Epic Fail-Homemade Solar Cooker Experiment

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Ok I am trying to build a homemade solar cooker out of my pickup windshield screen and stuff around the place as an experiment that I got from the internet e-how, cause they never lie ya know and that

[Rmplstlskn]

My opinion is that the windshield screen in not SHINEY enough to reflect the IR waves of the sun and it is not FOCUSED. You are getting reflective heat but not enough to cook with. Sort of like using a magnifier lens to FOCUS the suns beam to a small point that then gets very hot. You are not FOCUSING...

Rmpl

[1Admin]

Come on now, don't tell me that everything that someone posts on the internet might not work..... You guys are scaring me!!! I have stacks and stacks of zip drives with all sorts of valuable information gathered from the net that I've never actually tried! I KNOW it will save me one day! All hail the blessed zip drive!

You guys are making this up to scare me!! Find a happy place! Find a happy place!

:)

Great post Matt.

Until people get out and TRY some of these "money saving" inventions people talk about on the net, they might not find out all of them don't work as planned....

Five stars! Excellent!

[qrprat77]

Hey, anything over 130 kills bugs, so as far as I am concerned you found a better way of sanitizing water than by boiling it.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Come on now, don't tell me that everything that someone posts on the internet might not work..... You guys are scaring me!!! I have stacks and stacks of zip drives with all sorts of valuable information gathered from the net that I've never actually tried! I KNOW it will save me one day! All hail the blessed zip drive! You guys are making this up to scare me!! Find a happy place! Find a happy place! :)
Great post Matt.
Until people get out and TRY some of these "money saving" inventions people talk about on the net, they might not find out all of them don't work as planned....
Five stars! Excellent!

Knowledge is Power, Practiced Knowledge is Strength, Tested Knowledge is Confidence

[Urban Survivalist]

If you want to use the windshield screen then try this. Place the pot in a clear bag and place it in the center without the milk crate and tie it with a bread tie or something to lock in the air. When the pot is out of the bag the surounding air will disapate the heat. Use a few mirrors like the 6 pack of 12 X12 you can buy at home depot for $9 and get more sun directed to the project. I have found that the windshield screen that is reflective with the round bubbles accually works better than the one you have there. depending on the mirror useage and focal points you can reach 200

[Matt In Oklahoma]

If you want to use the windshield screen then try this. Place the pot in a clear bag and place it in the center without the milk crate and tie it with a bread tie or something to lock in the air. When the pot is out of the bag the surounding air will disapate the heat. Use a few mirrors like the 6 pack of 12 X12 you can buy at home depot for $9 and get more sun directed to the project. I have found that the windshield screen that is reflective with the round bubbles accually works better than the one you have there. depending on the mirror useage and focal points you can reach 200

I might try the pot in the bag. The mirrors would work but I was trying to build it from the plans that were there and with stuff I had laying around. If it was real deal time there would be alot of missing mirrrors round the house:) Funny thing was all these folks claim 300+ when doing this.

[dilli]

lots of claims of lots of things.... only ones i have ever seen reach those temps are commercial made ones and we experiment quite a bit... best method from homemade that i have personally found is dig a hole, line with shiny stuff, chuck your covered pan in hole then place a piece of glass over the top...YMMV ;)

[Matt In Oklahoma]

lots of claims of lots of things.... only ones i have ever seen reach those temps are commercial made ones and we experiment quite a bit... best method from homemade that i have personally found is dig a hole, line with shiny stuff, chuck your covered pan in hole then place a piece of glass over the top...YMMV ;)

Cool! Thanks