This
booklet was prepared by a team of VITA Volunteers
Editorial:
Edmund Hazzard, St. Louis, Missouri
Dr. Robert G. Luce, Schenectady, N.Y.
Jon E. McNeal, Rexford, N.Y.
Art work:
Ed Gutowski, Schenectady, N.Y.
Jim Curtis, Schenectady, N.Y.
ISBN: 0-86619-017-1
FIRST PRINTING FEBRUARY 1967
REPRINTED 1975
REPRINTED FEBRUARY 1976
REPRINTED FEBRUARY 1977
REPRINTED APRIL 1977
REPRINTED AUGUST 1991
SOLAR COOKER
construction manual
Prepared By:
VITA
1600 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 500
Arlington, Virgnia 22209 USA
Tel: 703/276-1800 * Fax: 703/243-1865
Internet: pr-info@vita.org
introduction
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The VITA Solar
Cooker was especially designed to be sturdy, relatively
easy to make, easy to repair, and low in cost. It uses the
principle
of the Fresnel reflector which concentrates light and heat
by using
several simple reflecting surfaces. Most other cookers use a
doubly-curved
reflecting surface. The VITA Fresnel design has a number of
advantages:
-It gives a
broad uniform focal region the size of the cooking
pot rather
than a sharp, intense spot of heat, making it
safer and more
efficient;
-Rings can be
added or removed to increase or decrease the
cooker's power
output;
-The solar
cooker described in this manual is designed to
give enough
heat for the cooking needs of a medium-sized
family (3-5
children),
-to use cheap
readily available materials. In the United
States the
materials used are mainly Masonite sheet,
aluminized
Mylar, wood, and iron strip. In both the United
States and
Morocco, the cost of materials is about three
dollars
($3.00). In developing countries the Mylar will have
to be imported
but it is lightweight and inexpensive,
-to be as
simple as possible.
The VITA Solar
Cooker requires more labor than, for example, forming
a paraboloidal reflector by spinning an aluminum sheet; the
labor requirement
may make it uneconomical for developed countries, but this
cooker was
designed specifically for developing ones.
Before one
decides to begin manufacturing this solar cooker, there
are some serious drawbacks that should be considered
carefully. It is
generally agreed that an average of 2,000 or less hours of
sunlight per
year is too little for the cooker to be practical. It should
also be
pointed out that the cooker will be more effective in dry
climates and
high altitudes.
The cooker is
not effective early in the morning or late in the
afternoon; therefore it could not be used by people who
ordinarily eat
their large meal in the evening. Also the women must accept
doing their
cooking outside in the open.
Though the
cooker is not difficult to use once one is accustomed to
it, it does require some instruction. Experience in Morocco
indicates
that learning to use it is about like learning to knit;
therefore one
can probably not expect a "natural" market to
exist; one must be prepared
to follow up manufacturing with personal introduction.
Although the
cooker construction is not difficult, spreading the
Mylar on the glued Masonite is tricky and requires some
practice. One
will probably ruin the first few cookers in the process of
learning.
Therefore it is probably impractical to plan on making fewer
than a
dozen or so cookers as a start.
Lastly, and
perhaps most importantly, one wants to be sure that
other cooking procedures are comparatively quite expensive.
Exactly
how much time or money does the average family spend on
obtaining fuel
and hence how long would it take to recover the initial
investment by
savings on fuel costs? This is probably an important
consideration in
a subsistence agricultural economy where there is not much
cash available.
Also, of course, the cooker can never be used all the time
so it can
never substitute completely for convential cooking methods.
I. TOOLS AND MATERIALS
This section
lists all the tools and materials needed to build the
VITA Solar
Cooker. The best choice of materials may vary from
place to place.
Other kinds of wood or composition board may be
cheaper than the
materials indicated here in some countries. Any
sheet material
such as plywood or certain sheet metals, can substitute
for the Masonite.
