barrel ovens

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We were near el Jicaro, Nueva Segovia...

Barrel Ovens

I recently went to help out with the new volunteers’ training. They have been in country for about 4 weeks, and then trainees for the AG program have “tech days”. I got to be one of the “real volunteers” who was invited to help train the rookies.

During that week, we built two improved stoves, and two improved ovens. The oven is the interesting part. Mostly because it is waaaay better than the traditional ovens in that it uses a lot less firewood and gets hotter quicker. Again, check out the photos.

This barrel oven is, predictably, made out of a barrel. As in, a big metal barrel. There are specific designs needed for the barrel and for the person who does the welding. I will not provide a step by step guide to building a barrel oven, but here is a list of materials.

1. A barrel. That didn’t hold toxins.
2. Hinges for the door of the barrel.
3. 3 lengths of rebar. Apparently they only come in one length in Nicaragua. 2 bars will be used in the making of the barrel by the welder and the other will be used in brick construction.
4. 30 adobe blocks for the “table”
5. 180 bricks
6. Dirt
7. Horse crap
8. water soaked in the bark of the Guacimo tree for at least three days… makes the water very “sticky”
9. Machete for cutting bricks
10. Hacksaw to cut rebar
11. Measuring tape for … measurements.
12. A level for …. making sure things are level

It was a relatively simple process, assuming of course, that all of the materials are there and ready for the construction. I would like to do an example in my community. If it goes over well, and more people are interested in the barrel oven, then I can work on writing a grant to get funding for the project.

But first I need to figure out where to get a barrel and a welder in Somoto.

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Photos

so this is what the finished product looks like
but they will cover it in white mud to make it look prettier. but still, heats faster and uses less wood than the big huge brick oven to the left