Idea for Large Solar Oven: Experimenting

Hey guys, well since I can't afford one, I will make one. I am still in the experimental stage. Any one who has ideas please share so we can all benefit and make our own ovens. Everyone should be able to use the power of the sun to cook. Thanks for watching, and God bless.
J

[@backroads82]

Was thinking you could use the same cooker pan but place it in a black wheelbarrow, put a couple of silver dollar store windshield reflectors around the insides and trim them to be flush with top of wheelbarrow. Then lay an old storm window on top of the wheelbarrow. Since the wheelbarrow is on a wheel it can be turned for optimal sun and also can be located anywhere. When done the reflector and window can be stored easy and the wheelbarrow can be used for other chores....just a thought.

[@aniharper525]

Add some spray insulation to the outside of the wheelbarrow too to keep the heat longer.

[@danahorton1202]

good idea Backroads!!! the best thing to do is do it and tweak it then share the results

[@muddyshoesgardener]

That’s amazing! Great idea!

[@MaLiArtworks186]

I can only get my cardboard solar oven up to 140°.

[@williamgamble3651]

could always use an old glass oven door

[@kittensugars]

My Father made a solar oven in 1979. It was about 3x3 feet. It was 2x4 lumber and paneling for the outside, and it had a hinged lid. The inside was painted flat black, and the lid was lined with aluminum foil for reflecting into the oven. The top of the oven was covered with a piece of beveled glass when food was cooking. He put it on a lounge chair with wheels for moving it around the yard. lol. It worked great. we cooked more than one thanksgiving turkey in it.

[@DUMB_AND_DUMBERER]

THE GROUND IS COOLING IT FROM UNDERNEATH...ELEVATE IT ONTO A TABLE OR LOG.

[@pamelagroves2142]

Table or log painted black, not the tank.

[@marcushennings9513]

I'd go with concrete bricks/blocks, in Florida you can get 3rd degree burns walking on the sidewalk barefooted but feel a tremendous difference stepping onto the grass and they'll stay hot for hours after the sun goes down.

[@HeyJoshome]

I am so glad I am not the only one who's tried a diy solar oven! Do a follow up when you iron out the kinks and you have inspired me to try again.

[@janetfolkerts5827]

DO NOT buy the auto sun reflectors from the Dollar Tree, they are too flimsy. Buy the cardboard stiffer reflectors. I made mine using the D.T. reflector and the wind continually bent it over no matter how I tried to give it some support. I put my roasting pan inside a special turkey roasting bag found @ Walmart in the tin foil and saran wrap area..I put the themo on the top of the pan and put all into the roasting bag, used a twist tie on the bag to seal it and set it in the middle of the auto sun reflector..in 30 min it jumped from 0-200', in another 30, it 250' then in another 30 275' then dark clouds and rain came..You CANNOT solar cook in the rain :-) I will try another time but use a better grade of auto sun visor. If not for the afternoon rain, I was pleased with how fast it rose in heat even though of all methods this is the least efficient because the open air and breezes prevents it from getting as warm as it would if it were in a contained insulated box. This method really only has the turkey cooking bag to insulate it and even that is exposed to the open air and breezes.

[@albertmills4435]

Great video. It took Thomas Edison 1000 attempts to get the light bulb to work. To get over 200 degrees in your solar oven the outside box must be sealed. Insulation must be in along the bottom and side walls, and double pain of glass on top with an air gap between layers. The back tilted at the sun, and then your reflectors. If you do this you could hit 350 - 400 degrees. Good luck

[@ghostdog7306]

Love low-tech ingenuity! I'm collecting ideas to make one myself

[@mamalbug]

Great idea my friend. 3 things I would do... First plug the hole. Your heat is escaping. Second insulate. I'd wrap the four sides with cardboard and maybe even under the tin. Third get the pan off the tin. This way it can heat 360*. Maybe use some little rack that would raise it a few inches.

[@WillowsGarden]

This is awesome J, can't afford a Sun Oven either...going to look for one of these at the thrift store! Nothing like hillbilly ingenuity at it's finest, lol! Hope all is well and doing great, God Bless, xxx

[@Ken0604]

John maybe try putting the roaster pan back in the roaster and then put it under the glass. The roaster part is insulated so it should help hold the heat,

[@mattgvid]

Ken Williamson maybe even add a little water to the roaster part to help generate more heat?

