ROCKET LANTERN
Dean Still, June 2003

Ron Larson mentioned the Rocket Lantern that I've been working on...Using
the open fire for illumination at night probably adds to inhalation of
pollutants. In San Nicolas, BCS Mexico where I lived, we made a fire almost
every night during the winter so we could see eachother as we talked.
Snakes, scorpions, spiders bite folks at night and it's a lot safer to have
light in places where these kind of accidents occur. It's nice to enjoy the
cool of the evening with a cup of coffee and a good book.

The Rocket Lantern in the following two photos uses metal bug screen as the
chimney. A glass jar can fit over the chimney for protection from wind but
is not necessary in houses without strong drafts. A three inch in diameter
metal chimney can be attached to the bug screen chimney to take emissions
out of the house. The wood is fed into the Rocket insulated combustion
chamber by a self feeding tray on wheels pulled toward the combustion zone
by a weight. I used a little metal toy car to hold up the fuel magazine tray
and reduce friction so that only a small weight is necessary. Sixteen inch
long branches can be used in this lantern which provides light for about 30
to 45 minutes between charges.

There are lots of Rocket Lantern variations on this theme. But this is one
that I like better than most.

All Best,

Dean Still