A. Reflecting Surface
Tools
Fine
sandpaper
Paint brush
Safety razor
blade or sharp knife
Clean, dry,
lint-free cloth
Two (2)
spoons
Rubber blade
window washer (squeegee) or a smooth
stiff
rubber windshield wiper
Rubber roller
(double print photograph roller)
Four (4)
boards 5 =. x 5 cm. x 135 cm.
Hammer and
coping saw (bandsaw if available)
Ruler and
pencil
Materials
About 120 cm.
x 120 cm. Masonite (0.3 cm. to 0.6 cm. thick)
as free as
possible of pits and structure defects,
80% - 95%
ethyl alcohol approximately 50 cc/cooker
Epoxy cement
(resin, hardener, and solvent 80% - 95%
alcohol)
approximately 75 cc. of mixed cement
Clean dry cup
Clean smooth
stick (size of pencil)
A roll of
aluminized Mylar (.0005" thickness) 160 cm. wide
Polyurethane
paint or if not available use good oil paint
B. Frame
Tools
Paint brush
Ruler and pencil
Protractor
Hammer, hand
saw
Screw driver
Drill capable
of drilling metal (6 mm. diameter)
Vise
Materials
15 cm. strip
of 18 mm. x 3 mm. hot rolled iron
Two (2) 2 cm.
x 120 cm. boards (oak for strength but pine
or other
woods are sufficient)
Two dozen
aluminum nails (or screws) about 5 cm. long
(or other
non-rusting material)
10 cm. x 6
mm. bolt with fitting wing nut
C. Utensil Holder
Tools
Ruler and
pencil
Drill capable
of drilling metal (6 mm. diameter)
Cold chisel
or metal cutting hand saw
Vise
Materials
40 cm. strip
of 18 mm. x 3 mm hot rolled iron
50 cm. strip
of 18 mm. x 3 mm. hot rolled iron
Wood
stock 25 mm. x 25 mm. x 80 cm.
preferably a hard wood
Two (2) 25
mm. x 6 mm. steel bolts and fitting wing nuts
One (1) 11
cm. x 6 mm. steel bolt with fitting wing nuts
One (1) 3 cm.
x 6 mm. steel bolt with fitting nut
II. HOW TO MAKE THE VITA SOLAR COOKER
Note: Be sure you feel you can complete all the steps before
starting construction.
Construction can be divided into nine parts:
1.
Applying a sealing finish to the Masonite
2.
Making the surface smooth and dust free
3.
Applying thin uniform coat of adhesive
4.
Applying the aluminized "Mylar"
5.
Cutting out the rings
6.
Preparing the legs
7.
Bending the rings into shape and mounting
them on the legs
8.
Providing a cooking vessel support
9.
Providing an adjustable brace
1. Applying a
sealing finish to the Masonite (to keep the Masonite
from absorbing
glue and moisture).
A.
If the 120 cm. x 120 cm. Masonite is rough
to the touch,
sand it smooth with medium sandpaper. If it
1s already
smooth, this
step can be omitted.
B.
Brush polyurethane paint smoothly on both
sides of the
Masonite,
covering all areas. If polyurethane paint is
not
available, a coat of epoxy cement may be used in
the front
side (the side to be used as the reflector),
and varnish
or lacquer may be used on the back. Do not
use varnish
or lacquer on the front.
C.
Let the paint dry on a dust-free area.
D.
Clean the brush with oil base paint thinner (or
alcohol for
varnish, or water for epoxy).
2. Making the front
surface smooth and dust free.
A.
Choose the smoother side of the Masonite as
the front
(or the side
with epoxy already on it.)
B.
Using a safety razor blade, remove major
imperfections,
such as drip
marks, from this front side.
C.
Rub the surface smooth with steel wool or
fine sandpaper,
until it
feels very smooth to the touch. If it does not,
apply another
coat of sealer to the smooth side, let it
dry and sand
it again.
D.