[@tamyservin7524]

I watched this video twice and I noticed that you might want to cover the hole in the glass at the side of the tank. Heat might be escaping through it. Other than that, I can't think of anything. It looks like a good idea.

[@deemail100]

I set my whole unit in a wheelbarrow so I could move to the sunniest part of the yard, adjust angle with the sun and even tilt it easily without opening anything. Worked pretty well... I've been cooking in cast iron with glass lids as I don't have one of these roasters...but am certainly on the lookout for one at a yardsale...

[@rustybell2722]

I just found your channel while researching sun ovens and solar cooking. By the way, it was your solar cooking steak one that made me click first. I love the say country boys can survive by using their wits. Gotta find me a "country boy". ;D

[@rchopp]

Great idea, just some thoughts plug the hole in the glass and seal the bottom, a flat panel on the bottom would be best so heat couldn't leak out.

[@vermiman]

Since heat rises that hole near the top will let too much heat escape.

[@TheOriginalFreak]

Tips: 1. Blanket on Cardboard: It should work better to lie the blanket on a hard flat surface, stretch it out using rocks to hold it taunt, and then lie the cardboard, sticky side down on the blanket. This will help prevent so many wrinkles or at least get you closer to a finished product you can live with quicker. 2. Reflector Angle: There are a lot of good sites out there on the best angle, many with good old fashioned hand drawings that are very easy to understand. The basic concept is to reflect as many solar rays onto the surface/object to get warmed. This angle depends on a lot of things including but not limited to: - Local latitude (more north of equator, the lower the angle) - is the oven laying flat on the ground or tilted up toward the sun (the more tilted the oven toward the sun, the lower the angle) - do you have flat reflectors or smooth - what time of day it is (the closer to highest sun you are, the higher the angle) - what time of year it is (the closer to the Summer Solstice you are, the higher the angle) - How wide your oven is ( the wider the over the higher the angle) Here is a web site that has already done all the math you just type in a couple bits of info on your oven and off you go. 11:41 in this video is a great example of light reflecting well into Jon's oven. As you can see at this moment the angle of the reflector is past 90º or straight vertical and is in fact leaning a bit over the oven. 3. Insulate: The more airtight and well insulated the oven, the better as the less hot air you have created can escape. Be careful of how you insulate, some insulations are flammable and/or give off toxic gases when they got too hot. 4. Cooking containers: Should conduct heat well 5. Oven construction: Avoid using materials inside the oven that can melt, catch fire, or release noxious nasties such as plastics, paint, etc. If you do spray paint the aquarium, make certain you do it to the outside not the inside. Keep in mind, like Jon, I am not a solar scientist or PhD in sun cookery, these are just things I have learned over the years. Hope they help!

[@djo9941]

Back in the mid 70s, my high school power systems class made all kinds of solar cookers out scrap cardboard, wood, foil, whatever we could find. As long as the sun was out, no matter how cold we could go outside and cook breakfast! They cost little to nothing and lasted all year. Great video!

[@Javaman92]

Straw bales are awesome insulators, stack bales all around that thing and use straw to help you keep your reflectors where you want them.

[@effieinglish]

Might catch on 🔥

[@stephaniecole6630]

I like knowing there's someone out there that thinks like me. You come up with a lot of the ideas I do but I am unable to do them. Thank you for putting them on You tube.

[@JoyceVirgillo]

There's an old adage which goes: More wisdom is required to know good advice, than to give it. Awesome you can do that! Some suggestions/Ideas - Insulating pan from heat absorbing ground, different type of glass - perhaps auto, angle of glass in relation to Sun... Thanks 4 all the great videos. Peace & Love, to you & your Family. J & L from Oregon

[@carolynmiller8668]

Hi John, I noticed that our solar oven is sealed. Try sealing up the crack and hole in the tank with duct tape as well as the channels created on the bottom by the roofing.

[@carolynmiller8668]

Carolyn Miller Oh I see a lot of others have already suggested that. I think all four sides should have reflectors to bounce the sun in. But don't put reflectors inside because it will bounce the sun back out. I liked the idea of putting the roaster base right in there as well. Is there room to insulate between the base and the insert? That would be the cheapest way, I think. You may also have to find a way to tilt the oven so the glass can be angled towards the sun. These are just suggestions from looking at ours.

[@chronobot2001]

Great idea. Getting the pan off the ground is a must. Reflectors would help.

