Altoid Tin Alcohol Stove

You have seen those aluminum can stoves that run on alcohol, and they are pretty nifty. I have seen them and contemplated using one over my store-bought propane/butane mix fueled stove. However, being an Altoid addict, I decided to make one out of the dozens of Altoid tins I have sitting around.

It has been a fair bit of trial and error, but I have come out ahead. Here are the instructions on how to build your very own Altoid Tin Alcohol Stove. Also note that if you do something stupid with fire, you are the one that did something stupid. I am not liable. This instructable is meant to teach responsible people a useful skill.

Step 1 This is what you need:

Materials Required:
Altoid tin - This is the main body of the stove. It is fairly difficult to proceed with no Altoid tin.
Metal Strips - These are used to make a pot stand that holds the pot above the flame to avoid smothering.
Cotton Balls - These absorb alcohol inside the tin, and displace air.
Alcohol - This is mostly just used for a rapid red-ox reaction to produce thermal energy from chemical energy.

Tools Required:
Pliers - These are useful for prying the hinges of the tin apart to liberate the lid, and for un-liberating the lid again
Hammer - This helps if you decide to use nails to punch holes. I used a thumbtack for my first one, but I got tired of pushing with my thumb.
Thumbtack and/or Nails - These are great as far as making holes in things goes.
Measuring Implement - This helps for when you are making the metal strips, and you need to make sure they are not too large.
Sandpaper - This is used as an abrasive to clear the paint off the top and sides of your Altoid tin. This part is optional; if you do not do it the heat will.
Hacksaw - This is mostly unused. Tin snips > hacksaws. Unfortunately I have misplaced my snips...
Lighter - Lighters are typically used to set things on fire. I do not stray from that path in this 'ible.

Comments

[rhrgrt]

happybuddha: Disconnecting the lid is useful as far as hammering nails into the lid goes. It makes it easier to punch holes without disfiguring the lid.

MadScott: I mentioned replacing the cotton with fiberglass in the fifth step, toward the end =)

yeturbumi: It would certainly be feasible to add an electric starter, I'm fine with a lighter, but if you devise a piezo starter for a stove, let me know how that works out for you =D

[happybuddha]

 What am I missing, why is it necessary to disconnect the lid and then reconnect it, if all you do in the interim is punch holes in the lid?

[MadScott]

Good, painless project!  Maybe a few tufts of fiberglass insulation (fireproof, won't rot) in place of of the cotton?

[dungeon runner]

Great project! I may try it sometime. I wonder, could you possibly add a small electric sparker to the inside of the tin? That might make it easier to light.

-Y