From scrap wood cut out four (4) wedges 10
cm. long and
5 cm. high as
shown in Fig. 2. These will be used in part 4.
scc2x7.gif (486x486)
E.
Nail four (4) pieces of scrap wood into a
150 cm. square
frame as
shown in Fig. 1. This will be used in step 4.
scc1x5.gif (486x486)
3. Applying a thin
uniform coat of adhesive. See Fig. 2.
Note: Before you
prepare the epoxy, complete steps 4A and
4B so that the Mylar
will be ready to be glued.
A.
Some important notes to remember about
epoxy-resin
cements:
The cement
hardens in about 20 minutes on the
tools
and in a bit longer time when spread
on the
Masonite.
Once hardened, it will not dissolve
again even
in its
own solvent.
Before
hardening it may be dissolved in water,
but once
water is added it will never harden.
Wash all
tools and containers which touch the
cement
with water before it hardens if you
want to
use them again.
Do not let
water come into contact with the cement
being
used for the actual cementing.
Do not mix
hardener and resin except when actually
preparing to use it.
Do not put
a spoon covered with hardener into the
resin
can.
Do not put
a spoon covered with resin into the
hardener.
B.
Mix equal portions of hardener, resin and
80% - 95%
alcohol in a
clean dry cup with a clean smooth stick.
Two
tablespoons or six teaspoons of each should be
sufficient.
C.
Dust the Masonite surface with a clean, dry,
lint-free
cloth
immediately before applying the prepared cement.
Place the
Masonite on a table or a similar large flat
surface,
preferably above the ground, to lessen the
amount of
dust that will settle on the surface while
you are
working.
D.
Pour the prepared cement on the center of
the Masonite
and spread it
evenly over all the surface in a very thin
coat with a
stiff squeegee or rubber blade. Use long,
smooth
strokes to prevent ridges and press down quite
hard. (See
Fig. 2.)
E.
Roll the cemented surface with a
double-print roller until
the surface
appears shiny and uniform from a glancing
angle. Work
out ridges and regions of varying thickness
by going back
and forth in various directions. Again,
press down
quite hard.
F.
Clean all the equipment within a half-hour.
(You can
finish the
next step first if you have time.) Don't
let any water
get on the cemented surface of the Masonite
and keep the
surface away from dust. The cemented surface
will stay
workable for at least a half-hour.
4. Applying the
aluminized Mylar.
A.
Decide which side of the Mylar is
aluminized. It is
the underside
of the roll (if the Mylar comes in a
roll) or the
shinier side or the side from which the
aluminum can
be rubbed off with your fingernail and
you can see
the scratches you have made, through the
Mylar. The
last test is absolutely certain.
B.
Using a safety razor blade, cut a 160 cm. x
160 cm.
square
section from the Mylar roll.
C.
Nail the Mylar to the top of the 135 cm. x
135 cm. square
frame (from
step 2E) with the alumunized side down. Use
small nails
or carpet tacks or thumb tacks or staples
every foot or
so, or nail down four (4) wood strips
along the
frame. Stretch the Mylar tightly enough so
that it hangs
down a few centimeters in the center. The
Mylar is very
strong but it tears very easily so be careful
when you nail
it down.
See Fig. 1
for the above two steps. If you have a
Mylar roll,
the easiest way to fasten the Mylar is to
drape it
vertically down in front of the frame.
D.
Place the frame over the glued surface of
the Masonite
on the four
(4) wedges with the aluminized side down.
Pull the
wedges out until the center of the Mylar hangs
a few cm.
above the center of the glue-covered Masonite.
(See Fig. 3)
scc3x8.gif (486x486)
E.
Apply the Mylar to the Masonite with a stiff
dry squeegee,
working from
the center outward (see Fig. 3A), using
scc3ax9.gif (486x486)
short, firm
strokes. Try to keep the Mylar quite taut
between the
glued area and the frame so that the Mylar
does not touch the Masonite until the
squeegee strokes
pull it down.
