There are plenty of aluminum can stove designs out there. This one is different in that it is not made from aluminum cans but rather from aluminum bottles (aluminum beer bottles to be specific) After building a few stoves myself I wanted to design one to address a few shortcomings of other can stoves:
1. Priming - A number of stoves require an external heat source to bring the alcohol to vaporization temperature. Some require heating the bottom for a few minutes or burning some alcohol in a separate "primer pan" or on the ground around the the can as a means to heat the exterior of the of the stove to achieve a self-sustaining burn.
2. Separate pot stands - A number of stoves have a low profile and are very compact however the smallest of the small require separate pot stands to cook with. Kind of defeats the purpose of a compact stove in my mind.
Sure there are side jetted designs that hold a pot however I wanted a design that would also address a third shortcoming.
3. Cold pan Flame-out - Of the can stove designs that do support a pot, I have seen them suffer from this condition. When a pan of cold water (fresh from the camp pump) is placed directly on a can stove, it acts as a large heat sink. Before the stove can warm the water, the cold pot cools the aluminum stove so much that it cannot maintain alcohol vaporization and the stove goes out.
Admittedly, there are are many great can stove designs out there; many are self priming (nothing new there) and some have integral pot stands. Each has pros and cons depending on your priorities. This is another design for consideration.
and besides, I just wanted an excuse to work with those cool aluminum beer bottles.
Update 9/15/09: Just posted an Instructable that that shows another stove related use for aluminum bottles http://www.instructables.com/id/Aluminum-Bottle-Tumbler-Cup-Cook-Pot/
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If you look hard enough you will find a local retailer that usually stocks at least a small quantity of these specialty aluminum beer bottles.
I prefer the use of these aluminum bottles over the traditional aluminum cans for the following reasons:
1. Stability - The overall diameter of a can is larger than a bottle, however, the bottles have a larger diameter where it counts, at the base were it contacts the ground. The wider base is important because we are making a stove to support a pot and every bit of width helps to prevent tipping.
2. Heavier Gauge - The bottles are a thicker gauge aluminum. The thicker metal is a little more challenging to work with (you can't cut it with a utility knife) however it brings a solid, durable feel that you just don't get from a can.
This also means more thermal mass to help counter the "cold pot flame-out" syndrome.
(Sure more metal is more weight however once you step away from a propane grill; a quarter of an ounce here or there is not my biggest priority. (By the way, don't forget to add the weight of a separate pot stand to those other designs)
The last photo show some of my trials with earlier aluminum bottle designs.
I prefer the use of these aluminum bottles over the traditional aluminum cans for the following reasons:
1. Stability - The overall diameter of a can is larger than a bottle, however, the bottles have a larger diameter where it counts, at the base were it contacts the ground. The wider base is important because we are making a stove to support a pot and every bit of width helps to prevent tipping.
2. Heavier Gauge - The bottles are a thicker gauge aluminum. The thicker metal is a little more challenging to work with (you can't cut it with a utility knife) however it brings a solid, durable feel that you just don't get from a can.
This also means more thermal mass to help counter the "cold pot flame-out" syndrome.
(Sure more metal is more weight however once you step away from a propane grill; a quarter of an ounce here or there is not my biggest priority. (By the way, don't forget to add the weight of a separate pot stand to those other designs)
The last photo show some of my trials with earlier aluminum bottle designs.
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I would like to suggest a solution to both of these concerns. On the jet deck, instead of cutting a large diameter hole, mount two (2) of the beer bottle caps one on each side of the jet deck. Drill one 1/8 inch hole and one 3/16 inch hole through both bottle caps and the jet deck. Drill the holes as far apart as possible with enough room left for installation. Fabricate a sheet metal strip from a soft drink can large enough to cover both holes. Through the 1/8 inch hole install a blind rivet to fasten the upper bottle cap, the jet deck, the lower bottle cap and the thin sheet metal strip. Cut the head off a hollow 3/16 inch rivet leaving a small diameter tube. Install the tube into the 3/16 inch hole using epoxy to insure a tight fit and seal. Be careful not to get any adhesive on the thin sheet metal strip. Cut the length of the tube so that it can be installed flush with the bottom bottle cap and 1/8 inch or so higher than the surface of the upper bottle cap. Cut the necks from two (2) bottles and screw them into the bottle caps mounted on the jet deck. Cut the lenght of the necks so that they touch the base and the colonade. Cut a hole in the colonade smaller than the opening of the upper neck. Take a wooden dowel rod and bend the top of the colonade down to fit around the bottle neck.
To use the stove, pour fuel into the top of the stove. The 3/16 inch tube will allow the fuel to enter the lower pressurized chamber but since the upper end of the tube is higher than the bottom of the bottle cap a little fuel will be left in the upper bottle cap. The metal strip attached to the lower bottle cap may need to be adjusted so that the fuel flows easily into the lower chamber. Light the stove. The upper bottle neck serves as a primer bowl. When the stove is primed, pressure will build up in the lower chamber and force the metal strip against the 3/16 inch tube and seal the lower chamber. This will give you a pressurized jet stove that doen not require a separate priming bowl and does not require a syringe to add the fuel.
I found my Bud Light bottles at a local groccery store that ordered a case for me from their distributor. A little pricey, but I was then able to build several copies.
Just be sure to patiently stretch the bottoms with your pvc coupling; if not they will tear during assembly.
My son and I do some backpacking, and this works well even in winter. I use a piece of tinfoil for a windscreen, which is almost a necessity.
Of course, you could purchase an alcohol stove, but that's not really the point now, is it?
I used an aluminum pepsi bottle and it only contains 2 pieces. I used mine to boil water in an MSR 1.1L pot with no discoloration.
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