Pop Can Stove!
A how to.....ok,ok,ok..technically a beer can stove...don't be so literal!!!!!!!!!!
These burners are so very easy to make and are a staple for ultra light backpackers...I recently started making alcohol burners to see how effective they would be for canoe tripping and am quite impressed by the performance of a stove made from something from my recycling bin! They burn methyl hydrate which can be found at just about any hardware store but can also run on isopropanol or 99% rubbing alcohol....never use more volatile fuels like gasoline, naptha or kerosene! The beauty of the methyl hydrate burners is that they burn clean,no soot on your pots,they burn absolutely silent and in the event of trouble they can be put out with just a small amount of water, and they weigh next to nothing...the drawbacks..... a lack of simmering ability...they are either on or off...no in between! The fuel needs to be warmed prior to ignition which is a bit of a pain in the ass on cold mornings when you just want to get the coffee started.
For other designs and more information on alcohol stoves visit http://zenstoves.net/
Materials
Drill with a 1/4 bit and a 1/64 bit
2 pop (beer)cans
An exacto or offla blade attached to a peice of 2x4
A 1/4 x 1/2 machine screw (a stove screw available at Canadian tire) with matching nut
220 grit sandpaper or sanding sponge
Pliers and scissors
Start by using the exacto/2x4 tool assembled as shown ...use it to score each can. Hold the tool tight twist the can as it touches the very tip to leave a score line all around the can. Repeat on second can. Then use the tip of the tool to puncture each can about 1/2 inch above the scoreline to accomodate the blade of the scissors. Use the scissors to cut away the can down to the score line leaving you with two can bottoms.
Now use the drill and the 1/4 bit to bore a hole in the center of one of the can bottoms. This is the fuel filler hole. Switch to the 1/64 bit!
Use the smaller bit to drill holes 1/2 inch apart around the outside of the bottom rim and again on the inside of the rim! These are the jets that will allow the fuel to burn.( This is now the top of the burner) Now get the second can and use the pliers to make small dimples all around the cut edge. The dimples will make it easier to push the two bottoms together.
I give this part a light sanding....it may just be my imagination but this seems to make it easier to slip the two halves together! Now is where it gets a little tricky...place the top can over the bottom can and start to push them together with a slight gentle twisting motion to start them going together to make a single peice. Once they have started, stop the twisting and apply gentle but firm down pressure on the top to bring it all the way down and seal the unit.
Give the burner a good sanding...this time the sanding is for looks only and really doesn't serve anything more than esthetic value! Place the nut onto the machine screw and rack it down tight then insert the new thumbscrew into the filler hole to seal it and your burner is now complete. The addition of the nut to the screw adds a larger surface to grip...important in cold, wet conditions when chilled fingers are having difficulty with fine motor control!
Now obviously this burner cannot withstand the weight of a pot of water directly on it so will need a potstand. A coffee can with a lighting port and airation holes does a wonderful job. Pour two ounces ( two ounces is just a standard amount I use to test each burner that I make, that way I can compare boil times to test the efficiency of each burner)of methyl hydrate into burner and insert thumbscrew into filler hole....put a couple of drops of methyl hydrate into the bottom of the coffee can potstand and place burner into potstand...a couple more drops of fuel onto the top of the burner will help with ignition. Light the fuel on top of the burner and allow the fuel inside to pressurize, the fuel then will force its way thru the jets and in 45 seconds or so you will have a self pressurized alcohol burner!
Notice the ring of holes around the upper edge of the potstand as well as a second ring at the bottom of the stand...this allows for addequate airflow to keep the burner working. Now pour 500 ml of water into a pot and place onto the potstand.
In ideal conditions I can boil a half liter of water in 9 minutes and the 2 ounces of fuel will burn for 16 minutes. The burner can hold more fuel than this. The addition of a windscreen will improve performance outdoors! I have found a folding Coughlins campstove at Canadian Tire that is ideally suited as a potstand for these burners...it folds flat and weighs very little...the burners go inside my cook pots to protect them.
Total time involved to do this project....one pop can burner and a coffe can pot holder.....45 minutes from start to finish....55 minutes from start to a cup of water at a rolling boil!
Warning......This is an addictive pasttime!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do so at your own risk!
Kirk
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