If the Mylar rips from the frame and falls
on the
Masonite, it will form many ridges and bubbles.
In any case,
ridges and bubbles are sure to form and the
Mylar must be lifted and reapplied in the
wrinkled regions.
Try the
following procedure: spread the Mylar, starting
from the
center as far toward the edges as possible, using
the tension
suppled by the frame. Gradually lower the
edges, let
the force of the strokes rip the Mylar from
the frame. If
serious ridges or bubbles appear far from
the edge,
free the Mylar from that region either by
lifting the
frame or by ripping the Mylar from part of
the frame and pulling it upward and outward
by hand. Don't
worry about
the four corners as they will be sawed off
anyway.
Remember that
applying the Mylar is the most difficult
part of
building the solar cooker; it takes some practice
and patience
and you are fortunate if the first few
efforts are
successful.
F.
Trim the overhanging edges of the Mylar with
a razor blade.
G.
With a needle or the razor blade, puncture
all the air
bubbles and
press them down; small air bubbles fixed in
this way are
hardly noticeable afterward.
H.
Clean the surface of any traces of glue with
a damp cloth.
I.
Allow one day for the glue to dry.
5. Cutting out the
rings. (see Fig. 4)
scc4x10.gif (486x486)
A.
Locate the geometric center of the Masonite
by marking
where the two
diagonals meet. Be careful not to tear
the Mylar.
B.
Cut out the rings with a coping saw or a
jigsaw if one
is available,
using the holes in the supplied template
as radii. It
may be convenient to nail down the center
and rotate
the whole sheet, keeping the saw stationary.
This may save
the trouble of drawing out the rings.
C.
From the inner ring cut out a section with a
width at
the outer
edge of .5 cm.
D.
From the next most inner ring cut out a
section with
a width at
the outer edge of 2.8 cm.
6. Preparing the
legs.
A.
Cut Out the two legs, using the template
enclosed. (You
may wish to
copy the template onto sheet metal.) Use
2 cm. x 12
cm. x 150 cm. pieces of wood. At the
center
notch one leg
from above and one from below as shown on
the template,
so that their edges are flush.
B.
Fit the two pieces together at the 2 cm.
center slots.
Cut a wooden
tie bar about 40 cm. long (with 45[degrees] ends if
you would
like) and nail or screw it to the backs of legs
so that the
legs form an angle of exactly 90[degrees]. (See Fig. 5)
scc5x11.gif (486x486)
7. Bending the rings
into place and mounting them onto the
legs. (See Fig.
6)
scc6x12.gif (486x486)
A.
Place the inner ring (#1) on the frame and
squeeze it
closed at one
of the cross pieces, nailing both ends to the
same leg.
Nail down the ring at the other places where it
crosses the
frame as well, using 5 cm. aluminum nails (or
screws).
B.
Do the same thing with ring #2; the ring
should fit
easily into
the slots in the legs.
C. Saw through
ring #3 if you haven't already. Work it
into the
slots on the frame and ovelap it somewhere
between two
crosspieces. It should overlap 8.8 cm.
on the
outer edge
and 6 cm. on the inner edge. Clamp it into place.
D. Do the same
with the outer ring (#4). It should
overlap
19.8 cm. on
the outer edge and 14.5 cm. on the inner edge.
E. Place a light
source about five meters from the cooker
and point the
cooker at this source. Looking at the
cooker from
about a meter directly in front, adjust
rings #3 and
#4 until the reflection is even all the
way around
all four rings. If the rings and legs
have
been properly
cut, very little adjustment would be
necessary.
F. When you are
satisfied, there are two ways to fasten
the outer two
rings in place:
1. Close
the rings by bolting or riveting
them
through the Masonite where they
overlap, at two or three locations not
lying
on the same radius. Then nail
them
to the frame; or:
2. Cut a
wider slat in one of the crosspieces
and
overlap the rings on top of this
crosspiece. Nail through the two
layers
of
Masonite. This latter method is less
durable and produces a less satisfactory
shape of the outer rings.
