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ASSC All Season Solar Cooker

by James Wampler
(Shelbyville, Ky. USA)

I'm getting pretty amped about getting this All Season Solar Cooker set up. I have bought the materials and spent time trying to get all of the points mapped out on a sheet of paper that was big enough to accommodate the design (I ended up having to cut out additional lengths of paper to make the posterboard wide enough for the design to fit.

I really appreciate that Jim La Joie provides his knowledge for free, while also selling his cooker online. I do not have the funds to buy it online, and rarely do I have the time to fiddle with it, but it is a nice side project. Today I finished mapping all of the points and connecting the dots.

He apparently has a jumbo cooker, but I have been unsuccessful in getting a copy of those plans. I have contacted him through facebook, but I have not heard anything back yet.

As said before, I love that his design makes two cookers. I would like to put one outside each of my classroom windows while the students are learning about solar cooking...or if I were less selfish, I would give a copy to the other science teacher who will be following along with my class.

A few words of encouragement to those who undertake building the ASSC. See if you can get access to a large, level, raised surface. I used student tables, and none of them are level. I also used a rigid tape measure, which made drawing the lines hard. I would suggest either having a floppy tape measure, or a long, straight edge.

Measure twice, cut once. His plans are free, so you can't complain, but they are not to scale, and the lines don't always line up with the measurements. Just take your time and be careful.

Securing the polypro corrugated board might be difficult. It took quite a few phone calls to find a place that would sell it in single quantities. I made a paper template so I could run through the process before I begin cutting up the plastic board. It will also come in handy when I decide to make more, because I won't have to measure and cut multiple times.

One thing I plan on checking with two cookers: I have some mylar emergency blankets. I am thinking of lining one with mylar, and the other with the tape that he recommends. The mylar seems to be much more reflective. I'm curious to see what kinds of dividends it pays off.

Comments for ASSC All Season Solar Cooker

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Apr 06, 2020
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All Seasons solar cooker NEW
by: Granny Mandy

I am looking for someone who can actually draw this for me. I have no idea how to do this and desperately need something like this to cook with. Destitute From South Africa.

Nov 13, 2019
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Template NEW
by: Anonymous

Great idea. Regrettably I am both mathematically and technically challenged. Not to mention financially challenged. Is a scaled template available anywhere which I can use to make the ASSC please?

Feb 17, 2017
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To JimF NEW
by: Anonymous

Hi Jim, I hope you are going to recieve this. I see where you have offered the plans for the ASSC in both sizes. I sure would love to get them from you as I know some people who need to cook this way to survive their meager budget and I have found where I can get the coroplast. I bought the small oven a while back from Jim LaJoi but didn't know about the large one at that time and really didn't need one but the family I am concerned with does need a large one and I don't mind helping them build it. I just don't know how to reach you or for you to reach me without this being public info. Any ideas? Thank you!

Dec 16, 2015
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Would love the plans add I can't get this item in Australia
by: Vashti Wood

The title says it all - if anyone has the plans to email me, I'd really appreciate it: vashtiwood [at] Gmail [dot] com

Nov 25, 2015
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Regarding the Jumbo Plans
by: Jim La Joie

The All Season Solar Cooker plans are easily scaled up or down. If you decide to build a Jumbo, you will find that it does not fit on a standard 4 x 8 sheet of coroplastic unless you cut the drawings into parts then lay the parts out on your material so they all fit.
Otherwise, you will need twice the amount of material and have a huge amount of waste.
And if you build it... please post it!

Nov 25, 2015
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Jumbo ASSC Plans
by: JimF

Jim La Joie's cooker works and works very well indeed. Unfortunately the plan links are currently broken. A few years ago, I downloaded all the plans including the jumbo plans if someone wants them.

Sep 09, 2015
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Jumbo All Season Solar Cooker
by: JustinL

Where can I find plans for the Jumbo All Season Solar Cooker?

Additionally, is the Jumbo version available for purchase?

May 11, 2015
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Where to find coroplast
by: Jim La Joie

look in the yellow pages for "plastic wholesale/retail"

May 10, 2015
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Coroplast
by: James

I had to do a google search for local suppliers in my area.

Sign making companies tend to sell it; it was easy enough to find the sellers, hard to find one that would sell in single quantities.

N Glantz and Son sell it here in Ky, and they are a chain, I don't know if there is anything like that near you however...

May 10, 2015
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where to find polypropylene 4th in single sheets
by: Tiffany

Please somebody tell me where in the United States will sell a single 8 foot by 4 foot sheet of polypropylene corrugated 4mm or 3mm board? Perhaps there is a co-op or club of people who will do a group buy?

Apr 20, 2015
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More ASSC Plans info
by: Jim La Joie

Try this link of for the plans. The proper offsets are in the measurements and are also visible on the drawing.
http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/1522948/19727410/1344184279470/ASSCschematic.pdf?token=%2Ftyuab%2FbDrUzjZiNw%2FmeJGk97ag%3D



Apr 19, 2015
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Folding
by: James

I notice you mentioned the offsets - in your "Building the ASSC" on page three it shows offsets A,B,C and D - - but they are not marked on the "Drawing of ASSC" to know which one is which.

I'm guessing that A and B are at the "Top" where the elevation bars are and C & D are the the bottom under the smaller shaded areas?

Apr 15, 2015
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Additional building hints
by: Jim La Joie

The sheets of coroplast are not rectangles. More like parallelograms. The edge that runs parallel to the flutes (bottom edge) is the best to measure from.
The ends that are perpendicular to the flutes are out of square anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 inch. If you measure from one of these sides your measurements will not line up.
I draw a building line that is square to the bottom edge of my material. A drywall square is handy for this, or any square plus a good straight edge will do.
Once your building line is drawn, use it for base of all measurements going across.
For the measurements up from the bottom, draw a couple of light lines that are parallel to your building line and at least 24" apart. Make your upward measurements on these lines. Put all up marks on both lines then use your good straight edge to connect.
Finally, those little offsets where one line is offset from another by a short distance... these are provide the clearance that is needed when the ASSC folds. If you do not use the offsets, the cooker will be fighting itself in the folded position as the couplets mashes together.
I am honored that you are building the All Season Solar Cooker

Apr 15, 2015
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Thanks!
by: James

That is a great idea about using a projector...

I got the recommended tape at Home Depot, I'll send you some pictures when they are finished - - :)

-James

Apr 14, 2015
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Building the ASSC
by: Jim La Joie

Congratulations on your project. Good for you!
One point that will help you, and you can check this yourself:
Hold the mylar blanket up between you and a light source. You can see right through the blanket. It may appear more reflective but it is much less reflective and testing has shown it does not cook as well as the recommended aluminum tape.
Regarding the Jumbo... Anyone who wants to build one can just scale up the regular sized plans. However, i do not recommend this since, using the same amount of material you can build two of the regular which will give you more cooking potential than one of the Jumbo.
Other users have pointed out that the plans, which are "not to scale" are pretty close and they have used opaque projectors to blow up the plans - with great success.
Please let me know how your project turns out.
Thanks again for the good words about the ASSC

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