These as-built drawings don't come with any official warranty or license.  But they do come with our personal guarantee that they are based on proven products: each example has performed to their owner's satisfaction for at least 1 year, including a full heating season.  Any improvements or modifications made during that year are documented.  Some plans have been through multiple revisions, with extra photos or diagrams added, or alternative project layouts included, based on readers' feedback.  Purchasers make their own decisions about the suitability for any particular purpose, or may consult a licensed building professional for local advice.

We are happy to answer questions before or after you purchase our plans.  We can give about 10 minutes of advice for free, or we can help you adapt your chosen plan through a custom project-outline consultation.  Please send questions or consulting requests to .  We also offer help with custom plans, and draft versions of plans still in testing, by arrangeme nt.  The Wisner Resources page and the Arrange-A-Workshop page describe our services.

Prices below are for PDF / online digital versions, except as noted.  For printed versions, in most cases we add $5 to $7 for printing and shipping.  Contact us directly to ensure prompt shipping: .

EVERYTHING COMBO: All our self-published works (does not include books or videos produced under license agreements with other publishers/co-authors).

Click Here to see the Everything Combo on Permies.com

Rocket Mass Heater and Oven Plans:

The only heater we used in our 900 sf Portland rental for 3 years. The low, L-shaped bench is wide enough to double as a guest bunk, or pull up a bench-table and mattress to make a heated double bed.
 Photo essay available.

PDF, prints letter or 11"x17", Rocket Mass Heater Annex6 - Click HERE to find this item on permies.com

Better Wood Heat: DIY Rocket Mass Heaters
The 4 DVDs each have individual topics:

Building a Cob Style Rocket Mass Heater (Tipi and Log Home projects)

Building a Pebble Style Rocket Mass Heater (3 different projects in a home, office, and garage/shop space)
Building a Shippable Core (versions by several different builders)

The Latest Innovations (cookers, batch rockets, and more)

www.richsoil.com/rocket-stove-mass-heater.jsp









If you like these drawings, but want something a bit different for your situation, please contact us.  We have a small selection of 'draft' plans, for projects which have not yet been proven by a full heating season of use, and if one of these fits your project we usually sell them for $20.
We can also draft your custom design, as a custom project outline consultation.  (See below.)

Free Downloads:

These printable downloads are suitable for workshop flyers, starting a conversation with your buddies or building experts, or just sharing inspirational post-cards. We also have a more detailed flyer available by request (suitable for initial meetings between owners, building professionals, and local officials).

*Custom Design Consultation:

Please see http://www.ernieanderica.info/wisnerresources for current rates.  In most cases, we will provide 2 to 5 hours to fully understand your situation and goals, recommend the most appropriate technology for the job, and sketch out a basic floor plan.  Many of these are variations on plans we've done before, and we may pull reference diagrams or whole plan sets from our library for your convenience.  If we don't think our favorite technologies will be a good fit for your goals, we'll recommend a different approach, and refund any unused portion of your consultation fee. 

Projects that are way outside the parameters of past success may require substantial prototyping and engineering, with necessary additional costs.  This includes most hot water, steam, portable, alternative fuels, and buildings substantially taller or deeper than a typical 1 to 2 story residence.  
    We are willing to prototype experimental designs on our test-beds, at cost of parts and labor, or with expenses-paid travel to your location.  We reserve the right to refuse any project at our discretion.
You'll get more value from a private consultation if you've already done your homework.  Visit the wood burning stove forums at permies.com, read the Rocket Mass Heater Builders' Guide and take a look at our site planning page before we begin our consultation.  All advice given through the permies.com forums is free, and if you have an extremely worthy but low-budget charitable project we may be willing to arrange pro-bono-publico consulting via those public forums.  Other good technical discussion sites include donkey32.proboards.com, and batchrocket.eu.  

Parts and Accessories:
The major mass of a rocket mass heater is literally dirt cheap, but most builders buy at least some insulation, and some purchase all-new standard parts such as firebrick, stovepipe, etc. The following links may help you find them.

Parts in a typical project:

Barrel
Ducting or stovepipe
Bricks (firebrick, red clay/recycled brick)
Earth (clay, sand, quarry fines, rock, subsoil, fill dirt)
Perlite (or other high-temp insulation)

Hardware / fittings (cleanout cap, tap screws, tape, chalk, gasket, foil tape)
Fiber or straw for cob casings
Decorative materials (tile, mica, pigments, facing stone, stove enamels, etc)

Tools:
Shovels
Wheelbarrow
Tarps
Buckets
Masonry tools (trowel or float, brick-set or cold chisels)
Tape measure, level, etc.


Barrel / Bell: We have a design contest open to the public, to create a 'better' bell for the heater.  It needs to works well (support downdraft temperatures and remain airtight) and look beautiful.  Many noncombustible trim options can be purchased at hardware stores, such as figured metals screens, tile, and engine-block paints, but all of these may affect heating performance to a greater or lesser degree.
  For standard steel shipping barrels, try scrap dealers and junkyards, feed stores and commercial processors (e.g. a local maker of soap or shampoo), Craigslist, or your local Jiffy Lube (smaller grease cans, often used as shop trash cans).  Steel buckets for pocket rockets can often be had at paint stores, mechanics, or fireplace shops (furnace cement).