[@BartleyJ]

Also, I live in Arizona so when its 118 degrees here we cook our steaks on the sidewalk..haha

[@susieq7344]

You are entertaining and appreciate you working on this. I am trying to think of ways to do this also. You hit the nail on the head. We need something we can afford and something that going to cook a meal for the FAMILY. You have some great ideas to get me started. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing!

[@Buford2735]

I used the bottom of an old Weber kettle grill painted with flat black paint. I used a large car sun shield as a solar collector. The grid in the bottom of the grill works great to hold and support a large dutch oven. Try it you'll be impressed.

[@Helen-readysteadyhome]

Sounds great, i have an old gas weber so I will try this for sure, thanks 😊

[@qualicumwilson5168]

If you are still messing with this I would like to suggest a few ideas. Firstly use your tinfoil cardboard on the bottom. Use a trivet or four rocks to elevated your baking pan. Secondly glue real mirrors along one long side and put that on the north aspect. Glue more mirrors on whatever wood you have and use that above mirror side to reflect light into cooker. Seal all holes in glass and base of aquarium. Finally, glass is a great conductor of heat so double pane the top or use some sort of thermal glass or plastic (greenhouse stuff). Good luck this might help

[@juliacampbell5881]

Hello John, Great video and I like the idea your going with. I can tell you what worked for me while out camping. Dug a little space out to fit my cast iron dutch oven. No fires allowed so I threw in some rocks for the oven to sit on and lined it with foil. Sat the oven in and put the lid on. I placed a few rocks around the edge of the hole and sat one of those magnifiers you can buy for reading pages on top of the rocks. They are about 8 by 10 in size I think. I found mine at a yard sale for $2.00. And the oven was $3.00 at another. Got the temp up to about 300 with it. And it cooked the ribs wonderfully.

[@hayestack01]

Thank you

[@chimpchowder5774]

Julia Campbell yeah dam good idea! I use a TV satellite dish I covered with aluminum tape. It can lite wet frozen sawdust in 27 degree wheather on snow in 3 minutes I have flames!

[@MaLiArtworks186]

What kind of rocks did you use?

[@MaLiArtworks186]

I am going to try your method. Thanks!

[@juliacampbell5881]

@@MaLiArtworks186 Hello Ivory, I just used plain old rocks from down by the stream where we camped. You can also just get a few bricks and wrap them in foil. The bricks also make for great self defense. When I was younger I kept one in the bottom of my purse just in case. And yes I had to use it. Some punk tried to car jack me after work and I swung my bag and knocked him right the hell out.

[@ashtonrobertson7851]

I really enjoyed your video! I know its from 6yrs ago, but I would put foil around the inside sides of the tank. Just another thought, if you'll indulge me. I see you have a pile of bricks behind you in a couple of the shots of your video, I would see how it works building a box (so to speak, excluding top flaps of course) out of the bricks, line the inside of the bricks with foil and either use the tank to then cover (like you were on the ground) or just a sheet of clear glass or whatever other material you prefer and then place your reflector/reflectors around. I would think the bricks would provide even more heat as brick heats up quickly and retains heat longer....so even if you arent reaching a super high heat, you'll atleast have a little more time to slow cook as the sun goes down and the bricks cool off. Maybe even put some reflectors around the brick foundation earlier in the day to super charge the heating of the bricks. Im sure you have found a way as this video is 6 yrs old, but I really appreciate your video.....it got me even thinking about the best way! With the world the way it is, now is the time to really brainstorm even more so!

[@bcmasur]

about to see what my 41"x31" spot fresnel can do... videos to come

[@lawtonharrison5018]

I sure miss your videos John. Hope you and the family are doing well, Thanks for all you have provided over the years.

[@DaBilda]

G'day John. I would recommend getting it up off the ground about 18" and sit it on a reflective material. As you have it there on the black base the heat will be being soaked up and going into the ground more than up where you want it, remember the ground temperature will also be affecting it there, the ground soaks heat, not reflects it. You could also line the sides of your tank with reflective material to direct heat to the oven/cooker, most of the sunlight will come from above, very little will be soaked in from the sides. Your oven/bowl is black and will soak up heat, anything you put around it should direct heat toward it, not soak it away. I hope this helps, love your videos. Paul.

[@littleme3597]

This was great! I loved it. ^ 5.