G. Clean the
rings with a damp cloth and paint or tape
the expanded
edges of the rings to prevent weathering
underneath
the Mylar.
8. Providing a
cooking vessel support.
Any support will
do as long as the pot is placed so that the
pot rests in the
bright focal region about one meter from the
cooker.
A separate tripod is one possibility.
Another
design is as
follows:
A.
Drill a 6 mm. hole about 2 cm. from one end
of a 50 cm.
x 18 mm. x 3
mm. strip of hot-rolled iron. Using a
cold
chisel, make
radial indentations around the hole on one
side.
B.
Bend the strip into a circle of the desired
dimeter
(the right
size to hold a cooking vessel), with the
chisel marks
on the outside of the ring formed. A
round wooden
form will help.
C.
Drill a 6 mm. hole in the other end of the
strip at the
place where
they overlap to form the closed ring.
Drill
another hole
directly opposite this one.
D.
Drill a 6 mm. hole 1 cm. from each end of a
40 cm. x 18 mm.
x 3 mm.
strip of hot-rolled iron. Score around
earch hole
with the
chisel. Place this strip in a vise so
that the
middle 10
cm. are securely held. Grip the strip
about
4 cm. from
the vise with a wrench with adjustable jaws;
give a quarter turn so that the end is
horizontal. Repeat
this with
the other end. (Fig. 7)
scc7x14.gif (486x486)
E.
Bend the horizcntal ends to form a
"U" with the chisel
marks on the
inside and the ends about as far apart as
the width of
the ring formed in step B. (Change the
dimensions
in step D if necessary.) Drill a 6 mm.
hole
in the
center of the bottom part of the "U".
F.
Cut a 2. 5 cm.-deep slot diagonally into one
end of the
support rod
(25 mm. x 25 mm. x 80 cm.), a little narrower
than 3
mm. Flatten the edges of the rod and
drill a
6 mm. hole
across the slot. (Fig. 8)
scc8x15.gif (486x486)
G.
Secure the metal "U" in the slot
with a 3 cm. x 6 mm. stove
bolt. Mount
the metal ring between the ends of the "U" with
two 25 mm. x
6 mm. stove bolts and fitting wing nuts, with
lock washers
between the ring and the "U" if you wish.
H.
Cut a short triangular wooden block to fit
snugly into
position at
the vertex of the two legs. Nail it in
place.
I.
Take the cooker outdoors.
Rest the support rod in place
in the
vertex of the two legs, place a pot in the metal
ring and aim
the cooker at the sun. Change the
distance
which the
support rod projects until the brightest part of
the focal
spot is on the bottom of the pot. Mark
the position
of the
support rod.
J.
Chisel off the upper edge of the support rod
at its lower
end and
drill a hole down through it, the vertex of the
legs, and
the triangular wooden block. Bolt the
rod in
place with
an 11 cm. stove bolt with fitting wing nut.
(Fig. 9)
scc9x16.gif (486x486)
9. Providing an
adjustable brace.
Brace the cooker
in a position facing directly into the sun
so that the
bright focal spot is on the bottom of the cooking
vessel.
It must be adjusted about every twenty
minutes as
the sun
moves. The angle adjustment can be done
with notched
pieces of wood
propped against the tie bar. A better
system,
however, is the
leg assembly shown in Fig. 9. This will
be
more secure.
It requires s strip of iron, two 4 cm.
bolts,
a longer bolt,
and two pieces of wood, one about twice as long
as the
other. Their exact length will depend
on your latitude
and the time of
day the cooker is commonly used.
Anchor the legs
firmly to keep the cooker from being blown
over by the wind.
Aluminized
Mylar and epoxy may have to be imported.
