So, that night I started figuring out the layout, and called a couple friends and asked if either of them would mind stopping by on Saturday and giving me a hand lifting a couple heavy things. Layout....
While thinking about that I kept burning the molds outside to dry them.
Saturday I woke up to a beautiful day, which helped a lot because I had a lot to do. I started by getting the mold burning, and then went behind the garage where I had found a good clay deposit, and started digging. I used buckets and moved a pretty good little pile of material to a tarp for mixing. I then alternated with tending the fire, and stomping on the "cob", which in my case was gravelly wet clay soil and straw. It seemed to have enough sand and rock to keep it from cracking, so I just added straw and mixed it. Holy cow did I get tired!
By now the burn unit was burning well, and I was curious, so I removed the mold.
That's the bottom of the little barrel covering the window hole...
I put a big old stack on it, and had fun juxtaposing the difference in output of the old stove and the rocket stove. Both burning the same fuel, both wide open and hot.