[@Jaydit7]

I don't have any technical advice, just want to say that an electric slow cooker's lowest temp is 200F. Some friends of mine made a solar oven/cooker, and got a little ill, when their food (meat) was undercooked, even though they used a thermometer. I admire your ingenuity, so far...and wish you luck. I'm looking forward to updates.

[@1tinker3006]

1. Put your pan back in the roaster because it is already insulated. 2.Toss it's lid away. 3. Use the biggest piece of the aquarium glass as the roaster's new lid. 4. Prop the roaster up on one end (or side) to make it more perpendicular to the incoming sunlight. 5. Now add some reflectors. 6. Take a temperature reading. Impressive, huh? 7. Thank me and cut me a check for my help. 8. Step 7 is optional. LOL

[@Steelslinger]

Cool project! I see a few areas for further experimentation. I am not sure how smooth the blanket is on the cardboard. Next time try laying the blanket on something flat like a table where and bringing the sticky cardboard to the mirror. You are also probably loosing heat through the channels in the metal. Try something flat to seal the bottom. You might also want to try mirroring more cardboard and setting it on the sides of the fish tank (same idea as putting it on the tank but probably easier and removable if it doesn't work out) You have an awesome project and started with some killer ideas. Maybe, as a community, we can get the last few kiniks worked out.

[@jcharlie29]

Good try learned a lot from you

[@Jodi_lynn]

I did some thing like this but I used some of this shiny bubble insulation stuff around the edges inside the aquarium, my roaster has a glass lid.it works good! Thanks for the idea

[@BearBearandhat]

You have the right idea BO$$ keep showing us more of your handy ideas

[@kathycovington7301]

Your so awesome!!! Thank you! Was looking at solar or sun ovens and like you I think they are far to expensive... Thank you sooooo much for giving us this idea! Gonna see what I can scrounge around and come up with!

[@damageinc2]

have you ever thought about adding a thin layer of water on top to magnify the suns ray's same concept as using a bottle with water to start a fire .... just a thought

[@movinon04]

awesome idea- i think you need some insulation on the sides and bottom to help hold in the heat you are generating... for the pan maybe if you put the roaster base in also it will help retain the heat for the cooking process-- as for the tank- maybe several layers of cardboard that will fit snuggly inside the fish tank on the ground with the top layer painted black also- hope this helps- love ya- huggs....

[@RobPainless]

VERY cool! Thanks for working this idea.

[@lusnorthernhome3410]

And maybe line the sides of the aquarium with tin foil

[@buzzsah]

Great idea John.

[@RalphLedesmaOneMansOpinion]

Thanks for sharing brother keep trying different things...Something bound to work LOL :D.Alot of great ideas in the comments to try keep us up-dated please.If you fail to prepare be prepared to fail!!! God Bless and the end.

[@dragonfly1414]

OMG you make my date, you brought up to my attention I will go to good will look for glass for my solar oven.

[@hayestack01]

Thank you for your great Video

[@OurTinyHomestead]

Maybe you could try to plug up the hole in the tank. I'm thinking that may allow some heat to come out of the box.

[@castironlady1720]

Love your determination!

[@lusnorthernhome3410]

Maybe up off the ground as the ground hold the cold .

[@ryhtz]

I like this bloke. Subscribed.

[@dananelson3534]

I've thought the same thing when looking at those ovens, kind of small and very pricey. But as they point out, they pay for themselves by energy savings. Looks like you're on the right track.

[@janetfolkerts5827]

I was thinking of covering the metal flooring with the reflective, the black pot will absorb heat. Also I was watching your shadow and the direction of the sun and I was thinking about another covered piece of cardboard on each end taped to in the corners to the longer pieces. That way when the sun changes directions you will be able to catch the rays from all angles. I really like the idea of using the fish aquarium. Also on some of the others that raised the pot so air could circulate under it. Your wire rack on top of the tile would probably raise it enough and the tiles would still warm as well. I agree, "Making the Most Of What You Have" is being self sustaining..something every American should be thinking about. Like you I too like to do experiments and I love the idea of utilizing the solar blankets..

[@sweetheartsmom]

john line the inside walls of the aquarium with the foil on top of some kind of insulation; i believe you are losing heat through the walls; can you do a follow up video on this when you figure it out; i am going to try this

[@bernardflood8289]

Greetings from Ireland. Have you ever tried a solar ray set up. All you need is a timber frame like a very tall table with the top removed and loosely cover it with some clear plastic then pour some water on it so the water runs into the centre and it should act like a big magnifying glass. Adjust your height so the beam covers your cooking pot. It should work, maybe.