Addreses where
they can be obtained in the United States
are:
.0005-inch
chrome metalized Mylar, 160 cm. wide, $1.00
U. S. per yard:
Coating Products, Inc.
101
West Forest Avenue
Englewood, New Jersey 07631
U.S.A.
Epoxy:
Astro Special 1100, 8 pounds per gallon
at
$1.30 U.S. per pound.
Hardener:
Astro Special 2950, 8 pounds per gallon
at
$1.65 U.S. per pound.
Astro
Chemical Company, Inc.
1205
Godfrey Lane
Schenectady, New York 12309
U.S.A.
Figure 10. Using the Cooker
scc10x18.gif (486x486)
1. Install the
support rod in place in the vertex of the two legs.
Aim the cooker at
the sun.
2. Adjust the
support rod so that the brightest part of the focal
spot hits the
bottom of a pot placed in the support.
Drill a
hole through the
support rod, the vertex of the legs and the
triangular wooden
block. Bolt the rod in place.
3. Brace the cooker
so that it faces directly into the sun, with
the bright focal
spot on the bottom of the cooking vessel.
The
shadow of the
cooking vessel will be in the center of the cooker.
If the shadow is
outside the center, the cooker is not facing
direatly into the
sun.
4. Adjust the cooker
every 30 minutes as the sun moves.
SOLAR COOKER LEG TEMPLATE
This template is to be used to make a 152-cm
(5-toof) template for the legs of the VITA
Solar Cooker. See Paragraph 6A and Fig. 5,
scc5x11.gif (486x486)
page 11. The complete template is AB (88.5cm)
plus BC (63.5cm). To make the template,
cut out the four pieces shown and
sccdr190.gif (600x600)
string or a straightedge
to be sure ACB is a
straight line.
SPECIAL NOTE ON THE VITA SOLAR COOKER MANUAL
Although we are
sending you the VITA Solar Cooker Manuals, we feel
it is important to point out some limitations in its
use. These are
partially covered on pages 1 and 2 of the manual and are
repeated here
for emphasis.
The VITA Solar
Cooker is not useful for day by day cooking in most
circumstances. To be
useful requires understanding of the following
limitations.
1.
The cooker is probably not practical where
the
average
of the hours of sunlight is under
2000
hours per year.
2.
The cooker is not useful for cooking meals
in
early
morning or late afternoon.
3.
The cooker must be frequently shifted in
position
during
use (once every 10 minutes or so) to take
advantage of the sun's position.
4.
Making a good contact between the Mylar film
and
its
backing is tricky and requires practice.
One
will
probably ruin a few cookers in the process
of
learning how to make this seal. For
this
reason
it is important to order enough materials
for a
few cookers in hopes of getting one good
one. After this techniques
mastered, there is
little material spoilage.
5.
It requires the development of some
technique
to cook
with the cooker. This process can be
developed by a trial and error procedure.
So
experienced people have compared this learning
process
to be about as difficult as learning how
to
knit.
6.
In many areas of the world the cooker cannot
compete
economically with existing methods of
cooking. For example, one should
calculate how
long it
would take to recover the initial investment
in the
cooker from the savings on fuel that
come
about because of its use.
7.
To properly introduce the cooker to a local
populace requires careful thought and painstaking
effort. Those experienced in the
process of
introduction should be consulted to see how it
can
best be put to use in the given culture.
Aside from local taboos (religious,
social
traditional, etc.) there will be the very formidable
barrier
of resistance to change. People will be
quick
to
point out the difference in taste (whether there is
one or
not) the longer or shorter cooking times, the
space
required to store the heater, the need for being
outside
while cooking, etc.
Nevertheless,
the cooker does represent a method of putting the
free-for-the-asking energy of the sun to work, and if this
can be
accomplished economically in your community, it will bring
the further
advantages of a more smoke-free atmosphere, less real danger
of open
flame, and an opportunity to prove to the local people that
a new
method can sometimes prove to be an advantage over old
procedures,
thereby reducing that major obstacle to progress,
"resistance to
change."
