Alchohol stove in the cold??

S

SkunkWerX

Joined
Jul 27, 2006
Messages
1,730
I've heard reports of homemade alchohol stoves (soda can stoves or pepsi can stoves) having difficulty in the cold weather.

So, using 91% Isopropyl alchohol, I went out tonight to check it out.
It was in the 20's F.

I found that it still works. Might take a wee bit longer to start burning through the small jet holes, but, it still worked like a champ. I spilled a little on the outside wall , as they say that helps to warm up the walls.

Mine was burning a little too much yellow flame, which I think is a sign of over-burning. I'm thinking my jet holes are too large and/or using the 91% Iso. alc. may be giving it that burning characteristic. Next time I'll try smaller jet holes.

Here are some links for these little wonders. They will boil water with the best of them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverage-can_stove

I like this site, it has other stoves too!
http://zenstoves.net/

http://hikinghq.net/sgt_stove/sgt_soda.html

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/photonstove/stove/HighPerfAlcoholStove.htm

http://www.trailquest.net/sbstove.html
 
Skunk,

It's the isopropyl that is making the yellow flames, get some denatured alcohol and she will burn nice and blue. Chris
 
Hear is an outfit I made in Iraq with nothing but a leatherman, a drill, and a pushpin, made lots of ramen with this setup and it looks a litle rough but still cooks like a champ. Chris

Picture732.jpg


Picture733.jpg


Picture734.jpg
 
That's beaut! :thumbup:

I made mine a side burner, trying to get the hottest flame tips to touch the bottom of the pan.

I haven't made a pot holder or windscreen, yet. Been toying with it.
Right now it's packed along with 3 #20 penny nails, instant pot holder. ;)
Alum foil is all I have for windscreen.
 
Runningboar, you are to be commended for not only serving in our armed forces, but for having the ingenuity that enabled you to whip up that effective little Ramen noodle cooker while in the war zone. Looks like a high tech camping pot you used to cook in, too. Ramen noodles are good grub, and they are even better if you add one chicken bouillon cube to your cook water while it heats up. Another trick I thunk up is to rapidly stir in one raw egg while it's still boiling hot. Makes it kind of like egg drop soup at the Chinese restaurants and gives you some more bulk and protein. "Adapt and overcome.":thumbup:
 
I didn't have the pot when I first made the stove, I used a regular old canteen cup. It worked pretty good but the flames climbed way up the side of the cup.

When I first started making the stove everyone made fun of me, after about the 4th try I got a working model and was eating hot chow peoples minds changed. Most of even the remote camps in the middle of nowhere have a small PX that has rubbing alcohol so I could always get fuel although it doesn't burn as good as denatured. Chris
 
The Iso Alc burns a little sooty , makes bottom of your pots black.
But it beats the heck outta cold chow. ;)

Here is the Mtn Dew Side Burner.
canstove.jpg


added a few top holes to help the flame transfer down to the side holes.
Once they are lit, just sit the cup or pot right on top of can rim.
 
I have the 25-7 in Duossal and now eyeballing the 28 (mini). Sweet setup and no worries about parts failing.

It took me about a decade to come around to the alcohol stoves. Got sick and tired of the white gas stove (MSR Whisperlight) o-rings drying out and cracking on me. Used a small primus canister stove for a while too. Still have both, but semi-retired.

We lost power for a few hours last week, so I pulled out the Trangia and cooked up dinner on it!:D

If there is a run on propane, camping fuel, and camping cartrigdes during an emergency; I can just walk down to the paint section for the SLX or the auto dept. for Heet.
 
Was the fuel 20 degrees? Farenheit? How did you light it? One of the problems I have with mine is that it stank in the wind as well. They are a nice little stove, but it seemed to me that they only like to work in perfect conditions. I had a noticeably more difficult time lighting mine at 50F.
 
If you guys are into alcohol for burning, look in your local yellow pages for a chemical supply house. Y'know, the folks who supply swimming pools, water-treatment plants and industry with the stuff they need. I guarantee they'll give you a WAY better deal on iso or denatured alcohol by the gallon (or drum!) than buying a pint at a time from the gas station or drug store. Same is true for nitrogen fertilizer (don't ask for a ton or they'll think you're building a bomb) drain-opener and basically any other cleaner/solvent/chemical that's legal to buy. Use your noggin, don't call up and ask for a list of the stuff people use to make meth or anything like that. (I only know this stuff because I used to work at a chem plant/distributor, I swear it hasn't affected me! *twitch-twitch drool-drool*)
 
Bohica2u said:
It took me about a decade to come around to the alcohol stoves. Got sick and tired of the white gas stove (MSR Whisperlight) o-rings drying out and cracking on me. Used a small primus canister stove for a while too. Still have both, but semi-retired.
Click to expand...

For me it's almost been the other way around. I grew up with Trangia and in Sweden they have been very common for many years and are still by far the most common outdoors stove. Alcohol stoves or just burners to go along with the canteen have been standard issue to all soldiers in the military for many years too. The right kind of alcohol is available in most places. They are a bit slow and have other drawbacks that got me to start using and experimenting with multifiuel stoves like the MSR XGK. I still ocassionally use the Trangia stoves, it all depends on what sort of trip you are on. I guess they are hard to beat for simplicity. Very neat homemade burner BTW! You can make lots of useful things from old coke cans.
 
Liam Ryan said:
http://www.csun.edu/~mjurey/penny.html#

I found this link while looking around, looks like a great design.
Pulled some heiney cans out of the recycling and I'm gonna try it out.
Click to expand...

Liam, that one looks pretty easy to make, so it's a good starter project.

Mine and RB's have an inner wall, so the alchohol vaporizes inside, creates a little pressure and that's what causes the jets to burn.
If constructed correctly they can boil water as fast as any commercial stove, and even minutes faster than some of them.

AnyCal, The fuel and stove were at outside temp. Lit with a BIC.
The trick I read is to dribble a little fuel on the outside, which I did, so when you light it, it burns off of the outside wall as well, which heats the unit.

Gibson, thanks for the idea. These stoves can boil water with 1 ounce of alchohol. They are extremely efficient. A pint of denatured from a Lowe's or HD will last a good long time, only using an ounce per. ;)

Makes a good hand warmer too! :thumbup:

I may build one tonight, adding some fiberglass insualtion between the walls like a wick in a Zippo, they say it gives perfromance gains. We shall see.
 
Skunk,

Mine has fiberglass in it and I do believe it helps, also instead of drilling your holes trying using a push pin tapped with a light hammer or the back of the leatherman, helps to make smaller holes. Chris
 
Bohica2u said:
I have the 25-7 in Duossal and now eyeballing the 28 (mini). Sweet setup and no worries about parts failing.

If there is a run on propane, camping fuel, and camping cartrigdes during an emergency; I can just walk down to the paint section for the SLX or the auto dept. for Heet.
Click to expand...

I bought a bottle of everclear, store it in one of those spun aluminum bottles.The stove runs well so far.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top