[@fernandomontoya6710]

pretty good thanks god bless

[@livinglife8333]

Love this guy!!!!

[@dorethameek5671]

I'm going to try this thank you.

[@pamelagroves2142]

I enjoyed going through the steps with you, no better way to learn next to having to do all this yourself. I’d have probably become frustrated before I figured something out.

[@bettystone8128]

Great effort John, I love to cook with the sun but mine is just a styofoam cooler. I couldn't get the temp. as high as I wanted it either. Keep trying and I'll be watching. Thanks

[@michaelsmith71]

Sounds like a good idea and have to agree with alot of comments about insulating the bottom and sides that are not bringing the sun in to cut down heat loss and maybe take another one of those blackets and make a parabolic reflector type effect to focus the sun onto the cooker and posibly a piece of glass on it for a lid to let sun in and trap as much heat in the cooker itself.

[@sd10559sd]

Just a thought...perhaps you need a smaller enclosure with the reflectors on all four sides at an angle, reason being that since its a big glass aquarium, it takes longer to heat the dead space and the heat is not concentrated on the roasting pan. Also, you could buy one of those whole-page reading magnifying lens, as another commenter on this thread had suggested, to place on top of the glass. Another great heat-absorber are clay tiles to put underneath the pan. Just don't use the glazed clay tiles though. Good luck on your experiment :-) God bless!!

[@sparkle5278]

-guy makes bbq smoker out of file cabinet- Is a GREAT video I always see old file cabinets at goodwills and since you want to cook outdoors this would be great for y'all to try too. ~Texan

[@jonkoehler5534]

Great Idea, I would like to seguest that you fabercate your planels using 1/4" plywood or 1/2" with some higes and light chains for a 3 side solar collection system. Looks great got me thinking brother

[@1rdgrnnr]

John, black absorbs the heat . so you want everything around your black roaster white ( as in the floor roofing ), and then everything else reflecting thhe sun rays into the roaster. You had the emergency blanket glued smooth. I say leave it ruffled so as the sunlight can reflect in many different ways . Love you idea , I think I'm going to work on one also !!!! good luck . love your channel. BTW glass can defuse the sunrays !!! I'm just saying !!!

[@plutobeliever]

I built a sun stove and used the 99 cent car window sun reflectors, which work great... I use a small black pot/with black lid and set it on top a some bricks and boy does it get hot...

[@OZARKCOTTONTOP]

???? MAYBE ??? I use a 1948 Maytag dutch oven - The way it works is that it has a HEAVY iron plate in the bottom of the oven...and the oven itself is wrapped in wool ... You heat it up to 250 or 300* and then turn it off and it cooks for hrs afterward.... I LOVE IT! With this in mind ---- MAYBE if you used a iron dutch oven or skillet and placed it on a foil insulated board ( or a bit of aluminum foil wrapped around a old foam cooler or ( maybe dig a hole and line it with foil ) . it would heat up way faster and hold the heat longer ....

[@MobyDave1583]

The orchard is looking nice John.

[@liboriopsych]

This is EXCITING ... Thank YOU for sharing with me... What "I" might try is; replace the black paint with silver paint (or foil) on the outside sides and bottom (bottom could be black or silver). Put some of that silver tape to plug the whole (prevent heat loss). Then, get some tempered glass (glass tabletops are tempered, so hit garage sales), for a top. Lastly, use something to tilt one end to face the sun. Oh, and keep the Mylar covered cardboard... I LOVE THAT IDEA !!!... Then, let me know how it works out, because you have inspired me to do the same, thanks 😊

[@belindafalgout1675]

Awesome! Some way to seal the bottom, so the heat's not escaping will help.

