My-"Because I Can"-Oil Candle & Alcohol Stove's

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 12:16 pm

Imade one from pop cans with smaller holes, maybe to small, used a needle and burning Isoprohple( sp)

adirondakjack · Post by **adirondakjack** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 1:57 pm

Pitchy wrote:Imade one from pop cans with smaller holes, maybe to small, used a needle and burning Isoprohple( sp)

Though I haven't tried it, they say iso ain't that great. Get yer hands on some denatured or 190 moonshine, and a-waaaay ya go......

If need be, a push pin, which has a tapered point, can be used to ream the holes out a little.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 2:27 pm

Yepper reamed out the holes with a needle but still doesn`t work very well the flame gets high but yellow. Maybe it`s the fuel like ya said, i don`t have any heat or alcohol right now.

How about Coleman fuel ?

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 3:49 pm

Pitchy wrote:Yepper reamed out the holes with a needle but still doesn`t work very well the flame gets high but yellow. Maybe it`s the fuel like ya said, i don`t have any heat or alcohol right now.

How about Coleman fuel ?

Thats pure unleaded no additive gasoline Pitchy...

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 4:05 pm

Yep tried some burt terrible, no wonder my lawn mower hardly runs.

I`ll pic up some heat tomorrow, tanks.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 5:24 pm

Just ordered one of these.

[url][/http://www.ultralightdesigns.com/produc ... ni.htmlurl]

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 6:30 pm

Success, got some heat, works good.
Never give up, Because I Can.

vancelw · Post by **vancelw** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 6:37 pm

casastahle wrote:
Pitchy wrote:Yepper reamed out the holes with a needle but still doesn`t work very well the flame gets high but yellow. Maybe it`s the fuel like ya said, i don`t have any heat or alcohol right now.

How about Coleman fuel ?
Thats pure unleaded no additive gasoline Pitchy...

Whew. I thought the next picture was gonna be a beardless Pitchy

Have to change his name to Blackbeard

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 6:44 pm

And the steel one made from a propane tank works great to with heat as fuel, primes fast burns blue.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 6:45 pm

vancelw wrote:
casastahle wrote:
Pitchy wrote:Yepper reamed out the holes with a needle but still doesn`t work very well the flame gets high but yellow. Maybe it`s the fuel like ya said, i don`t have any heat or alcohol right now.

How about Coleman fuel ?
Thats pure unleaded no additive gasoline Pitchy...
Whew. I thought the next picture was gonna be a beardless Pitchy
Have to change his name to Blackbeard

Dern near did that today.

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 7:05 pm

vancelw wrote:
casastahle wrote:
Pitchy wrote:Yepper reamed out the holes with a needle but still doesn`t work very well the flame gets high but yellow. Maybe it`s the fuel like ya said, i don`t have any heat or alcohol right now.

How about Coleman fuel ?
Thats pure unleaded no additive gasoline Pitchy...
Whew. I thought the next picture was gonna be a beardless Pitchy
Have to change his name to Blackbeard

LOL Looks like our Pitchy survived and got the fuel thing all figured out.

There called alcohol stoves for a reason guys.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 7:43 pm

Thanks for the inspiring me to make one two or half doozen

That metal one is one tough stove and should be a good one.
Very cool guys.

dsmith512 · Post by **dsmith512** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 9:26 pm

Neat ideas guys, but it is 105 degrees outside. The last thing I want to do is play with fire. Let's bring this topic back in January

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 6:11 am

“Made a change to the thread title”
As you guys build your stoves feel free to add the
pictures of your results and or experiences, then we
will have them all on one thread to reference.

Mike

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:41 am

I have a question, on the open top type stoves, the ones you can see to the bottom like my propane tank one is is best to burn it with the top open or with the pan sitting right on the stove. I`ve seen pics both ways, i like the idea od the wind guard pan rack combination but that leaves the top open. Does leaving the center open burn more fuel?

adirondakjack · Post by **adirondakjack** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 9:13 am

Pitchy wrote:I have a question, on the open top type stoves, the ones you can see to the bottom like my propane tank one is is best to burn it with the top open or with the pan sitting right on the stove. I`ve seen pics both ways, i like the idea od the wind guard pan rack combination but that leaves the top open. Does leaving the center open burn more fuel?

On an open top stove, the pot is supposed to sit on it when cooking. The pot acts to slightly pressurize the fuel, making the jets work. Otherwise ya got an unpressurized flame that is less efficient. For some designs they show a simmer adapter, which is simply a top with a small part cutaway that is placed on top, and the pot placed on a stand an inch or so above the stove. This gives ya a cooler flame....

adirondakjack · Post by **adirondakjack** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 9:20 am

To get this all on the same thread, here's the camp kitchen meant for kayak camping all fleshed out.

