eco-craftalong

[lady4feet]

I really want to do a solar cooker this summer. I looked up the plans now I just need to find my supplies and just do it.

I really like your bags ysmeine, love the patchwork look.

[ysmeine]

These are pics of my solar cooker as is. It needs a little love. I was going to use it today, but I didn't wake up until 1:30. You really need to take advantage of the noon day sun.



here is the basic cooker without the reflector


here it is resting on the fooseball table


The window needs to be re-adhered and I need to replace floppy sides of reflector. I can remove two feet on the table or add a wedge to tilt toward the sun if needed. The table lifts it up off the ground so it is a little easier to use. The table could use a little love as well.

I saved the rods/paddles from the fooseball table. I plan to use them for curtain rods some day. I need to make button tab curtains for the boys room.

[ysmeine]

Partially, updated. I painted the inside of the table, made a temporary fix of lid, and added fixtures to the table.

I used the pre-existing holes to add hooks for utelsils and added a rod for tilting toward sun. I need to add longer legs.


here it is angled


fresh coat of paint and rod in holes. this can be moed to another set of holes to have it flat.


adhereing plexy glass scrap instead of packaging plastic. The plastic was all wrinkled. I need to find a better way for attatching the plexy glass. Painter's tape is a temporary fix, but at leat there wont be fumes in my food. I'm not sure if it will hold up to steam, but I can't find my duct tape.


new window, if you compare it to the one in previous post, you will see that it is much better.

[lady4feet]

Thanks for posting your pics. I love your use of the fooseball table to angle it. What all have you made in yours?

[ysmeine]

The hawiian style pork was good, liquid smoke, soy sauce, and brown sugar marinade. I was planning on making bbq chicken this past weekend, but I kept waking up after noon. My cooked carrots were semi crisp. They needed more time, but the clouds intervened.

Although it does work, it does require certain conditions. And working 3rd shift, makes it difficult to use very often.

[Ruby Copperhead]

Wow, thanks for posting the solar cooker. I am working on several models at the moment as well (will post soon), but I am not yet happy with the results. It works every time: as soon as I put my cooker out in the sun, the clouds come up Just right now, a pot full of rice and vegetables refuses to get more than lukewarm... whereas yesterday, when I tried a new design with just water, it worked fine... sigh...
I haven't tried the four reflector box that you used, I have some questions:
It looks like there is no direct sunlight in the box, is it right that all the sun rays come from the reflectors, is that really enough? Or does tilting the box make sun get into it?
How do you handle the uneven bottom when you tilt the cooker? Do you use a big pot so there is room for the food to tilt? Or do you have something in your cooker that makes the pot stand even?

[ysmeine]

I do tilt it toward the sun, it doesn't have to be a big angle as I start it before noon to take advantage of the suns angle. You do have to redirect it often. I do use a black enamel roasting pan, the advantage is it absorbs the suns rays and holds the heat in. I don't use a lot of liquid in my cooker. Although I do have a spring top jar that I use on occasion. It is painted black with clear windows. The problem is it takes more time to cook and a sunny day, without any scattered clouds. It would be possible to level the pot with a bean bag. This would allow you to reshape for different angles and still be stable. Although, I want as much of the suns rays to get inside the pan as possible so I tilt it as well. I also cut up my meats for faster cooking and spread it out some. You are cooking at a lower temp with a limited time. Which is why the jar takes longer, it is all bunched up.

I do have plans to reshape the reflector, it really should have more of an angle.

[marcusandila]

hmmm im not sure where else to post this, but do ya'll know of any homemade all-purpose liquid cleaners that do not require vinegar. I hate the smell of vinegar [even apple cider vinegar] & lately I can't stand cleaning with it. Any ideas? It probably was asked already but honestly I didnt read through all 64 pages....

[PimpernelSmith]

hmmm im not sure where else to post this, but do ya'll know of any homemade all-purpose liquid cleaners that do not require vinegar. I hate the smell of vinegar [even apple cider vinegar] & lately I can't stand cleaning with it. Any ideas? It probably was asked already but honestly I didnt read through all 64 pages....

I haven't tried these out yet, as I only just ran across them in an e-care newsletter, but they sound excellent:

Tea Tree Treasure

Nothing natural works for mold and mildew as well as this spray. I’ve used it successfully on a moldy ceiling from a leaking roof,_on a musty bureau, a musty rug and a moldy shower curtain. Tea tree oil is expensive, but a little goes a very long way. Note that the smell of tea tree oil is very strong, but it will dissipate in a few days.

2 teaspoons tea tree oil
2 cups water
Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not rinse. Makes about 2 cups, lasts indefinitely.


Grapefruit Seed Extract
The advantage of using grapefruit seed extract instead of tea tree oil for killing mold is that it is odorless.

20 drops grapefruit seed extract
2 cups water
Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not rinse. Makes about 2 cups, lasts indefinitely.

[pinokeeo]

Thanks for the tip about grapefruit seed extract.  I can't handle the smell of tea tree oil, and vinegar gets real strong after awhile.