[@swanyut]

1) flatten that bottom sheet of steel...the air can escape through those corrugated bends 2) raise the cook pot to the highest level in the tank...heat rises...this will also allow some sun to get underneath the pot now 3) place thicker corrugated cardboard under the sheet of steel to insulate the bottom...also wrap cardboard around any side not getting direct sunlight...your reflective shields are probably shading the sides so they are better off insulated now. 4) find some type of metal material to put inside the oven that will also absorb the suns heat to help build up and maintain temps ( ie...steel wool ( pull apart so not so compact ) ..or metal shavings from a machine shop if you know someone 5) the roasting pan is shiny...take fine sandpaper or steel wool and give light rub down to make it more of a dull black finish which absorbs sun better 6) plug up the hole but leave just a little one..like 1/4 inch so that moisture can get out...otherwise the glass will get condensated and the sun wont get in as good 7) make another reflector and place it flat on the ground in front of the oven and some sun will reflect into the cooker

[@AndrewOgdenMechasaultfreak2]

Put magnifying glass all over it lol

[@laurawolf12]

Not sure if this would work or not, but you might be able to get extra heat if you surrounded the cook pot in there with tiles, or stones. I'm thinking they'd absorb heat as well and the greater bulk of hot things would radiate more heat? Especially if you managed to make 2 more reflective flaps so it was surrounded on 4 sides? Another possibility is if you put WATER in there (in reflective metal pots for example) around the outside. It'll heat up and create steam which if you cover up that crack in the aquarium which might let the heat out, the steam will heat the food from all around. My first thought was actually a spin on how they make a hangi or "earth oven" in my country (New Zealand) . It's a hell of a lot of work so people don't do it a lot. But they dig a hole, put a hunch of hot coals or firewood in it, layer on rocks and wet cloths to create steam, put food in baskets down there then bury it for insulation. There's diagrams on it if you want to Google it out of interest. Anyway I hope that helps :) you've got a great invention there!!

[@dotsyjmaher]

WOW.....THANK YOU

[@xanadu1jw]

Looking at the GoSun Grill on youtube I think you could probably put the mylar coated cardboard in a curving u shape inside the aquarium and then buy two turkey roasting bags, one just big enough to seal the cooker into and twist tie the opening and then another larger one over that with air blown into it maybe by mouth so that you have an enclosed air space around the cooker. Sit that inside the U-shaped mylar covered cardboard and cover with the aquarium. You could also coat the interior small ends inside the aquarium with mylar. The GoSun reaches 550 degrees Farenheit so your setup should at least get near 300 that way. If you still want the exterior reflectors, go for it but they seem hard to manage what with breezes and having to adjust the cooker to face the sun and all. Without them you can just rotate your cooker by moving the metal bottom you have under it. Anyway your cooker needs to be black, everything between it and the sun needs to be clear and everything surrounding the cooker otherwise needs to be silver to reflect the sun towards the cooker.

[@off-gridsimplyhappyrodriguez]

i just seen one for 600 dollars big enough for the smallest pan ever lol. i want to make one, thank you

[@1946pepper]

good idea .. needs reflectors. What happens to that spray glue when it heats up? hope it doesn't drop down in the food you are cooking???????????

[@deanoboland]

Great work on video mate

[@SelfSustainedLiving]

John.... Start out with a Large Cooler or old frige/freezer... line it with reflective metal and attach either tempered glass or plexi glass. You need insulation on the sides and bottom

[@brianhendershot1485]

I realize the roaster is a bit larger and will hold more food but the cast iron dutch oven/camp oven you restored back in December will retain the heat better and maybe get up to temp faster?

[@GEAUXFRUGAL]

Hey tater get a couple of tires that your roasting pan can set in . Pane glass for a top lid. Spray foam or silicone to join your tires. Get a sheet of something you can glue mylar on. 4'X8' sheet of stryofoam should do. I ordered a roll of mylar. 100'X48" $31 delivered. We shall see.

[@herbertjohnson7986]

I like your design I would make another piece for an end and secure it to the sides that would stabilize that end real well. the other end leave open and secure it to he ground with a rod of come kind. I think that would work out very good. Now I'm interested in doing one.Thank you, Blessing's Herby

[@lylymongeon]

Isn't this fun. Try leaving the insert in its sleeve, put space blanket on bottom under the container, also on the inside of the walls of aquarium and make 4 reflectors for the top, like your other oven has. You'll get so much heat the top might crack. But if you have access to an old oven door, you could recupe the inner glass which is high temp resistant and you'll have a winner for sure. Keep us posted on your progress. LyLy. :)

[@AnnBearForFreedom]

By not having a lid on the pot, the entire inside of the aquarium becomes the vessel you have to bring up to a oooking temp. Any way you can make/find a glass lid for the pot, so youre just heating the inside of the pot and not the inside of the entire aquarium?

