Gas bottle stoves(DONT TRY THIS AT HOME)

[rancid badger]

Me and someone I know, were talking a few months back about making stoves from scrap gas bottles.
Now this can be dangerous, so I wouldn't be trying it at home folks, indeed; I left him to it and only went back when he'd finished!, just to have a look and a bit of a play but this old codger knows his game and how to empty and make safe the bottles, so he set to and came up with These:


This was the original " prototype" complete with detachable flue pipe and small pot stand:

I can't remember what size scrap bottle it is now The extra bit of smaller bore pipe going in the back was designed to act as bit of a damper, you shove a stick in it to control the air.

This one is fairly crude, obviously unpainted and a bit untidy but works really well!:

It was glowing orange, although I couldn't catch that in the pictures

Anyway, after a few tweeks and a bit of tinkering, the old fella came up with MkII:

This one is much more like it, stove enameled and everything! Actually NOT cool at all

A proper damper, set in the much bigger, treadplate door and those hinges are made from re bar-all very neat I think.

We ran them both together, side by side, last night and we had to "damp" them down to be able to stand within 5 feet of them.
The MkII is a beauty! lacking a hotplate/potstand and the flue could do with being made a lot shorter with a separate length of pipe that fits onto the stove but I'm impressed!

I'm going to have one of the MkII's ,with the mods mentioned above eventually, all I'll need then; is a shed to put it in

As I say : DON'T TRY MODIFYING GAS BOTTLES AT HOME!
I certainly wouldn't
Just thought it might make an interesting post
cheers
R.B.

 

[wicca]

I like that Mark11 RB, a smaller version of that with some legs on it would make a nice boat stove..

 

[rancid badger]

He was on about a smaller one on legs, last night but I couldn't quite figure what he meant
He went into describing it and I'm sure he'll knock something up to illustrate what he was on about.
cheers
R.B.

 

[wicca]

Tell the old kiddie there's a market for reasonably priced boat stoves RB. If I may,.. the legs need feet on them,drilled so that the stove can be secured to the deck and the door needs a method of securing so that it stays closed when the boat rolls. But I'm sure he's already sussed that. Wicca.

 

[AJB]

OK, stupid question, if the valves are open and left to vent, how scary is it, I have heard of them being filled with water to make them safe.

I was on the look out for an empty one to have a go. Nothing so grand as I don't have the welding kit - should I not bother?

 

[C_Claycomb]

looks like its about a 13kg size (propane). The standard procedure that I have read when these things are turned into forges is that after venting, two small holes are hand drilled, slowly, in the top, and the cylinder is filled with water which pushes any fuel out.

 

[rancid badger]

OK, stupid question, if the valves are open and left to vent, how scary is it, I have heard of them being filled with water to make them safe.

I was on the look out for an empty one to have a go. Nothing so grand as I don't have the welding kit - should I not bother?

Well I wouldn't, personally speaking,as I have neither the welding gear nor the talent!
I know you have to remove the valves and fill the bottle with water, something to do with the gas actually being liquid? Anyway, I wouldn't recommend trying it, I only posted this as an interesting bit of recycling

I'd play safe and get some bxxxer else to make it for you ( which is exactly what I'm goiing to do)

play safe!
R.B.

 

[Wayland]

I've emptied bottles a few time for making cauldrons.

I usually attach them to my camp stove to use the last of the free gas and then leave it running overnight after it has given up the ghost.

Outside of course, in a well exposed area.

Then you can remove the valve with a spanner and fill it with water.

Drain it out and leave it upside down for a while to shift the last of the water and for my purposes I just cut it in half with and angle grinder.

Of course, if you are not confident about doing this then don't do it. It's very dangerous nada nada nada.....

 

[mjk123]

Out of interest, how much do they weigh?

 

[ecobandit]

these look really well made

 

[novembeRain]

As it happens, I've got a welder and can weld (not perfectly but good enough) So, if RB's mate get's snowed under I don't mind helping out - you empty it and get the bits to me and I'm sure we can come up with something .......

 

[FGYT]

Quite simple to empty as decribed here a couple of times and fairly safe
i wouldnt liek to cut one up with a 4" B&Q angle grinder tho would take a while and a fair few discs even takes a while with a 9"
but theres loads of things youcan make from them and they are fairly cheap from the Tip if you havent got one or want differnt sizes
Fairly sure theres a Tutorial on here some where turning one into a Forge

ATB

Duncan

 

[rancid badger]

I've emptied bottles a few time for making cauldrons.

I usually attach them to my camp stove to use the last of the free gas and then leave it running overnight after it has given up the ghost.

Outside of course, in a well exposed area.

Then you can remove the valve with a spanner and fill it with water.

Drain it out and leave it upside down for a while to shift the last of the water and for my purposes I just cut it in half with and angle grinder.

Of course, if you are not confident about doing this then don't do it. It's very dangerous nada nada nada.....

Now those I really like
I'll have to see about one of those I think
cheers
R.B.

 

[pumbaa]

I have heard of smaller ones being made from a car size fire extinguisher . they were mainly used for tents and tarps .
I do like the mk ii though .
Pumbaa

 

[swagman]

Hi guys try doing a google serch on the ozpig they do wood burning stoves out of gas bottles.

Swagman.

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

Fairly sure theres a Tutorial on here some where turning one into a Forge

ATB

Duncan

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29017&highlight=gas+bottle+forge

 

[FGYT]

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29017&highlight=gas+bottle+forge

havent seen that one

this is the one i was thinking of buryed in the articals section of the site

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/index.php/DIY/Five-Hour-Forge.html



ATB

Duncan

 

[rancid badger]

It's amazing what can be done with "scrap metal" with a fairly simple toolkit.:bluThinki
Welding etc, isn't my thing but it's fascinating seeing all the different things folk make from scrap
cheers
R.B.

 

[fred gordon]

Ive been using one of these to heat my 10x8ft shed for the last 9 years and they are great. Burn wood mostly and a couple of good logs lasts a whole evening. You also have to make sure you have plenty of ventilation as they do use up the oxygen. How was the enamel applied and where do you get it. My stove could use a little TLC.

 

[rancid badger]

Ive been using one of these to heat my 10x8ft shed for the last 9 years and they are great. Burn wood mostly and a couple of good logs lasts a whole evening. You also have to make sure you have plenty of ventilation as they do use up the oxygen. How was the enamel applied and where do you get it. My stove could use a little TLC.

They are amazing, I couldn't believe the way they glow orange if you let them!
the "stove enamel" came from a spray tin, I'm not sure where he got it though, I think it may have been ebay I know it was quite pricey but it seems to work really well.
The "MkII", in other words; the painted one, was glowing orange in several places when we fired them both up and yet the finish was unmarked the next day.
I'll try and find out a few more details for you Fred
all the best
R.B.