Two more versions of the barrel: (reclaimed barrels, polished and oiled.  The copper version is simply a flat sheet of copper wrapped over the steel barrel.)  Stainless steel barrels can be purchased online for substantially higher costs, but be advised they don't radiate heat as effectively as weathered steel.  DO NOT use aluminum (e.g. old kegs), plastic, or other materials that melt before 2000 F.
Ducting, reclaimed brick, tile, and other recycled building parts:
the ReBuilding Center, Portland OR;  Habitat for Humanity's ReStores across the USA;  comparable local sites like NZ's SuperShed and the Kiwi Swap website.   Hit Craigslist early and often, and don't be afraid to post in the 'Wants' section.  Expect to pay for metalbestos chimney parts and other spendy-when-new items, even if only at 'scrap metal' prices.  Ask scrap-metal dealers and haulers about sources, and whether you can buy from them when they get a new load. 
Please feel free to recommend other sources you love.

Insulation: Perlite is the most widely available, usually bigger farm, garden, building suppliers, concrete suppliers will have it.  Horticultural or building grade are both fine; just avoid those "enriched" with fertilizers.  Try to find 4 cu ft bags, nothing smaller than 2 cu ft, for the best prices.  Vermiculite is a second choice (you need twice as much of it, and it is not as versatile to make weight-bearing mixes such as floor insulation). 
Refractory insulation: We have had good results with a blanket or batt-type refractory insulation such as rock wool, kaowool, superwool, etc.  Kiln brick (the lightweight stuff that you can carve with wood tools), or refractory insulation (Durablanket, Duraboard, Fibrefrax).  Fiberglass is not suitable for the heats involved.  Some Australian builders like to pull superwool from the engine hood insulation of wrecked commercial trucks.
Refractory insulation options can be found at fireplace shops, ceramic suppliers, a good masonry supply (these insulation materials are used to back insulated chimney liners and fireplace throats).  Rock wool, one brand is "Roxul" high-temp products including a greenish-grey granite batt, is sometimes sold as building insulation (especially in Canada and bordering states in the USA).  If time allows, we sometimes order directly from the makers online.  (Western Industrial Ceramics in Oregon and California has been very helpful in the past; there are similar regional suppliers throughout North America for ceramic-fiber blankets, boards, felts, and other products.  

Pottery shops like Georgie's in Portland, OR, or Clayscapes Pottery Inc. in Syracuse, NY, may have a good basic selection of bricks and insulation for kiln making, or be able to order from their catalog suppliers.  

Natural plaster colors, tints, and additives: Our favorite is Georgie's Ceramic Supply; they cater to hobby potters and have a lot of naturally-colored clay, extenders like grog or mica, and non-toxic clay-compatible paints for surface murals.  Avoid glazes as they may be toxic, and rarely tint well if unfired.  Also a great source for kiln brick, weird tools, and refractory materials.
The Green Depot has premium ingredients at premium prices; they source natural and recycled decorator materials from Oregon Clay, Ochres & Oxides, and other suppliers. 
Local masonry suppliers will have concrete pigments at a fraction of the price, which are suitable for lime and clay plasters but may not be as 'naturally' sourced.  Also a good bet for lime, high-grade masonry sand, and colored sand. 

You can also take a suitable container to most local hardware stores and get paint pigments sold by the 'squirt' (the ochres, white, and black, they are more heat stable, but you can try other colors if you like).  Ace Hardware and Do It Best stores are run by good local folks in most cases; we've had good experiences in various locations.  Home Despot and Lowes are a crapshoot; you get great expert helpers, and clueless salesgerbils, and have to watch more closely for inferior products.  But the do tend to have a little of everything.  We prefer to go first to the oldest local hardware store we can find, they tend to be awesome, and they will stock the best and the cheapest decent version, no crap.
Hardware stores are also good for gasketing, masonry tools, tarps, a wheelbarrow, grinders or tinsnips, ducting screws, buckets, and other miscellaneous ... hardware.

Refractory ceramic insulation: You probably don't need it, but it's fun. 
We have had good experiences with Western Industrial Ceramics at their Tualatin, OR location (they cheerfully do business with anyone: aerospace industrial giants, foundries, pottery studios, amateur glassblowers; and they can custom-cast refractory parts at reasonable rates.)  Many of the standard materials like board, brick, and felt can also be found locally - search for suppliers under foundry, masonry, industrial, ceramic/pottery, and woodstove/fireplace.  LaGrande Industrial Supply Co (foundry specialist), and Masons Supply, are two examples in Oregon.  Both have treated us right when we know exactly what we need; ask for a catalog or sample if you're not sure.
Industrial suppliers generally cater to tradesmen, not retail, so expect early hours, and don't be high-maintenance about small orders if you can help it.  They often stock superior masonry tools, powdered fireclay, kiln brick, fire brick, gasketing, sand, perlite, etc., sometimes at lower-than-retail prices.  If they sell only to licensed contractors, you can ask a tradesman friend to pick things up and offer a percentage for their trouble.


Finally, a Magic 8 Ball bonus: AdSense.  Let's see what this page's info summons online!