If you decide to
go ahead with the construction and introduction
of the cooker with full knowledge of its problems and
limitations, and
you think through a plan of introduction, you could well
make a real
contribution to the people of your community.
Do not, however, expect
to quickly build a cooker properly the first time and be
adequately
cooking with it on your first try.
Good luck in your efforts.
SOLAR COOKER ADDENDUM
VITA has been
able to locate a substitute for one of the less easily
obtainable materials (aluminized Mylar film) called for in
the solar cooker
manual. That
substitute is aluminum foil. The
problem of using aluminum
foil, however, is that conventional attempts to fasten the
foil yield discouraging
results (the foil wrinkles easily) and commonly available
cements
and/or glues will not hold the foil to the cooker surface
adequately. The
following procedure, then, will help you over the
difficulties of applying
aluminum foil successfully:
1. Remove the
foil from the roll with a minimum of wrinkling;
2. Apply the
cement in the same manner mentioned in the manual.(*)
However,
apply the cement to not more than one foot of the
cooker
surface at any one time;
3. Gently lay on
appropriate length of foil down on the cemented
surface while
anchoring one end of the foil with one hand to
prevent it
from slipping;
4. Smooth the
foil with your right hand, keeping that hand wet
by dunking it
in water (if your right hand becomes dry while
rubbing the
foil, it will tend to bounce along the foil,
causing
ridges);
5. The foil is
then rolled with a roller. Do not press
hard on
the roller;
6. Repeat the
above process on successive sections of the cooker
surface until
the cooker is covered. If too many wrinkles
appear
on the foil,
remove that section and try again.
(*) One
substitute for the epoxy cement shown in the manual is "waterglass"
(sodium or potassium silicate).
A fairly strong solution of
water-glass when applied as a substitute to the epoxy cement
will
harden within 20 minutes when placed in direct
sunlight. Note that
"water-glass" will dry most rapidly in dry
climates, so where
extended drying periods are needed, do the gluing in a cool
damp room.
The water in this mixture will tend to soak through the
masonite; therefore
it is suggested that you place the masonite disk on a flat
surface
to prevent warping.
And if the glue is too thin, it can be
made more pasty by mixing in a smooth filler powder such as
red lead
or kaolin, without affecting its hardness or stregth.
Material submitted by:
Mr. Terance Maaske
Scottsdale, Arizona
IF YOU NEED MORE
manual or on other technical matters, VITA (Volunteers in
Technical Assistance, Inc.) can send it to you.
If you
have specific questions, VITA can put you in contact with
an expert who can answer them.
VITA is an
international association of scientists,
engineers, technicians, businessmen, educators and others
who volunteer their spare time to consult on questions
from persons in developing areas.
Simply send your
request to:
Volunteers In Technical Assistance
1600 Wilson
Boulevard. Suite 500
Post Office Box 12438
Arlington. Virginia 22209-8438 USA
To help the VITA Volunteer who answers your request, you
should:
1. Be quantitative -- give measurements, costs, materials
available, sketches
when possible.
2. Describe the best solution, if any, found nearby and
any limiting
cultural factors.
3. Indicate a deadline for action.
You will hear directly
from the VITA
Volunteer; keep in contact with him; inform
the VITA Office if
correspondence stops.
ABOUT VITA
Volunteers in Technical Assistance (VITA) is
a private, nonprofit, international development
organization. Started in 1959 by a group
of concerned scientists and engineers, VITA
maintains an extensive documentation center
and worldwide roster of volunteer technical
experts. VITA makes
available to individuals
and organizations in developing countries a
variety of information and technical resources
aimed at fostering self-sufficiency--needs
assessment and program development support;
by-mail and on-site consulting services;
information systems training.
It publishes a
variety of technical manuals and manuals.
========================================
========================================