The Fireless Cooker and Its Uses 



1739 



DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING A FIRELESS COOKER 

 A wooden box, a tniiik, an ice box, a galvanized iron ash-can, and a 



wooden candy-bucket are among the articles that have been successfully 



used in the construction of a fiieless cooker. If an ordinary box is used, 



it should be of heavy^ enough material to permit the use of good hinges and 



fastenings. 



The inside container for the food utensil may be a bucket of agate, 



galvanized iron, or tin. It should have a tight-fitting cover. 



Ground cork, sawdust, excelsior, min- 

 eral wool, paper torn in small pieces and 



crumpled, powdered asbestos, shavings, 



straw, hay, wool, and cotton batting are 



commonly used as insulators. Mineral 



wool and powdered asbestos are both 



good insulators and have the additional 



merit of not being inflammable ; but they 



are harder to work 



with than are the 



other materials. 



Gloves should be worn 



by the person doing 



the packing, and care 



should be taken not 



to allow the material 



to enter the nose and the mouth. Cork is light in weight and has proved 



to be good. Excelsior is good and is easily obtained. Sheet asbestos 



one-eighth of an inch thick has proved to be the best weight for lining 



the outer case and covering the inner bucket; it is more durable and 



efficient than is the lighter weight, and it can be made to fit the curved 



surfaces more easily than can the heavier weight. 



1. Select a box, a bucket, or a can of suitable size, and line it with 

 sheet asbestos of one-eighth inch thickness. There should be a close- 

 fitting cover, and this, too, should be lined with sheet asbestos. 



2. Select an inner bucket or kettle with a tight-fitting cover and of 

 such a size that there may be a space of at least tliree inches between the 

 outer box or bucket and the inner bucket. Cover the outside of the 

 inner bucket and its lid with sheet asbestos of one-eighth inch thickness. 



3. Pack into the bottom of the asbestos-lined outer box or bucket a 

 layer at least three inches deep of whatever nonconducting material is to be 

 used. 



4. Place the asbestos-covered inner bucket on the layer of noncon- 

 ducting material in the bottom of the outer box or bucket, and pack the 



Fig. 69. A HOMEMADE FIRELESS COOKER 



