The paper or fabric will act as insulation, which keeps the heat trapped inside the oven.
Black absorbs heat very easily, so it will keep your oven toasty.
Use a utility knife to cut the cardboard. Place your cardboard on a scratch-proof surface, like the garage floor to cut it. Always cut in the direction away from your body, to avoid accidentally cutting yourself. [5] X Research source
If you’re using aluminium foil, smooth it out so that it has as few wrinkles as possible.
If you’re operating your solar oven on a windy day, take extra care that the rods don’t blow over by sticking them more deeply into the ground.
The sun moves throughout the day, so if you’re cooking something that’s going to take a few hours, make sure you don’t put the oven someplace that will be shady in an hour.
You may need to reposition your box several times during cooking to catch the sun. Measure the internal temperature of your meat with a meat thermometer, which you can stick into whatever you’re cooking. Make sure meat gets up to at least 170 °F (77 °C), which is the temperature that kills germs. [11] X Research source
You only need half of the drum to make the oven. You can discard the other half.
Pay extra attention to the corners and crevices, where grease can accumulate.
Use tin snips to cut sheet metal. Always wear safety goggles and protective gloves when cutting sheet metal. For the large rectangle: one side be as long as the long side of the drum, the other should equal the curved length of the interior. You can measure this with a flexible measuring tape.
Cut using tin snips, wearing safety goggles and protective gloves.
Slide the rivet into the nozzle of the rivet gun. Place the rivet into the hole you have drilled and squeeze the trigger of the rivet gun. [17] X Research source
Make sure that you wear gloves and non-fancy clothes when you’re painting, and that you paint in a well-ventilated place, preferably outside.
Make a flashing “sandwich” by putting on two layers of flashing so that the glass can slide between them, instead of sliding on the uneven edges of the barrel. Place a strip of thick cardboard in between the two layers of flashing to hold them apart while you drill through both layers and attach the flashing to the drum with pop rivets. Remove the cardboard and repeat until 3 of the top sides of the drum have flashing sandwiches.
Spray-on insulation expands a lot, so start with a thin layer, and wait for it to dry before applying more.
In the northern hemisphere, you should angle your oven southward. At the equator, face your oven directly upward.
The small holes will allow condensation to escape the oven.
The glass should be about 3⁄16 inch (0. 48 cm) to be thick enough to be sturdy. You’ll have to custom order the glass at a hardware store based on the dimensions of your solar oven.
You can check the thermometer to see how hot your oven has gotten, but to really make sure that your food has cooked sufficiently, you should use a meat thermometer.
You don’t have to secure the grills into place. You can just place them into the bottom of the oven.
Most solar ovens reach a maximum heat between 250 °F (121 °C) and 350 °F (177 °C). However the size, materials, and insulation of your particular oven will determine how hot your oven gets. Depending on your location, you should angle your oven in different directions to make the most of the available sunlight.