Cheap pots from the dollar store, the plastic handles removed, the handle mounting screws shimmed with small hex nuts under the nose of the screw and snugged, leaving them as studs to hook the new handle on in use. One small pot has the rim removed to make a fitted lid for the other small pot. This rimless pot would double as a bowl. The handle is 1X1/8" aluminum stock, and fits all of them.

A covered pot boils faster... Note, the handle simply slips over the screw head and gravity does the rest. No need to secure the handle. The handle would be removed while the pot is on ths stove, so
it stays cool.

Nested, ready to stuff in a drawstring bag (once I find one. I have several somewhere). The biggest (3 pint) pot is 6.5" wide.

Materials list for the entire project.

Stove:
Two 12 oz soda cans.
one #10 tee nut, the barbs removed
one #10 round head brass screw, maybe 1/2" long (the tee nut and screw are the filler)
1" x about 10" strip of aluminum flashing as a band around the middle of the stove.
JB Weld to assemble.
If ya wanna make life easier, buy a small number drill, on the order of a # 73 or #74 to drill out the jets. A push pin can work, but it's tricky to get em equal and the correct size as ya only push it in partway onto the tapered point. A GOOD hardware or machine shop will have small drill bits individually, probably cost ya fifty cents.

Pot stand/windscreen
One 1 lb coffee can, the middle cut away and the two ends interference fit together to achieve proper height.
Windscreen is aluminum roof flashing, maybe 3.5 X 10"

Pots:

two 2 pint pots and one 3 pint pot, $1 each at dollar store.
Handle, 1X1/8" x 6" aluminum stock.

Fuel bottle:
two ounce travel size bottle of shampoo, mouthwash, etc from walmart, ($1 or so, dump out contents)
one small "through tank" type brass hose barb and nut for the spout (in the small tubing fittings stuff at a farm supply or hobby shop) , and some bit of silicone tubing and a plug of some sort as a spout cap. (or find a bottle with a small spout to fit your filler)

Alternately, use "HEET" fuel additive for fuel (comes in a nifty 4 oz bottle), and use a small funnel to get it in the stove.

The only things I bought directly for this project were the pots, ($3) as I used whatever I had for the rest. If purposely sourced, the JB Weld would be the most costly at $5, and the rest could be done for probably $10 total, including a brass screw and matching hex nut ( a tee nut isn't really needed, but that's what I had), and a small sheet of aluminum flashing type stock and a handle of heavy aluminum wire instead of flat stuck, all from LOWES or Ace Hardware....

IMHO it beats $50-$100+ for commercial backpacking stuff, especially since ya made it yerself

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 9:42 am

Thanks Jack

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 10:06 am

Before i read these replies i went out made this, folds up for easy carry but have the open top issue.
Here`s a good clip on fuels.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5W7aqdh ... re=related

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 2:13 pm

Nice one Pitchy
Heck that one's heavy duty enough to handle a cast Dutch Oven

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 2:35 pm

I`m starting a new one that`s a little different. It`s kinda modeled after the one i ordered but haven`t got yet.
It`s made by cutting the top out of a can and inserting it up side down in the lower part of the can, then drilling holes around the sides. I`ll post a picture of it burning later as the JB weld id drying now.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 3:09 pm

Cranked it up, nice design and works very well.

adirondakjack · Post by **adirondakjack** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 3:56 pm

Pitchy wrote:Cranked it up, nice design and works very well.

Wow Pitchy boiled his lathe and it shrunk

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 4:06 pm

by golly i think your right.

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 4:52 pm

Very cool side-jet there Pitchy

Now your next mission:
An external fuel supply for a a min. of 1 hour burn time.

That should be a peice of cake for our Pitchy

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 5:30 pm

Sounds like my old coleman stove to me.

I`m enjoying this.

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 6:14 pm

Pitchy wrote:Sounds like my old coleman stove to me.

I`m enjoying this.

Kind of like a Coleman but gravity fed, not pump pressurized.
Going to work on this myself this coming week if time permits.

redmond · Post by **redmond** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:25 pm

Nicely done everyone.

Here is a 2000 year-old, pottery solution to the olive oil candle/lamp. It's about 3" long. Note the flat profile of the body of the lamp for the same gravity fighting issue mentioned above. Cotton wick goes into the larger hole, small hole in the concave top for filling. Maybe those Romans did know what they were doing!

stickfred · Post by **stickfred** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 7:27 am

redmond wrote:Nicely done everyone.

