The Eagle Solar Cooker: Solar Cooker Week Cooker #3
Posted by carrie_roll
The eagle solar cooker has been my favorite solar cooker to make so far.
Even though there was a little measuring involved, and I messed up when making some of the bottom panels for the cooker, there was no protractor needed, and putting the panels together was very easily done with the duct tape.
I also like how the eagle collapses easily (though the Solar Cookit is supposed to be able to collapse easily too, I didn’t figure out how to get it to collapse.
We will also be posting a transcript of this video shortly (which will tell you more about how to make this on your own). So for now, here’s your materials list, and then watch and enjoy:
Materials List
- Cardboard (or another material with a reflective surface)
- Aluminum foil (if you’re using cardboard)
- Glue (if you’re using aluminum foil)
- Razor blade knife
- Measuring tape
- Duct tape
- Cutting surface (optional)
- Board (for folding against (optional))
- Scoring tool (if you decide to use printing sheets or sheet metal for your cooker).
Background on The Eagle Solar Cooker:
Manda designed “The Eagle”, based on the delightful CooKit, with Americans in mind.
Manda is the creator and sponsor of the 2007 Solar Cooker Web Site Contest.
She’s also sponsoring the 2008 solar cooker web site contest HERE, which we have entered, and you can too! (When you do, let them know you heard about the contest from GreenJoyment – a little good word never hurts.)
The eagle solar cooker’s initial pattern is made out of American standard 8 1/2″ X 11″ pieces of paper. This method lends versatility: the Eagle can either be made out of one large cardboard sheet or pieced together out of smaller sections. (It gets its name from the vaguely Thunderbird shape when flat.) http://www.thegenieslamp.com/solarcooking/talzcook.bmp http://www.thegenieslamp.com/solarcooking/talzclam1.pdf
A scale model of the Eagle is available here, as a one-page .PDF printout. http://www.thegenieslamp.com/solarcooking/eagle.bmp http://www.thegenieslamp.com/solarcooking/talzclam1_model.pdf
By day, Manda (full name Manda, a.k.a. Talzhemir) is a 3D and traditional media artist, a designer of computer games, and a writer. She’s the co-creator of “Furcadia”, (the oldest continuously-running largescale multiplayer online game– and it’s FREE too!). She is also the co-designer of the tabletop roleplaying games “Pocket Universe” and “Quicksilver” (available from RPGnow.com).
By night, Manda is an avid recycler and scrounger, willing to pull large pieces of cardboard out of the recycling bin behind the mini-mall or saw a thick bamboo pole from a feral stand growing by the side of the road. In the tradition of the tea masters, she makes her own scoops, which she uses to gently drag tea leaves out of the little Gong Fu teapot. http://mojobaby.com/storage/assets/50/0001/2361/photo-7811.jpg
About solar cooking, Manda has this to say: “Up until now, solar cooking has had this image of science fair experiment, boy/girl scout project, or something you do if you’re a refugee in Darfur. There’s this air of alien-ness about it that needs to go away. So, I want you to show people that it isn’t rocket science that inevitably goes horribly awry. We’re going to dispel the idea that it’s just a novelty you wouldn’t really use to cook (like starting a fire with two sticks). We’re going to banish the fear that an appliance you made yourself for free isn’t as effective as that fancy store-bought $50 slowcooker. Everybody who uses a solar cooker today is helping to make a solar cooker as friendly and familiar as cutting board, skillet, toaster and fridge.”