HOBO
STOVE
The first significant project during my time in education commenced with the task of designing a hobo stove. The objective was to conceive and fabricate a hobo stove that would cater to the requirements of the selected target audience. During the design phase, we enjoyed a considerable degree of creative freedom, provided that the stove remained portable, constructed from stainless sheet metal, and fulfilled the stove's given specifications (withstanding heat and functioning as a cooker).
Initial ideation to find the right shape of the stove. The main idea was a product that could be packed into a small space, strong enough to support the assumed weight and reasonably easy to manufacture. Appearance follows practicality, so at this point in the design phase, I still didn't pay that much attention to the looks of the stove.
From the comparison of stoves of different shapes, the square-shaped stove rose above the other ideas, as it best fits the criteria I gave. I finalized the shapes in a 3D modeling program, taking into account assembleability, mechanical usability and functional features such as air intakes. Externally, I tried to keep the kettle simple, so that it would be practically approachable. I also did experiments with the hinge before ordering the final laser cuts, to make sure it worked in practice. The assembly of the stove required Tig welding, seaming and finishing the parts by polishing.
The project was successful, thanks to my own metalworking skills and an interesting topic. Above are pictures of the final renderings and the hobo stove in its typical usage environment.
Part of the project was to make a poster of the designed hobo stove for advertising purposes.
I also made a short video of the kettle to demonstrate its functionality in use.