[@ScottimusPrime]

I'm agreeing with those saying try and put the space blanket / tinfoil around the inside of the aquarium. I could see the bottom being painted black, though. This way, the heat is absorbed. Putting foil on the bottom will reflect some light out? And maybe put a bunch of magnifying glasses above the top?! :p

[@peterbeyer5755]

You need to insulate it from the ground, but some shatter proof acrylic mirror tiles reflecting the sun into the aquarium.

[@wesleytillman9774]

One side of those space blankets is more reflective than the other. A standard cheap VOM meter that most people have, set on continuity, will give a reading of current flow on the naked foil side. That's the side you need to have the sun hit.

[@grayjappe562]

Putting foil on the aquarium sides instead of painting them black will reflect the sunlight more efficiently, and block up the vents on the base will help

[@jayhalfmoonfarm8094]

great idea man. You might try insilating the outside and using wood for the reflectors. Pallets are a great source of free/cheap wood. I use them all the time for projects around my lil homestead.

[@sjones3575]

You could use at least two more hands. Love your video's. Keep em coming.

[@ronaldsahn9649]

Need to insulate the bottom, heat moves to cold, so the ground is sucking the heat out. Make your refectors in sections acts like more suns, I made a few it was hard getting over the 200 degrees on the first few cookers.

[@thefaeryman]

what if you took a used satellite dish and glued the foil blanket or foil to it. then without the receiver on the dish. then point the sun's rays that reflect from the dish through one side of the tank while the other sides are blocked and insulated. best

[@sinisterfire6641]

First off. Add sides to the reflector. Second, stick refective material on the bottom. Also. They sell an insulation called Relectix at home depot. Its reflective and insulating. Line the inside with that. The black is great but the aquarium has a hole letting out your heat.

[@akfredward3863]

Looks good to me. I think that you might want to make two more reflectors like the other solar ovens have. I think I would also line the tank with the space blankets. As well as I think that the peice of tin that you are useing is defeting your heat, I think it is absorbing the heat and then sending it to the ground. Maybe put the whole thing on your rock wall near your outdoor kitchen might work better. I have never done something like this but in my mind it should work my friend. Alaska Fred

[@Scoutmastertroop101]

Hey John, try and insulate the glass box sides and bottom. you could make a cardboard box 4" bigger and feel the space with old newspaper.

[@k1fergy]

try putting the blanket material on the tin, inside the aquarium & seal up the hole. enjoy your videos

[@jbindallas1]

well, I tried to send you an email on here but I guess I ran out of talent on that too. this is not about the solar cooker but another thought that might help. I done work for the banks for years on foreclosed homes here in Atlanta and you would not believe the crap we threw away. it would be a goldmine to someone like yourself if you could find some local "preservation" companies around you. take it easy, Jeff

[@danahorton1202]

put a windshield screen cover on the ground and a trivet to raise the pan off the cover then use the aquarium to make the greenhouse and it should rock and roll !!!

[@paulaestcourt9184]

I'm not sure if this would work what I suggest is to is get a larger cardboard box remove one side and the top, cover the whole inside in reflector material and rest the baking tray n it. Then lay a sheet of glass on top. This was even if it is windy the reflector should stay in place and the sun reflects from the 3 sides and the bottom. It's worth a try.

[@Kube_Dog]

Reflectors are the ticket. Get that right, and it will heat up great. So, a reflector behind and one on each side (kinda flared out, not perpendicular to the sides of the glass tank). One underneath the tank that extends out in front too. If it's awkward to put one underneath, something black. The idea is to reflect sunlight not into the tank as such, but onto the black cookware. The only purpose of the glass tank is to trap the heat coming off the cookware so it doesn't just cool off into the atmosphere the second it gets hot. The glass is clear only so the light can reach the black cookware. The idea isn't to heat the glass enclosure, but the cookware itself. The cookware is the oven, not the glass container. So, bounce as much light onto the cookware and, if possible, get a smaller tank. One just large enough for the cookware. A snug glass around the cookware gives the heat nowhere to go other than staying right next to the cookware. But that's not the main thing. The main thing is reflectors. Mirrors if you have them. Even a car dashboard reflector.

[@johnhoward7298]

I think You'll have to get it off the ground , You are losing a lot of heat out the bottom . Try a piece of blixtek on bottom , and foam board on back and both sides . That , with the refectors should get something like 200 f . On a hot day maybe a little more .

[@Pastlifepioneerwomancentury]

Great Idea! John What about putting foil Inside the pan? I bet that would really help it get even hotter.. Good Luck and have a great Day... Lori