Article: Quick Cheap Pocket Stove To Make

[Tony]

You can view the page at http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/content.php?r=265-Quick-Cheap-Pocket-Stove-To-Make

 

[ged]

Some nice articles coming through lately Tony. Thank you.

 

[JonathanD]

Yeah that is a nifty idea.

 

[Pierr]

After first used and when the cardboard is somewhat carbonized, it is also easy to light with a firesteel. It burns very well and strongly but generates a lot of soot.

 

[tomongoose]

I made one last night and it works great in my volcano kettle, I added a wire handle to the lid so I could put it out in the kettle with out burning my fingers

 

[Tony]

cool, give us a pic

 

[tomongoose]

The stove

nice rolling boil in a few minutes

All out

The only trouble with it is that you need to leave it long enough for the wax to set again and it does leave a lot of soot but other than that its a great, lightweight and waterproof

 

[Tony]

thanks for the pics

 

[mentalnurse]

would be good as a means of light when all else fails and a little warmth.

whats the burn time on it over all?

 

[tomongoose]

Not long, I have not timed it but only a little longer than a hexamine block

 

[gsfgaz]

i love that mate , any videos of it in use

 

[hertsboy]

I make the same thing in a bigger version using tuna tins. They make an excellent "artificial campfire" and are great for when you are wildcamping on the moors when there is no wood available for a fire. Burning time is around 2 hours per tine.

 

[country boy]

brill simple idea did the tuna tin size works well thanks

 

[Glen]

I used to make something similar by scrapping down a tea light and wrapping it with corrugated cardboard then placing it back in it's casing. Rather smokey and sooty but cheap, really easy to make and good for 20-30 minutes burn time.

Used to, as a few years ago I came across a round tin of mints that was just a little bit bigger than a tealight, so that now saves me scrapping them down to fit back into the original cases.

 

[Muddyhands]

What a simple idea. I can see an evening project with the scouts.

 

[You Bleed Jam]

Might think about making one of them myself, Thanks!

 

[georann]

Theyre great in those boiled sweet tins as they are deeper and have a lid. You can put 3 nails in the card and use them to rest a pot on top. Done this with the scouts and used tin foil trays as frying pans on top of them, to cook sausages!

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Good ideas. Would it be easier to heat the wax in an old tin then pour it in over the cardboard ?

Nick

 

[georann]

Can do but its easier just to light a candle and turn it upside down to drip wax through it all.

 

[salan]

I have made many of these and at first I thought that they were a great idea.
After using one in anger, I am 'unimpressed' with them.
I have found them to be potentially dangerous, smelly and smokey.
Also to not give a lot of heat out.
Let me explain.
When the stove is lit, eventually the whole cardboard lights. after a while all the wax in the tin is molten. DO NOT TRY MOVING IT! or knock it.
An instant fireball of molten LIT wax is what you end up with.
Also if any water spills into it , it spits a lot and flares. So watch a cup boiling over.
Any wind takes the heat away, so I advise using it like an alcohol stove.
The ones I made gave off lots of soot. About as much as a wood fire. Far more then I have had with esbits.
The smell was not very good, It reminded me of a sooty fire.
I have twenty or so of these made up and I will keep them for 'last resort'. But there is no way I would ever use one inside as an emergency stove.
An alcohol stove. I have used inside same with others.
Depends upon what you expect out of the stove. But the thing that most surprised me (it shouldn't of) was the molten wax and hoe easy it was to get it to spill and cause a fire you don't want.
Perhaps I 'over filled' the tins with wax. I just poured in until the tin was full and the cardboard was covered.
Alan