Beer can stoves!

[doug hodder]

I have a very good customer that drives a considerable distance to visit my store. I think a lot of it is because her husband and I BS about trailers, fishing, camping, using epoxy for whatever, etc....they're retired. He was a UC Davis prof. and spends most of his time now fly fishing, camping and backpacking. When they come by the store, we both visit the forum and I show him every ones builds and ideas and how far along they are.

I had mentioned to him that I was restoring vintage camping gear and he made me this little beer can stove and dropped it off to me. I've tried to make them in the past, but didn't get the burn like I wanted.

This stove with fuel only ends up weighing 4oz, runs on denatured alcohol...perfect for someone not willing to haul heavy stuff when backpacking. What's cool is that it uses 2 can bottoms and he cut a liner so that there is a internal chamber that will get up to temp and give the burner type effect.

I know there are sites that give info on how to build them and we've talked about them on the forum, but I hadn't seen one quite like this. He uses one like this all the time. I've always been into little stoves and thought this was pretty cool. Probably won't cook a waffle, but then no one is lugging that type of iron when backpacking! Doug

[Geron]

I've made several of those and they'll boil 1/2 liter water in 5-6 minutes on about an ounce of fuel.

Just finished making a couple of these wood gas stoves:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMfbt2bQC7g

In Initial tests they seemed to work well.

Now to get away from this remodeling project (last 12 months) and get the dogs into the woods for a few days.

[doug hodder]

I don't think I've seen a side cutting can opener like he used. Where do you get one of those? Doug

[tonyj]

Those are available in lots of places now. You might even be able to find them at WalMart. I have one just like he used, but can't remember where he got it. It cuts the lip instead of puncturing and cutting through the top.

[Geron]

I don't think I've seen a side cutting can opener like he used. Where do you get one of those? Doug

I used a regular can opener and just turned it sideways. Worked fine Just turn slowly and keep the can/top aligned in the can opener jaws. However, I prefer to cut the bottom out in the normal way. Leaves the rim for sturdiness. He cut it sideways so as to have a lid for storage inside the stove.

Also click the link he gives in the video. Another Wood gas stove with a slightly different "twist"

[starleen2]

I don't think I've seen a side cutting can opener like he used. Where do you get one of those? Doug

I used a regular can opener and just turned it sideways. Worked fine Just turn slowly and keep the can/top aligned in the can opener jaws. However, I prefer to cut the bottom out in the normal way. Leaves the rim for sturdiness. He cut it sideways so as to have a lid for storage inside the stove.

Also click the link he gives in the video. Another Wood gas stove with a slightly different "twist"

perhaps you can find a plastic lid that would cover the bottom as well - they sell them to match the top of the paint can - then you could leave the lip on the edge of the can AND store your stuff as well

[Geron]

I don't think I've seen a side cutting can opener like he used. Where do you get one of those? Doug

I used a regular can opener and just turned it sideways. Worked fine Just turn slowly and keep the can/top aligned in the can opener jaws. However, I prefer to cut the bottom out in the normal way. Leaves the rim for sturdiness. He cut it sideways so as to have a lid for storage inside the stove.

Also click the link he gives in the video. Another Wood gas stove with a slightly different "twist"

perhaps you can find a plastic lid that would cover the bottom as well - they sell them to match the top of the paint can - then you could leave the lip on the edge of the can AND store your stuff as well

Yes, I tried the plastic lid from a 2 lb Crisco can. It fit perfectly well "inside" the rim. Prolly with all the plastic lids on various grocery products one could be found for nothing.

[Laredo]

Doug:
that's a "safety" can opener, and I found both mine at grocery stores -- one at HEB and one at Albertson's. (Left one home, then had to open cans in camp. Lockney, TX has a great HEB store.)

If they have 'em where you live, try a 20-ounce Arizona-brand tea can as a starting place -- first project? Take the ends out, slit the can down 4'' and bend out the sides. Take a hole punch and punch a row of holes about 1'' up from the bottom, about 1/2'' apart, all the way around. Presto: very light, low-cost, windscreen/pot stand for one of these stoves.

Some ultralight hiking fanatics build their stoves from Red-Bull or V-8 single-serving cans, using a design like the one you pictured except smaller. Some use Heineken "keg" cans as cookpots.

What's nice about this is the low cost of the materials -- even if you foul up a few attempts, empty cans don't cost much.

[madjack]

Doug, could you post a pic of the stove, with no fire, the lights on and the parts sitting next to each other..............

[Geron]

http://www.csun.edu/~mjurey/stoveinstruct.html

Here's instructions for a Penny Stove. Quite well laid out. Made "Make" magazine.

Another one

http://zenstoves.net/Construction.htm

Actually my favorite and one that seems to work quite well and is easy to start is this one.

http://home.insightbb.com/~royevans/pepsistove.pdf
g

Geez, this guy really went into detail

http://antigravitygear.com/alcoholstoveinst.html

[doug hodder]

Here's what I have Jack....2 bottoms from beer/pop cans, and then cut a piece out of the body that will fit into the lips on both ends, 1 end (top) has the domed portion cut out of it. Squish them together with the inner liner. I think he heated one and cooled the other so that they would slip together. A couple of holes in the bottom inner liner to allow the fuel to get into the outer edge. He also JB welded the 2 together. I didn't do that on mine and they blew apart on me. Punch/drill some holes in the edge on the top. I dumped the fuel in, and then preheated the external sides so that it would take off.

Once up to temp, it runs like I had in the first pic. It appears to be the 3rd one down in Gerons post. (pepsistove) in design, works great! I'm going to clown around with some sort of a center piece to develop a burner effect in there also. I'm going by the paint store tomorrow...I'll pick up a clean qt. can for my wood gas stove like Geron also posted. Might be a fun project to play with. Doug

[wlivesey]

I've made a bunch of these, in the past, for backpacking. They are very light weight and work reliably. I've found that the biggest problem is with them is coming up with a decent pot stand and keeping the wind from blowing out the flame. Now days I use a JetBoil. (See http://www.jetboil.com). Though pricey, these are the best stoves anywhere. They boil a liter of water in 90 seconds and barely use any fuel at all.

If your going to make an alcohol stove out of aluminum cans, try Fosters cans, they're bigger and a lot more fun to empty.

[Laredo]

one of the good things about those penny stoves is that you can pick a design to suit your materials. I like the "SuperCat Stove", myself...

take a Fancy Feast (tm) can and a hole punch, spend about two minutes and ... presto: stove, windscreen, potstand all in one.