Furnace idea.

[Esteban]

Hugh, this is from a very old post. Spenser back then told me 1 or 2 tea type candles provided enough heat output throughout the night for him, and his wife, to sleep comfortably. They could start with more candles and blow some out once it warmed up enough inside. Years have passed since our conversation so I remember/know few more details. The four tins in his setup had (my best guess) 2 to 4 sq. ft. of surface area to radiate heat. They were a mini version of a gas wall heater in a house.

If each tin was 8" x 8" x 3" there would be nearly 1 sq. ft. of surface area per tin - counting the 8x8 top and four 3x8 sides. So for a small cabin area there could be a substantial surface area of heat radiation.

His one side door was not air tight and there were two awning windows for ventilation. i have no idea how much insulation there was in his trailer.

[mikeschn]

Esteban,

So if I understand this correctly, Robert placed all his candles in the first box? Whether it was 1 candle, 2 candles, or 6 candles? And the four cookie tins is to capture more of the heat before it exhausts?

I wonder if the 2" holes are too big. Maybe 1 1/4" holes? And I wonder if the handibacker in between the bottom row of tins and the top row of tins is hurting the heat output, or helping it?

Mike...

Reviving a very old thread. Clamshell vent covers, of the right size, functionally similar to these: Perko Midget Clam Shell Vent Chrome-Plated Brass would work to keep rain out and let air in.

Mike's cad drawing is close to how Spenser's cookie tin heater was built. The candles are much shorter than Mike shows. Long burning Tea Light candles like these from Target would work 7 Hour Tea Light Candles - White (100 Count) Robert used one or more long burning candles in the lowest tin box with an air inlet. Heated air flowed through the other boxes radiating heat into the sleeping cabin and then was exhausted to the outside from the last box on top. The cookie tin covers are held in place with a bolt through the center of the cover and a wing nut. We never got a photo of the heater to share.
The parts to build the heater are low cost. New cookie tins (can) come with cookies! The holidays are coming up so they may be more readily available.

Google images of square cookie tins
cookietins.com sells them in small quantities.

[Esteban]

Esteban,

So if I understand this correctly, Robert placed all his candles in the first box? Whether it was 1 candle, 2 candles, or 6 candles? And the four cookie tins is to capture more of the heat before it exhausts?

I wonder if the 2" holes are too big. Maybe 1 1/4" holes? And I wonder if the handibacker in between the bottom row of tins and the top row of tins is hurting the heat output, or helping it?

Mike...

Reviving a very old thread. Clamshell vent covers, of the right size, functionally similar to these: Perko Midget Clam Shell Vent Chrome-Plated Brass would work to keep rain out and let air in.

Mike's cad drawing is close to how Spenser's cookie tin heater was built. The candles are much shorter than Mike shows. Long burning Tea Light candles like these from Target would work 7 Hour Tea Light Candles - White (100 Count) Robert used one or more long burning candles in the lowest tin box with an air inlet. Heated air flowed through the other boxes radiating heat into the sleeping cabin and then was exhausted to the outside from the last box on top. The cookie tin covers are held in place with a bolt through the center of the cover and a wing nut. We never got a photo of the heater to share.
The parts to build the heater are low cost. New cookie tins (can) come with cookies! The holidays are coming up so they may be more readily available.

Google images of square cookie tins
cookietins.com sells them in small quantities.

Mike. this was not my trailer...so my memory of its details has faded.

Spenser used candles in the bottom tin with the air inlet. I imagine/guess the hardiboard between tins provides some room for the covers to fit on the tin without the covers/tops hitting each other. Don't know the "best" hole size between cookie tins. Seemed to be bigger than 1" and no larger than 2". He used "JB Weld" to weld a short section of pipe (just long enough to fill the gap from inside one tin to the inside of the next tin. I think the upper tins are there for capturing and radiating heat. The last upper tin has the exhaust vent to the outside.

(I'm struggling to learn how to use Windows 8.1 on a computer with a touch screen...fun? Good bye old friend Win XP )

[mikeschn]

Esteban,

I struggled with Windows 8 many months ago. I added start8 and now it works just like window 7. Do yourself a favor and get start8!!!

http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/

But okay, back to the subject at hand. The cookie tin candle heater!!!

