Todays Parabolic cooker on the Cheap. Cooks good.

[gnihcraes]

I built one today from this thread. I didn't have a lot of sun left to do much testing, but it does get friggin' hot. Able to make a soda can smoke as it cooks off the paint etc.

Unfortunately the dish I used is a double, so I'm not sure if I'm getting as good a focus like on the single more round type.

[Great-Kazoo]

With the dish being Al, couldn't you strip the finish then polish.Or is it a waste of time & labor? Also could you use the small mirror squares with the adhesive backing (or glue) to form a deeper, tighter focused heating area around the perimeter of the dish?

[cstone]

I've been considering this thread for some time... Do you need to consider what is behind your target (pot/food)? You just may have the making of an inexpensive energy weapon. It reminds me of a larger version of the magnifying glass we used as kids to burn insects. This is just pointed up rather than down, although I guess you can point it anywhere as long as you can get a reflection from the sun.

I just wouldn't want to read about a fire started on a neighbor's house because it happened to be right behind your dinner.

[Irving]

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe you could cook birds right on the telephone pole without even killing them first.

[USAFGopherMike]

I've been doing research on this too. Did you apply a mirror coating to the dish? I'm also looking at Fersnel lenses.

[Tim K]

I've been considering this thread for some time... Do you need to consider what is behind your target (pot/food)? You just may have the making of an inexpensive energy weapon. It reminds me of a larger version of the magnifying glass we used as kids to burn insects. This is just pointed up rather than down, although I guess you can point it anywhere as long as you can get a reflection from the sun.

I just wouldn't want to read about a fire started on a neighbor's house because it happened to be right behind your dinner.

A parabolic reflector concentrates the suns energy at a specific point, namely the spot where the satellite receiver sits. Past that, the beams diverge again. Whatever you want heated must be at the focal point of the dish.

[Wulf202]

With the dish being Al, couldn't you strip the finish then polish.Or is it a waste of time & labor? Also could you use the small mirror squares with the adhesive backing (or glue) to form a deeper, tighter focused heating area around the perimeter of the dish?

Most dishes are powdercoated steel

[TFOGGER]

Most dishes are powdercoated steel

Saweeeet! Polish and then chrome plate it! Oh wait, this is about being inexpensive...nevermind

[Wulf202]

Chrome? I say we go with gold!

[gnihcraes]

I used the HVAC foil tape, already had a roll of it. got a suntan while applying it to the dish. The first couple of strips, and things were heating up. haha

I'll mess more with it this weekend if time permits.