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I'll show you how to make a great little portable stove from stuff you probably have laying around your house! It's perfect for camping, backpacking, and power outages.
I am not the inventor of this stove, and there are far better designs out there (Penny Stove is the best!), but this pressure-based alcohol stove is by far the easiest to make.
Watch the video for an overview:
I am not the inventor of this stove, and there are far better designs out there (Penny Stove is the best!), but this pressure-based alcohol stove is by far the easiest to make.
Watch the video for an overview:
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Signing UpStep 1Supplies
Here is a list of items you will need:
1. Two pop cans, or beer cans.
Make sure the bottom of the can is free of dents and scratches.
2. Fine sandpaper.
320 or higher grit.
3. Utility knife blade.
4. Thumbtack.
5. Wire hangar.
6. Fiberglass (optional, but recommended).
I used insulation from the basement.
7. Bottle of Heet.
You can also use denatured alcohol, everclear, or 91% isopropyl alcohol.
1. Two pop cans, or beer cans.
Make sure the bottom of the can is free of dents and scratches.
2. Fine sandpaper.
320 or higher grit.
3. Utility knife blade.
4. Thumbtack.
5. Wire hangar.
6. Fiberglass (optional, but recommended).
I used insulation from the basement.
7. Bottle of Heet.
You can also use denatured alcohol, everclear, or 91% isopropyl alcohol.
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1) I've seen in other instructions (don't think on instructables though) that you need to cover the filling holes with something like a penny, is that really necessary?
2) Maybe somebody knows, is there an equivalent for HEET in Germany?
If you have one big hile, most of the pressure and thus vapor will exit there and you have one big flame coming out of your filling hole. But we want many evenly spaced flames on the rim, right? So block the filling-hole with something (Penny, Screw, Plug, Insulation, ...) and let the pressure exit the outer holes and generate a neat ring of fire.
Otherwise, you can just buy rubbing alcohol (for disinfecting wounds, or cleaning stuff) and get one with the highest percentage alcohol possible (over 70% minimum)
I would suggest if you ever need this.. build a small fire, use it's embers to heat it up because it does take alot of heat to catch the fumes, however it feed's itself when it's going.
One flaw is it's lack of wind proofing, but there isnt much you can do about that except maybe make some wind blockers/ heat reflectors out of a cardboard box and some tinfoil.
Aluminum, having a low gradient heat temperature makes it possible to toss this into your pocket after about one minute of cool down.
Five stars from me, great Instructable!
1. one or both of the cans tear
2. one of the cans dents itself to go into the leaving a hole between the two of them letting fuel leak
any advice would help greatly
I discovered that you need to get these pretty hot before they will light.
it is carcinogenic if inhaled too much, but so cheap, you can buy it at any book store or paint store, 1L=0,35$ in my country, probably less in stronger countries(USA, england, france, deutschland, russia.......)
JUST QUICK QUESTION, HOW MUCH DOES IT LAST WHEN YOU FULLY CHARGE IT?
will the fiberglass burn/melt from the heat?
In any case, my point is that isopropyl alcohol is a suitable fuel for this. Just make sure to remove it from the pilot after your sure that the stove is fully heated and lit (no flickering jets). You can do this easily with a pliers or by atatching some sort of handle prior to lighting it.