Here is a 2000 year-old, pottery solution to the olive oil candle/lamp. It's about 3" long. Note the flat profile of the body of the lamp for the same gravity fighting issue mentioned above. Cotton wick goes inro the larger hole, small hole in the concave top for filling. Maybe those Romans did know what they were doing!

That is a very old style lamp, indeed. Used by a lot of peoples, including the Israelites, with olive oil as fuel.

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 8:40 am

alcohol stoves have another potential benefit, alcohol is easy to produce, so when the society collapses and the armed clipboard filler-outers have other things on their minds, you can produce your own stove fuel. Producing fuel now without the required pre-requisite taxes, fees, fingerprinting, and other associated benefits of police-state-government is a quick trip to cell block A.

alcohol has a knock against it too, it produces water and in a closed-in space it makes moisture that can be an issue, as on boats and in igloos and pickup campers....

I am working on a solid fuel stove that feeds twigs, grass, poop, seaweed, whatever can burn in the bottom and produces hot flame out the top. It burns to white ash with very little smoke once the fire is gassifying. The cylinder I am using now is a 4" diameter section of stainless muffler tubing. It's heavy for back packing but not a problem for boat transportation. There are folding versions and many varieties shown on the same site the alcohol stoves are on.

Grizz

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 12:52 pm

Picked up this colapsable stove today and tried some of the fire pellets which work nice and burn 9 minutes.
All me stoves work in this folding stove.

Griz have you ever expermited with catilous from mufflers, if ya run a gas vapor through it it burns very hot.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 1:44 pm

Everything fits in a ammo can pretty nice.

adirondakjack · Post by **adirondakjack** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 7:27 pm

Ok, so now for a slower cooker to compliment the FAST/HOT pressurized stove.

24 jets drilled with a .0260 (#71) drill, angled nearly straight up. The piece in the foreground is cut from a can top, sized to fit in the open top stove as a simmer adapter.

Like this. The (consumable) string makes lighting easier, helps keep the stove lit when first starting with the simmer adapter, and makes life easier on the fingers when using a lighter instead of matches to light the stove.

The stove burns long and slow, simmering a pint of water for a good ten minutes on an ounce of denatured alcohol, when the pot is placed 1" above the stove.

I think the drill will be to use the pressurized stove to boil water NOW, or to get a frying pan HOT, then switch to the slower open top stove, with or without the simmer adapter to finish the job if it entails more than JUST bringing water to a boil. The weight/space penalty is minimal.....

A small pair of hemostats or needlenose (which I happen to have in my fishing bag) make tending these stoves easier. Adding the simmer adapter when the stove is lit, reaching through the holes in the pot stand to light the stove with a burning string, etc.....

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 7:29 pm

Griz have you ever expermited with catilous from mufflers, if ya run a gas vapor through it it burns very hot.

I haven't tried that. Might have to go out late tonight over yonder a ways.....

Post by **Old Savage** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 8:10 pm

I see the three top posts here are on planes, bicycles and stoves. Hmmm

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 8:13 pm

Grizz wrote:
Griz have you ever expermited with catilous from mufflers, if ya run a gas vapor through it it burns very hot.
I haven't tried that. Might have to go out late tonight over yonder a ways.....

adirondakjack, nice, thanks.

Grizz if ya take apart a catalytic converter and break off a piece of the innards, you`ll find they are hollow tubes. Take a propane torch and hold the nozzle on the low end and turn the gas on low and then light the top. That sucker will get so hot it will amaze ya.
Be careful

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 8:48 pm

Old Savage wrote:I see the three top posts here are on planes, bicycles and stoves. Hmmm

it's multiculturalism in action

Jeff H · Post by **Jeff H** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 10:01 pm

Pitchy wrote:Everything fits in a ammo can pretty nice.......

Not so fast, Pitchy.......
You still need a "woodgas" stove made from a quart paint can and one Progresso soup can.
Then, you can burn litle handfuls of wood or drop your alchol stove inside it when you don't have time to find wood bits.

I went to use my casting bench the other day and found that I had piled all my stove experiments and make-shift cookware onto it.
So, I started clearing off the casting bench and four hours later I had two new stoves made and and tested out and a couple new lids for my fruit can Billies.

Never even fired up the lead pot.

adirondakjack · Post by **adirondakjack** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 10:40 pm

Did somebody say "wood gas"?

Did that a few years ago, even built a giant sized wood gassification stove to heat my shop (but replaced it with a masonary heater).

