Beer can stove kit

[glyn77]

Hola,

Thought I may as well show off some other stuff - it might be of use to people googling around for info on such things.

Here's my usual cook kit - windscreen from a bit of thin aluminium off ebay, 10cm zebra billy, beer can double walled meths burner.

I learned all I know about meths burners from http://zenstoves.net/, made about eight altogether, learning from my mistakes as I went on. The one I use most has a built in potstand, but the windshield has holes through which skewers can be placed if needs be.

Advice - scrub the paint off the cans while they're still full, use a book or block of wood with a blade fixed to it for cutting the cans, and use tiny (I had some 1mm) drill bits for the holes.

Without further ado, piccies:

The whole shebang:

Burner without potstand:

Burner with potstand:

Billy on:

Couple of spares:

Cheers,
Glyn.

 

[Shewie]

Very cool Glyn

What sort of burn times do you get ?

 

[glyn77]

Hi,

I've only timed it once - about 6 minutes to boil a mug and a half, but that was in the kitchen rather than out in the field.

Cheers,
Glyn.

 

[Shewie]

You can't argue with 6 mins really.

Have you seen the pressured variations ?

 

[glyn77]

You can't argue with 6 mins really.

Have you seen the pressured variations ?

yea, but it seemed like a needless complication/risk to me, YMMV.

Cheers,
Glyn

 

[Chance]

A bit off-topic, but I'm heartened to see another shield being used with a billy (as opposed to the more orthodox hobo stove).
I've replaced the billy handle with wire of a length that retains it (and, perhaps unadvisedly, pimped it by replacing aluminium with stainless). Mine's sized for a gas stove, though.

 

[Mang]

I like the skewer pot stand Glyn. I tried it on my first attempt with tent pegs but as there were several errors with the stove I've not tried this but I will retry it however on the strength of yours. Do the skewers get any flames seeping out around them or are they fairly snug?

 

[glyn77]

I like the skewer pot stand Glyn. I tried it on my first attempt with tent pegs but as there were several errors with the stove I've not tried this but I will retry it however on the strength of yours. Do the skewers get any flames seeping out around them or are they fairly snug?

Very snug Mang, no seepage at all, although I don't suppose it would matter if there was.


Chance - to be honest, I made this kit before I'd ever heard of hobo stoves - they don't look like they'd be much good as a windscreen - too many holes.

Cheers,
Glyn.

 

[Chance]

Chance - to be honest, I made this kit before I'd ever heard of hobo stoves - they don't look like they'd be much good as a windscreen - too many holes.

The holes cover less than half of the circumference - I limited them to where I imagined the "burble" would separate. Face into the wind for wood fuel, face away for gas.
It works fine with my gas stove, but that may be because its flame will be more stable. I don't have a close-up to prove it, but this shows air getting to the wood (sorry, off-topic).

 

[Chinkapin]

I think if you would sit your billy directly on the top of the can the pressure will rise in the stove and the flame size will increase and do a much better job. At least that has been my experience. Try it and see what your experience is. Let me know the outcome, if it isn't too much trouble.

 

[faca]

hi good design.
my way is to put a piece of tube made with a piece of coke can inside the stove like a chiminey as pot stand (with some holes in upper zone)