Robert used 2 candles in his first tin and 2 candles in his 2nd tin. The third and forth tins are only for radiating heat.

Here's some additional information from a different source...

A heating output of 125 BTU/Hr is not unrealistic for a candle. Incidentally, that’s also about the same amount of heat 1 person gives off while at rest.

The top will want to get hottest, because of the buoyancy effect. You could play around with metal baffles inside the tin to see if you can get the heat pattern more evenly distributed and avoid hot spots. Something like a serpentine pattern might work well.

You’ve got to watch your surface temperatures. Stay below 200°F on any surface contacting wood so it doesn’t overheat. A max temp of 200° is common on furnaces and electric heaters. Recommend keeping surfaces which could be touched or leaned up against below 140°F, to reduce the potential for burns.

So there you have it... Any one up for designing the perfect cookie tin candle heater?

Mike...

[Shadow Catcher]

Done both and it works fine There is a write up on the hacked AC unit and the lessons I learned the hard way. The heater is an adapted Espar diesel heater.

[MtnDon]

I added start8 and now it works just like window 7. Do yourself a favor and get start8

Double on that!!!

[Ron Dickey]

makes one wonder if you could not make it into a mini Rocket stove with the candle at one end and the exhaust at the other end of the cabin.

candle heat source, metal tube caring hot air extends through the wall to the outside. It would never get hot enough to need a heat sink in the wall too.

I to have seen Spencer's trailer. He is going to build a 2nd one I wonder how he will improve on his heating system? not only when Steve slept in it but he brought it by the Home Depot one day. He has it very well balanced and you can lift the tung with little or no effort.

Ron

[mikeschn]

We had a nice chat with Robert last night, and he shared the following pictures with us...









Mike...

[mikeschn]

Is there no interest in this cookie tin candle heater? Just wondering...

Mike...

[KennethW]

Is there any problem with getting the candle heater to draft? It looks like a easy low cost way to heat a tear drop. Could electrical conduit clamps be used to connect the cookie tins? do you need a air gape behind the tins.

[Ron Dickey]

It is the simplest cheapest way to heat a trailer without getting to hot. Many of the teardrops I have seen folks are concerned about looks I think if the casing were to look say like a mexican pie cabinet.

that is both decorative and still will the heat to flow it would be better received.
a simple latch and hinges will make getting to the candles better easier.

But the basic idea is in my book very very smart! Just like the Rocket stove. Most of them are not pretty but warm whole rooms, with only burning sticks. and candles last longer then sticks do And electrical heat is good to but you need to keep the battery charged.
You can get candles and any $1 store!!

Mike said ....Is there no interest in this cookie tin candle heater? Just wondering...

Mike..
Mike you are great with CAD see if you can come up with a good looking cabinet that would be easy to access look pleasant and still be affordable.

But I when Robert finally comes to see my trailer I will talk with him more about it. Robert is a really nice guy and enjoys life.

Ron Dickey
Los Osos, ca

[Ron Dickey]

I have been trying to figure out how to put a Rocket stove in my trailer with heat in the floor and fire outside away from the trailer. but with the candle idea it would be small, simple, take little space. And we have lots of cookie tins.
You see my wife cooks 18 types of cookies every Christmas and fills the boxes with 2 of each. And gives them to family and friends. We have folks asking about them weeks before we even get started.

These tins are getting old and so maybe I will have a new place to store the old tins now

Whats another project tacked on to one that has already to many parts.

Time to pull out the candles and start playing
Ron

[oakinteriors1]

Ron I'm with you on the rocket stoves...http://donkey32.proboards.com/
But the candle idea...If you have a Wily window take out the plexi and slip in the heater wa-la no holes in the side of you're trailer....

[jstrubberg]

In a teardrop, I would go with a 12v heated blanket laid underneath me on top of the mattress. Running that for an hour or so would warm the mattress and cabin up. No flames, no exhaust, minimal battery draw.

[Esteban]

In a teardrop, I would go with a 12v heated blanket laid underneath me on top of the mattress. Running that for an hour or so would warm the mattress and cabin up. No flames, no exhaust, minimal battery draw.

With the falling prices of solar panels and kits that can work. Solar power for a teardrop trailer is becoming an affordable camping "luxury."