How to Make a Solar Dehydrator With a Box
A solar dehydrator made from a single cardboard box.
Source: https://www.appropedia.org/C%C3%B3mo_hacer_un_deshidratador_solar_con_una_caja. Original author: Philip Schenone (User:Sophivorus) · CC-BY-SA-4.0.
- Estimated cost
- —
- Parts
- 5
- Tools
- 8
- Time
- An afternoon
- Example box size
- 50 cm x 40 cm x 40 cm
Summary
How to make a solar dehydrator from a single cardboard box (and a few other materials).
This build is translated from the Spanish original on Appropedia. The source page is a photo gallery with a short caption per step; the steps below follow it exactly.
Build steps
16
-
Open the box
Open the box
Open the box -
Cut the box as the diagram shows and glue A to A
Cut the box as the diagram shows and glue A to A.
Cut the box as the diagram shows and glue A to A. -
Glue aluminium foil over what will be the base
Glue aluminium foil over what will be the base.
Glue aluminium foil over what will be the base. -
Fold where the diagram indicates
Fold where the diagram indicates.
Fold where the diagram indicates. -
Glue to form the base
Glue to form the base.
Glue to form the base. -
Make holes in the bottom of the base with a pencil
Make holes in the bottom of the base with a pencil.
Make holes in the bottom of the base with a pencil. -
Cut a hole in what will be the lid
Cut a hole in what will be the lid.
Cut a hole in what will be the lid. -
Fold where the diagram indicates. The folds should be 1 cm outside the natural folds of the box, so that the base fits into the lid
Fold where the diagram indicates. The folds should be 1 cm outside the natural folds of the box, so that the base fits into the lid.
Fold where the diagram indicates. The folds should be 1 cm outside the natural folds of the box, so that the base fits into the lid. -
Glue to form the lid
Glue to form the lid.
Glue to form the lid. -
Make holes with a pencil along one of the long sides of the lid
Make holes with a pencil along one of the long sides of the lid.
Make holes with a pencil along one of the long sides of the lid. -
Cut a piece of mesh the size of the base or lid
Cut a piece of mesh the size of the base or lid.
Cut a piece of mesh the size of the base or lid. -
Build a wooden frame the size of the mesh
Build a wooden frame the size of the mesh.
Build a wooden frame the size of the mesh. -
Glue the mesh onto the frame
Glue the mesh onto the frame.
Glue the mesh onto the frame. -
Place the frame inside the base and put whatever is to be dehydrated on top
Place the frame inside the base and put whatever is to be dehydrated on top.
Place the frame inside the base and put whatever is to be dehydrated on top. -
Cover and expose to the sun at an angle
Cover and expose to the sun at an angle.
Cover and expose to the sun at an angle. -
If too much water condenses, tilt it more, or enlarge the holes, or add holes to the lid
If too much water condenses, tilt it more, or enlarge the holes, or add holes to the lid.
If too much water condenses, tilt it more, or enlarge the holes, or add holes to the lid.