Alcohol Stoves

[Zodiak]

(Maybe this should have been on DIY?)

Anyway, I just found this page backpacklight which has a whole list of commercial alcohol stoves, some of which are new to me and while I appreciate that many people will sigh and say "what a newbie" there maybe a gear junkie out there who will spot the perfect item for completing their collection (for this week)

However there may also be another DIY er (like me) who will see another weekend project in the making

 

[scaleyback]

i have been making and using beer can stoves for about a year now after seeing them on a scandinavian outdoor and bushcraft site, they are ace, and have used petrol in them, blackens the pans but works, so does thinners and turps, lol stinks tho but proves you can burn just about any liquid in them, and when they are knakered yjust make another,

 

[Wayland]

and have used petrol in them, blackens the pans but works, so does thinners and turps, lol stinks tho but proves you can burn just about any liquid in them

I am surprised you are around to tell the tale.

The use of petrol in alchohol stoves is highly dangerous and should never be recomended. Petrol under the pressure that can be generated in some alchohol stoves is highly explosive.

Please take great care.

 

[scaleyback]

I am surprised you are around to tell the tale.

The use of petrol in alchohol stoves is highly dangerous and should never be recomended. Petrol under the pressure that can be generated in some alchohol stoves is highly explosive.

Please take great care.

these are almost exactly the same as trangia spirit burners, no pressure involved,

 

[Graham_S]

even unpressurised trangia stoves use the pressure of vapourising fuel to burn.
trangia do not reccommend the use of petrol.
they're not designed for petrol and should never be used with it

 

[Wayland]

even unpressurised trangia stoves use the pressure of vapourising fuel to burn.
trangia do not reccommend the use of petrol.
they're not designed for petrol and should never be used with it

So speaketh the man that knows just what happens when you use liquid fuel the wrong way.

WHOOOMPFF was, I think, the sound heard far and wide...


Seriously though, you are playing with fire and are likely to get badly burnt.

 

[cyclist]

these are almost exactly the same as trangia spirit burners, no pressure involved,

Trangia burners are some kind of a brass tin with an inner wall thus having a compartment that will for sure build up a too high pressure when using the wrong fuel (every other liquid fuel apart from meth. spirits).

Using petrol (gasoline) in a meth. burner is plain stupid

 

[scaleyback]

Trangia burners are some kind of a brass tin with an inner wall thus having a compartment that will for sure build up a too high pressure when using the wrong fuel (every other liquid fuel apart from meth. spirits).

Using petrol (gasoline) in a meth. burner is plain stupid

i make them from beer cans,,,,,,and they are just a vessel to hold flammable liquids
these are not in anyway sealed or soldered, welded or fixed so how can pressure build up????? ps, please do not call me stupid, i find that offensive and insulting as i am sure it was meant to be,i have been using them now for nearly a year with no problems,

 

[Ogri the trog]

these are not in anyway sealed or soldered, welded or fixed so how can pressure build up?????

By there being more flamable gas generated (by the heat), than can escape through the (number and size of) holes present. Once the temperature rises sufficiently to boil all the liquid a B.L.E.V.E. (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion) can occour - even if it is on a small scale you won't want to be anywhere near it.

Its probably worth thinking that you've been very lucky up to now, but if manufacturers specifically mention NOT to use Petrol - there's probably good reason.

Stay Safe

Ogri the trog

 

[Wayland]

Ultimately it is up to you what you choose to do.

No one can stop you putting yourself at risk, we can just advise you that it is a very dangerous thing to do.

We can also hope that anyone else reading this thread will not be tempted to think that using petrol in a meths burner is a safe thing to try and get injured doing it.

Ogri's explanation of how an alchohol stove generates pressure is pretty accurate, indeed it is the whole principle upon which they work.

If there was no need to create pressure then why not just use an open cup?

If you have been doing this for a year without incident I can only say you have been extremely lucky so far

 

[rik_uk3]

i make them from beer cans,,,,,,and they are just a vessel to hold flammable liquids
these are not in anyway sealed or soldered, welded or fixed so how can pressure build up????? ps, please do not call me stupid, i find that offensive and insulting as i am sure it was meant to be,i have been using them now for nearly a year with no problems,

Only use meths (denatured alcohol) the stuff you are burning give off fumes you really do not want in your lungs, silly fumes that can give you cancer etc, call me old fashioned, but stick to meths, please

 

[Greywolf]

It is of course possible that Scaleyback has been using a hobostove, rather than a tin can triangia.

Highly flammable and volatile liquids aren't the best to play with. But then neither are knives in inexperienced hands.


Just my 2p worth

GW

 

[scanker]

Just to add my 2p and without making any judgments.... I've made a fair few alcohol stoves and the majority of those are designed to burn the fuel under pressure. My current favourite is a Zen Sideburner in which the pressure/boiling alcohol in the centre of the stove, forces the fuel out through the jets to burn. I must admit that I haven't tried petrol, but wouldn't personally like to use such a volatile fuel in these circumstances. YMMV etc.

 

[beamdune]

Just wondering if this thread could be locked by a mod.

There's plenty of info elsewhere about alcohol stoves, including fuels (see http://zenstoves.net/ or http://zenstoves.net/Fuels.htm)

I wouldn't want someone (possibly one of the younger members of the forum) to try petrol in an alcohol stove with potentially disastrous results

 

[Doc]

It is possible to use petrol in a home-made stove - the 'Benghazi burner' as used by the Desert Rats was an open bucket or similar, half filled with petrol-soaked sand. Petrol is highly volatile and I daresay even this was not completely without risk.

I do not doubt that people have used petrol in Trangia type stoves. It does not mean it is safe. Don't do it.