I did keep this little guy though:

3lb coffee can with a 1lb coffee can inner, adjustable bottom draft, etc. We used it in 10 degree weather with wood chips and charcoal to make coffee and warm hands while deer hunting.

Kinda bulky for kayak camping, but it does work.....

Gobblerforge · Post by **Gobblerforge** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 5:47 am

Old Savage wrote:I see the three top posts here are on planes, bicycles and stoves. Hmmm

Sorta sums up man's most basic thoughts. Man has always wondered, "What eat next? How cook? How get there?"

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 7:02 am

Jeff H wrote:
Pitchy wrote:Everything fits in a ammo can pretty nice.......
Not so fast, Pitchy.......
You still need a "woodgas" stove made from a quart paint can and one Progresso soup can.
Then, you can burn litle handfuls of wood or drop your alchol stove inside it when you don't have time to find wood bits.

I went to use my casting bench the other day and found that I had piled all my stove experiments and make-shift cookware onto it.
So, I started clearing off the casting bench and four hours later I had two new stoves made and and tested out and a couple new lids for my fruit can Billies.

Never even fired up the lead pot.

I once made a producer gas furnace and ran a huge engine on it, to much creosote from it.
A coal producer gas furnace would be better.

Twodot · Post by **Twodot** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 1:24 pm

another good site for DIY stoves & other stuff

http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html
..

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 2:12 pm

Old Savage wrote:I see the three top posts here are on planes, bicycles and stoves. Hmmm

Where`s the Beef

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 3:07 pm

http://www.backpacking.net/makegear/fal ... index.html

my solid fuel stove is bigger and heavier and ported differently, and stainless steel, but other than that it's just like this one:

I have another shot of that muffler tube that I am going to shorten and make a lot more like this one. They do burn hot. You can get them to gassify with an inner can and some jet style holes, but, why bother? Just that much more to go wrong!!

Grizz

adirondakjack · Post by **adirondakjack** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 6:33 pm

Just as a test, I made coffee with the open, low pressure stove just now. Started with about 14 ounces of water in the covered pot, 3/4 ounces of alcohol in the stove. As the water got hot, I tossed in a "coffee bag" made up of folded coffee filter with very fine ground coffee, stapled shut, and let it run until the fire went out (just about 10 minutes, without using the simmer adapter.) Then I swished the coffee "bag" around a bit, and poured the coffee into a cup, leaving the "bag" behind. A very good cup of coffee in exactly ten minutes. Sure does beat the heck out of making enough of a wood fire to make coffee..... This is gonna be great when fishing from the kayak. A cool evening on the lake, pull into a cove, get out to stretch my legs, and in 10 minutes, hot coffee.

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 7:27 pm

adirondakjack wrote:Just as a test, I made coffee with the open, low pressure stove just now. Started with about 14 ounces of water in the covered pot, 3/4 ounces of alcohol in the stove. As the water got hot, I tossed in a "coffee bag" made up of folded coffee filter with very fine ground coffee, stapled shut, and let it run until the fire went out (just about 10 minutes, without using the simmer adapter.) Then I swished the coffee "bag" around a bit, and poured the coffee into a cup, leaving the "bag" behind. A very good cup of coffee in exactly ten minutes. Sure does beat the heck out of making enough of a wood fire to make coffee..... This is gonna be great when fishing from the kayak. A cool evening on the lake, pull into a cove, get out to stretch my legs, and in 10 minutes, hot coffee.

Nothin like a fresh cup of joe and a hand warmup all at the same time

Jeff H · Post by **Jeff H** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 10:59 pm

My best luck with alcohol stoves to date is the plain old cat food can stove.
For smaller pots, like a GSI mug or Esbit mug, I made one using a slip-top tin that is 1.5" high and 1.5" wide. It barely holds a tablespoon of alcohol but will boil 12 ounces of water in about 6 minutes and hold the boil for another thre or four.
Stupid-simple stove.

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Wed Jun 15, 2011 10:53 am

I ordered this item. It's kind of spendy, but I don't want to try to build it! You can put a pot on top. You can fire with wood or pop can alcohol or sterno or nesbits or a plumber's stove. It boils 1-3/4 qts of water as fast as or faster than the other stoves I've looked at. With a small bucket of sand I can use it in a kayak, row boat, beach camp, mountain trip, whatever.

BUT IT'S NOT BACKPACKER FRIENDLY, that's for sure. They make one that's half the size, but I figure if it's really important to have hot water, or to purify water, then it's important to have plenty of it.

AND it's stainless steel so it accessorizes my 45/70 and Redhawk nicely...

Grizz