Methodology: Solar Ovens

Preparing the basic solar oven

Courtesy of E. Stanton

Methodology I—Solar Ovens

This page describes the materials for the standard and the magnified solar ovens and the procedure for making the solar ovens. The design for the basic solar oven is based upon a design of the Minimum Solar Box Cooker [10].

Materials

Standard Solar Oven

· Cardboard

· Newspaper

· One 45 x 55 cm Oven Bag

· Aluminum foil

· Invisible Tape

· Masking Tape

· Black Tempera Powder paint

· Paint brush

· 20 x 20 box

· 18 x 18 box

· Pencil

· Liquid bottle glue

· Measuring Square

· Utility knife

· Scissors

· Butter knife

· Stapler

Standard Solar Oven

1. Cut a 17 x 17 piece of cardboard for the drip pan.

2. Wrap two pieces of aluminum foil around the cardboard square.

3. Tape the aluminum foil to the bottom of the cardboard square with transparent tape.

4. Paint the aluminum foil black with powdered Tempera paint using a 50.8 mm paint brush and let the drip pan dry.

5. Put together the 20 x 20 box and the 18 x 18 box.

6. Put the 18 x 18 box on top of the closed 20 x 20 box and trace the outline of the smaller box on the top of the larger box

7. Cut out the 18 x 18 outline on the top of the larger box.

8. Tape down all the loose parts of the lid on the larger box with masking tape.

9. Cover the inside of the larger box with aluminum foil shiny side up (attach with glue).

10. Measure out six inches from bottom of smaller box and draw a line.

11. Measure out 9 inches from the top of the six inch line and draw another line.

12. Cut the smaller box at this last line.

13. Cut nine inches down the corners of the smaller box.

14. Crease these 9 inch sides into flaps.

15. Fill the larger box with newspaper up to about three-quarters filled (moderately packed).

16. Put the smaller box into the larger box with newspaper and fold and tape the flaps of the smaller box onto the sides of the larger box.

17. Cover the inside of the smaller box with aluminum foil and glue it.

18. To make the lid, trace the top of the solar oven body on a piece of cardboard. Add a two inch border and cut this out.

19. Make one two inch cut parallel to the edge of the cardboard on each of the four corners to form corner flaps. Make a two inch fold on each of the four sides and wrap the corner flap around to make the form of the lid. Staple the flaps to the fold.

20. Draw a rectangle 1.5 inches from the edge of the lid. Cut out three sides to form the reflector. Be sure that there is a cross grain that runs left to right looking at the front of the oven.

21. Glue aluminum foil to the inside of the reflector.

22. Take an oven roaster bag, trim it to fit the inside of the lid, and glue it in place at the edges.

23. Take a 12 inch piece of coat hanger Bend half an inch on each end pointing opposite directions to form a prop for the reflector lid. Attach.

24. Place dry drip pan in the oven resting on a few thin strips of cardboard and the standard solar oven is now complete.

Magnified Solar Oven

1. Repeat procedure for standard Solar Oven from 1 through 23.

2. Take a 2 x 4 and cut it into three pieces, two 18 inches and one 20 inches long.

3. Nail the 3 pieces together into a three-sided square.

4. Take a half x one inch piece of wood ( 18 inches long) and nail it to the empty space on the three-sided square.

5. Take to pieces of 20 x 20 inch cardboard and glue them together with liquid glue making sure the corrugations on the cardboard do not face the same way. Let dry.

6. Cut out a 18.4 x 18.4 square from the middle of the double-layered 20 x 20 piece of cardboard.

7. Take the rectangle cut out four 0.5 inch strips.

8. Take the outside part of the square and place it on the wooden frame.

9. Place an oven bag on the cardboard frame and put the four strips of cardboard on each of the four sides. Make sure the oven bag is not pulled tight.

10. Nail the oven bag, cardboard strips, and cardboard frame onto the wooden frame with one-inch finishing nails.

11. Take another oven bag for use as a vapor barrier and tape it onto the one side of the top of the magnification lens frame using masking tape.

12. Place on the magnifier lens without any attachments and you have your magnified solar oven.