How to build a stone oven
(Page 2 of 3)
Here, then, is the type of stove that New Tribes trainees
have found most practical . . . a design that's well suited
to homesteading in the boondocks because it can be built
quite readily from materials at hand wherever you are.
RELATED CONTENT
The first step in the construction of the primitive
"kitchen range" is the fabrication of a platform to raise
the cooking area to a convenient working height. Usually
this is done by driving short poles into the ground and
tying crosspieces to the uprights with a generous amount of
baling twine. The result is a sort of table-like affair
which is topped with stout branches to serve as a base for
the stove.
Next, construct a three-sided stone or brick box—open
at one end—to hold the fire. To do this, place a
covering of stone on the raised platform and cement the
rocks together with clay or mortar (keeping the surface as
smooth as possible so that the stove will be easier to
clean). Then build up the sides of the firebox as you'd
construct a wall, and seal all the chinks. Finally, cover
the top of this box, for about two-thirds of its length
nearest the fuel entrance, with a flat plate (preferably of
cast iron, but you can use steel or even stone).
Remember, however, that only hard, unlayered rock will
do and the slab must be dried out by slow heating to
prevent it from bursting or even exploding when exposed to
intense heat.
At the other end of the firebox—farthest from its
open end—you should next construct your stove's oven
around a five-gallon can. The container is supported at
front and back and room is left between its sides and the
stone or brickwork so that the smoke and hot gases can pass
on their way up to the chimney.
Though the can is satisfactory, a better way to build the
oven is to place a whole 16-gallon drum inside a 30-gallon
drum cut in half lengthwise. The larger barrel serves as a
form for the brick or stone and makes for a neater and
easier job.
The oven itself, of course, has to have one end fitted with
a door . . . a job that's most easily handled with an
oxyacetylene torch, though it can be done with hand tools.
Cut a square hole in the metal, make a cover that's about
an inch bigger all the way around and attach the closure to
the baking compartment . . . with hinges at the bottom so
the door can swing down out of the way. Finally, make or
buy a latch for the top of the door.
