks to all for the feedback!</div><div>Rok</div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon, Jul 4, 2022 at 4:31 AM Ronal Larson <<a href="mailto:rongretlarson@comcast.net">rongretlarson@comcast.net</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><div>Rok and List: cc Joshua and Richard</div><div><br></div><div><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span>1. Thanks for returning to the stoves list. Yours was a major topic of conversation many (15?) years ago.</div><div><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span>I apologize to Richard Stanley and several others for not including their later contributions. Richard and I met at a (forgotten theme) confere4nce in Boulder maybe 20 years ago. Good to hear he also is still active.<span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></div><div><br></div><div><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span>2. Can you expand on the word “cob” below. </div><div><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span>Some very nice-looking stoves in your photos.</div><div><br></div><div><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span>3. Many on this list are investigating. char-making stoves these days. I remember reading a little about the Roket and char-making. Anything new on the char-making front at your company? Or in your part of Europe?</div><div><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span>I ask because char is so important for climate and other reasons.</div><div><br></div><div><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span>4. At your excellent site below (<a href="https://briquettestoves.com/" target="_blank">https://briquettestoves.com/</a> ) there was a nice (but to me unknown) story about your receiving funding from Finland to develop the Roket. Anything more on that we should hear? Good for the Finns!</div><div><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></div><div><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span>5. There were also nice tributes to Joshua Guinto and his work with and extensions of the Rocket toward char-making and biochar. </div><div><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span> Like you, I think Jed is the best artist in the whole stove world. And sculptor and designer.</div><div><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span>I was especially impressed at his 2013 paper (new to me) which couples to your work. </div><div><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span>I include him to get an update on that very advanced 2013 paper found at: <a href="https://holeyroket.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/the-holey-roket-stove-and-biochar-project.pdf" target="_blank">https://holeyroket.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/the-holey-roket-stove-and-biochar-project.pdf</a></div><div><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span>In order to keep this message only to Rokets, I am starting another separate message to Joshua.</div><div><br></div><div>Ron </div><div><br></div><div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div>On Jun 27, 2022, at 6:17 AM, Rok Oblak <<a href="mailto:rok.stoves@gmail.com" target="_blank">rok.stoves@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</div><br><div><div dir="ltr">Dear stovers,<div><br></div><div>it's been a long time since I've written in the list, but we recently organized a Building with Earth workshop and one detail in the cob table was an integrated cooking stove - a ceramic liner, using biomass briquettes, same type as from Richard Stanley. </div><div><br></div><div>It showed up as a great update to the holey Roket stove <a href="https://briquettestoves.com/" target="_blank">https://briquettestoves.com/</a> as durability is a big issue as ceramic liners tend to crack and break pretty easily due to temperature shocks, but the cob here is making it last for a long time. </div><div><br></div><div>I have mixed local found clay and a lot of fine sawdust in the liner and it doesn't make any smoke, only when you push in a new briquette, there is black fumes for a few seconds, until a new one ignites.</div><div><br></div><div>If you happen to know any projects this principle would be good to integrate, even for other types of wood, I would be happy to share my experiences and possibly collaborate on redesigning existing stoves with this alternative solution. </div><div><br></div><div>Happy and healthy cooking!</div><div>Rok<br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr"><div><b>Rok Oblak, MAA Design</b><br><br><a href="mailto:rok.stoves@gmail.com" target="_blank">rok.stoves@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://www.holeyroket.com/" target="_blank">briquettestoves.com</a><br><br>Gregorciceva ulica 5<br>4224 Gorenja vas<br>Slovenia<br></div></div></div></div>
<span id="gmail-m_8697301549146212714cid:f_l4wp83jr0"><IMG_1230.jpg></span><span id="gmail-m_8697301549146212714cid:f_l4wp8bf91"><IMG_1191.jpg></span><span id="gmail-m_8697301549146212714cid:f_l4wpaed42"><IMG_1161.jpg></span>_______________________________________________<br>Stoves mailing list<br><br>to Send a Message to the list, use the email address<br><a href="mailto:stoves@lists.bioenergylists.org" target="_blank">stoves@lists.bioenergylists.org</a><br><br>to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page<br><a href="http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/stoves_lists.bioenergylists.org" target="_blank">http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/stoves_lists.bioenergylists.org</a><br><br>for more Biomass Cooking Stoves, News and Information see our web site:<br><a href="http://stoves.bioenergylists.org/" target="_blank">http://stoves.bioenergylists.org/</a><br><br></div></blockquote></div><br></div></div></div></blockquote></div><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div><b>Rok Oblak, MAA Design</b><br><br><a href="mailto:rok.stoves@gmail.com" target="_blank">rok.stoves@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://www.holeyroket.com/" target="_blank">briquettestoves.com</a><br><br>Gregorciceva ulica 5<br>4224 Gorenja vas<br>Slovenia<br></div></div>