Home made pop can stove and stand

[Amon81]

I've been using my Trangia and the Evernew EBY-253 Titanium Cross Stand as my liquid fuel stove for a good few years now.

Its a great Stand. Cheap for Ti and is a nice alternative to some of the Trangia stands that can be quite bulky or more annoying need a wide pot.

I wanted to have a stand that could hold my 750ml pot nice and stable a bit higher as sometimes the Evernew's low height off the stove limits the heat, more as it needs a really clear air flow and a hot stove to work best. I've found that sometimes just holding the pot over the stove boils water faster.

I'm a big fan of pop can stoves. A nice skill to have and you can get them to really belt out the flames. Also never a bad thing as they are essentially free.

I thought to myself I bet if I make a little beast of a popcan stove, and make a simple version of the Evernew to sit across the top, but higher I bet it will be a faster boil about 600ml of water.

So after I got some 1mm thick mild steel of a mate had spare I knocked one out.




I'd run out of cutting discs so lots of holes via my drill press, then bent it back and forth until it snapped off, then a good file. The cutting out was all done with tin snips and a junior hacksaw.



The bends were needed for stability as it wobbled like mad before I bent them (a good thing with 1mm mild steel is how easy it is to work with). That's also the stove for it I made.





I think I'll only really be using my 700ml Ti pot on it so should be just the job. I might use my 8" handleless frying pan from time to time too.

So onto the testing...

It works brilliantly! It did boil 600ml of water faster than using my Trangia, not much more, but the way it holds my pot is a lot more stable.

(I live in a 3rd floor flat so I just put it in my camping frying pan in my kitchen for safety in case the meths split, which it didn't. I didn't want to wait as it was peeing it down outside too)

The height the flame just about bang on the sweet spot.

Coffee time!

I made a snuffer for pop can stoves ages ago thats just the bottom of a can, cut along the line where the painted bit starts.

As that meant I had meths left in the stove. So I thought I'd cook some hotdogs. That really belts out the flames!

I'm very happy how it turned out!

 

[Rich D]

That's great, what pop can design is that one, looks like a good one.

 

[hughlle1]

Mmmm, pasion fruit rubicon...

Looks like a good use for some spare materials to me.

 

[Amon81]

Its a design I've been using since I was shown how to make them in scouts, what the better part of 24 years ago now. I've tried all sorts of designs over the years and I just keep coming back to that design.







I tend to use 3 330ml pop cans, you could do it with 2 beer or bigger pop cans. It's simple enough to make, just score around the inside of the bottom a few times and with a bash should just pop off into the can. I then put the holes in it with a stitching awl. Then mark about 2 to 3 cm around the can, and cut out, for the bottom I cut it about 5mm shorter. Then chop the top and bottom off another can. cut it so it becomes a sheet. Using a ruler score with a knife (either Stanley or any pocket knife) a straight line and bend it and it will split nice cleanly. Then measure the height of the top part of the can, add about 4 or 5mm and score again to that on the bit you just cut a straight line.

Then I'd say the most fiddly bit. Make a loop and put in in the top part so it fits the lip from cutting out the center. Pinch that then on the bottom side of it cut 2 about 1cm cuts about 1cm apart and bend both bits up so it would be on the inside of the can (as in the bit you cant see). That hold it together. I then normally do that so the is 3 or 4 of them.

I then crimp the top of the bottom of the stove using my thumbnail as that crimps it smaller I then put the ring in the bottom and slide the top on.

Job done!

If I only use it for a short time I've found about 1cm of meths is needed, up to to the top of the holes on the inside as it can splutter a bit with less.

Also if you want a less intense flame just halve the amount of holes put around the top ring. Reduces the full usage too.

That one I made filled full burns for around 15 minutes. I can boil 1.2L of water with some still left.

 

[Amon81]

Yep, 3 for £1 at my local B&M.

 

[PDA1]

That's great, what pop can design is that one, looks like a good one.

http://zenstoves.net/BasicTopBurner.htm


I have made many copies of this design,and it is agood one - basically aclone of the Trangia, so it should be good. Puta strip ofwicking material between the inner andouter wall and it will bloom more quickly. The only faultis the need for a pot stand.

I now usea home made copy of Zelph's Fancy Feest stove or a capillary action pop can stove, either of which is also a pot stand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1BJOJKoUTs&t=3s

Easily made with a SAK and a can found trailside if required. No templates needed. The fancy feest wick stove is most reliable in really cold weather,as it has zero bloom time.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Nice work, they are very good, and fun to make.

 

[Hammock_man]

Sweet, neat and fit for purpose

 

[petrochemicals]

Can I ask why you use such a large can for a burner for a small pot , most of your flames are going up the side.. How about a red bul can ?

 

[Amon81]

Simple, heat up the sides heats water even faster. 99% of the time it'll be used for boiling water so it's ideal. That stove really cooks a couple of boiled eggs in that Ti pot quickly too.

Plus if I use a frying pan it'll spread the head over more then just the center.

Also 330ml cans are everywhere. So it's more likely to use one made from 330ml cans. Smaller cans would fit, but if i was to use smaller, I'd just use my good old Trangia.