hobo stove help please

[Robbi]

hope this is in the right place, mod's, please move if you want.

anyway, i've been pottering around making a hobo stove today, my first attempt and not a very good one !.

I heard / read that a true hobo stove just has holes at the bottom of one side and holes at the top on the opposite side, i get the idea....draws air in at the bottom, out at the top.....simple.

not so,..... i've used a stainless coffee container about 4.5" diameter and drilled 4 x 12mm holes at the bottom and the same at the top but on the opposite side. now, i can get a good fire going but when i put a billy on top, the flames go away and the wood smoulders and ends up looking like charcoal, lots of smoke as well, it's burnt ok but very little heat ( would'nt boil a pint of water ) when i take the billy off, the flames come back !!

anyone else had this ? is this whats meant to happen ? do i need more air holes ?

all advice gratefully recieved.

Cheers


Robbi

 

[Globetrotter.uk]

Sounds like you need either more holes or slightly bigger holes to allow air to flow better. could you post a photo of your stove.

 

[Robbi]

i'll give it a go !! might take a while though !... LOL !

 

[Robbi]

hope this works !!.....

 

[Globetrotter.uk]

Looks like extra holes around should help. It all comes down to practise and looking at the gallery of hobos on here.

 

[Robbi]

ok, i'll get the drill out again, hard work drilling through stainless !! thanks for your help GT.

robbi

 

[durulz]

Yup, as others have said - more holes.
I'd put them all around the top and bottom if it was me. You want the ones at the bottom to be as low as you can get them to allow the air into the base of the fire.

 

[Teepee]

The air holes at the bottom should be larger.

Also, are you placing the pot directly on the top of the hobo, trying to heat the pot from the flames coming from the top holes?

If so, you would get much better performance by leaving a gap from the stove to the pot-1-3cm should be good.

By doing this, the pot will not extract as much heat from the stove body and will allow a much better up-draught.

FYI, drilling stainless-apply plenty of pressure and lubrication and low drill speed. High drill speeds and no lube will work harden the stainlesss very quickly and overheat the drill bits.

 

[Robbi]

yep, i'm putting the billy directly on top of the stove.

i'm not trying to heat up the billy with the flames from the top holes, they are there to create the through airflow for the burn.

OK, i'll put a load more holes around the base and a couple mure at the top....what i don't want to create is a "basket" that holds a fire, i want to try and create a hobo stove

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[Minotaur]

yep, i'm putting the billy directly on top of the stove.

i'm not trying to heat up the billy with the flames from the top holes, they are there to create the through airflow for the burn.

OK, i'll put a load more holes around the base and a couple mure at the top....what i don't want to create is a "basket" that holds a fire, i want to try and create a hobo stove

Thanks for the help guys.

I think you need a grate at the bottom, just above the bottom holes. Other wise, the bottom holes get blocked, and the fire goes out.

That is my thinking anyway.

 

[apj1974]

I have a grate cut from a disposable bbq wedged just above the lower holes. There was an excellent thread on here with loads of pics.

here you go:

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33879&highlight=hobo+stove+gallery

sounds to me though that you want to try a wood gas stove. (a few tins cans will do it, a lot easier than drilling SS)

 

[Adze]

This is mine - not my design, but I can't remember where I found it on the web.

works a treat, doesn't clog but does need a fair amount of 'feeding'

There's four holes in the bottom (including the large oval), four in the middle at 90 degrees to each other and as many as I could make at the top.

 

[Robbi]

looks like extra holes is the way to go then, thats sunday morning taken care of then !...LOL

cheers guys

Robbi