Reflector Oven

[alsg]

I'm racing to get ready for my Penobscot trip a week from this coming Monday. Decided to build a reflector oven off of plans in Gil Gilpatrick's Building Outdoor Gear, which is the same book that inspired the NYETI tripping cooler. I bought aluminum sheet slightly over 1/16th thick. It cuts very well on a table saw with an ordinary carbide tipped combination blade (use a blade guard and face shield to control/protect against flying chips). But bending it has been a bear! I had to go buy a metal brake at Harbor Freight and I will probably never use it again! Between materials and tools I probably could have bought a professionally made oven. But where's the fun in that?

Next up, shelf and legs!

 

[sweeper]

Wow, I thought you said you had trouble with the bends?

They look PRO-ffessional to me

Nice job

 

[dougd]

Nice! What are the dimensions? The pic makes it look..um..huge!

 

[alsg]

Wow, I thought you said you had trouble with the bends?

They look PRO-ffessional to me

Nice job

I'm hiding all the imperfections in this shot. The seams don't lie as flat as one would like.

 

[alsg]

Nice! What are the dimensions? The pic makes it look..um..huge!

It is 19" wide. The front opening is 12" high; the back is 4". The depth is a 8 and 3/8".

 

[Odyssey]

Nice! What are the dimensions? The pic makes it look..um..huge!

I agree, alsg must be one of those fisherpersons who is adept at bigging up photography. I thought he was making a BBQ!!
But a really sweet RF. Looking forward to this build. Thanks alsg.

 

[Guest]

Nice! What are the dimensions? The pic makes it look..um..huge!

It looks as professional as the exhaust fan hood over the grill in my favorite diner. And almost as large.

I do not have the Gilpatrick book handy, does it break down flattish?

For lux canoe glamping it does not really matter. A tripper friend routinely carried the kettle and lid from a full size Webber grill in his canoe. He made some awesome meals in that thing, although we often did not eat until until 11pm because the 20 lb turkey or massive chuck roast had yet to thaw.

 

[alsg]

It looks as professional as the exhaust fan hood over the grill in my favorite diner. And almost as large.

I do not have the Gilpatrick book handy, does it break down flattish?

For lux canoe glamping it does not really matter. A tripper friend routinely carried the kettle and lid from a full size Webber grill in his canoe. He made some awesome meals in that thing, although we often did not eat until until 11pm because the 20 lb turkey or massive chuck roast had yet to thaw.

No, this one doesn't fold flat. But I hope to rig it up to hold some kitchen gear, so it won't be totally dead space.

 

[Murat V]

Nice work! It does look quite professional and sturdy.

No, this one doesn't fold flat. But I hope to rig it up to hold some kitchen gear, so it won't be totally dead space.

Paul Provencher wrote a neat little book called I Live in the Woods. He used an assembled reflector oven to transport kitchen goods too. Here's his illustration making use of a tumpline...

 

[alsg]

I'm gonna need some reflector oven recipes soon.

 

[sweeper]

DON'T try bacon in a RF, lesson learned.

 

[alsg]

DON'T try bacon in a RF, lesson learned.

I guess I won't. What happened?

 

[Jim Dodd]

A tip you might try to bend the Aluminum.
Heat the area of the bend with a torch. This should remove , or soften the temper, and make bending easier .
Try it on some scrap.

Jim

 

[sweeper]

I guess I won't. What happened?

Lots of Bacon Grease + Open Flames = Charred Bacon

 

[alsg]

Well it's done. The shelf was much harder than I anticipated. A little to large a gap but it is in there solidly none the less. I rolled over the front edge of the shelf and it came out pretty smooth. Everything is level. A fun weekend project.

 

[Canotrouge]

I'm gonna need some reflector oven recipes soon.

Any thing you make at home you can make in the reflector oven. You will have to practice... some will be success and some no so much... Getting use to the fire intensity, the distance from the fire size of the baking....

 

[Guest]

Awesome job. It looks nowhere near as large in the finished photos. I am anticipating some serious reflector oven delectables. And photos thereof.

What is your reflector oven meal and dessert plan? Yes, desserts too please.

The social media site (?) where millenials share photos of their meals would not know what to make of it, despite a little drool forming at the corner of their lips.

Everything (almost) tastes better in the backcountry.

 

[alsg]

Open to suggestions! My confession is that while I have seen one in operation on a couple of guided trips, I've never used one. So I'd like to keep it on the simpler side this first time to make sure I don't mess up completely. GIlpatrick's got some recipes for what he call's "canoe country bread" and I may give that a shot. Would like to make bread/rolls for dinner, blueberry muffins for a breakfast.

 

[Odyssey]

Hey buddy, can I see the all-day breakfast menu before I place my order?

 

[Guest]

Hey buddy, can I see the all-day breakfast menu before I place my order?

If it does not have an all day breakfast menu, with a highly caloric repast called The Lumberjack or The Rancher, it is not a real diner, no matter how many calendars they have hanging on the wall (homage to William Least Heat Moon and Blue Highways).

Those eggs, bacon/sausage (Scrapple!) and pancakes filler er ups are more short order grill or griddle top, and a skilled short order cook is worth their weight in breakfast gold.

Lets hear some tried and true reflector oven recipes, especially dinners and deserts.