Micro meths burner - fits Crusader cooker

[gregorach]

Hey folks - made this the other week and thought I'd share...

It's a minature meths burner based on Mark Jurey's Penny Stove, small enough to fit inside the fuel well of the Crusader cooker. It's made out of 2 Red Bull cans and has 12 1mm jets. The jets are placed on the inside of the rim rather than the outside because the Crusader cup has quite a small base and I wanted to concentrate the heat. Because it's very short, I didn't crimp the inner can - I streched the outside one using a full, unopened can. Getting the two halves together was a bit tricky, but the fit is very good.

Here it is, shown with a 2p coin and a Swan cigarette lighter for scale (thumbnails are links):





And here it is in action:





It'll boil 500ml of water in about 8 minutes (indoors, with a lid) and has a burn time of up to 15 minutes. No simmer option as yet.

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

i made a much simpler version of this 2 years ago!

can't remember the name but i made mine with 1 mini coke can.
nothing else.

i shall try to remeber the web page, it has instructions.

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

here it is the web page:

Halacon stove (coke can)

basiclly i copied the whole procedure but on a mini size coke can! a red bull can is the same width so would work just as well!

very easy!

 

[Shambling Shaman]

This is something I am going to try - have you seen the new trangia fuel?

 

[oops56]

Well i guess i jump on the band wagon the one one the left is a small shoe polish can. Size2 in. o. d. by 5/8 thick cut out top put some fiberglass insulation put window screen in top lid put together now on1/2oz. alcohol burn 13 min. on 20 oz. water boil 7-1/2 min.
The on on the right is a altoids small only 1/2 thick it got a slide top 1/2 oz. 9min. burn 20 oz. water oil 7 min. they both fit inside the esbit when closed the one on the right just got some 1/4 in. holes

 

[directdrive]

Nice. The stove I prefer is the "Brasslite" which can be found at www.brasslite.com I think you'll find them superb.

 

[gregorach]

Yeah, there's loads of different approaches to the problem, but most of the aren't small enough to be packed inside the Crusader cooker so that the whole stack (cooker, cooking mug, waterbottle, mug, etc) fits neatly inside a PLCE canteen pouch. That's what I was aiming for here...

 

[beamdune]

Yeah, there's loads of different approaches to the problem, but most of the aren't small enough to be packed inside the Crusader cooker so that the whole stack (cooker, cooking mug, waterbottle, mug, etc) fits neatly inside a PLCE canteen pouch. That's what I was aiming for here...

Nice work - If you're still feeling creative, check this out, it's quite an unusual idea for an alcohol stove.
http://www.freewebs.com/jasonklass/fiberglassclothstove.htm
The guy has used rolled up fibreglass to act as a wick. I don't have a Crusader but I think you could try something similar, just by rolling up a piece inside the fuel well.

 

[Chopper]

This is brill...I have just made one and I compaired it to my Trangia in a 500ml, from cold to rolling boil test and it won hands down, it used approx 1/3 of the fuel (IDA) than the Trangia, boiled in 13 mins compaired to 26 for the Trangia. Both had wind shields and lids. It has made the Crusaider cup and cooker a very serious option for my bushcraft and canoeing trips, although the Kelly Kettle will always be in the canoe, cos I love it soooooo much.

IT IS VITAL THAT ANYONE MAKING ONE OF THESE READS THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE LINK PROVIDED IN THE FIRST POST, THE COIN IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART ON THIS STOVE.

Well done Gregorach with this, in my opinion it really is a winner. :You_Rock_

 

[neo_wales2000]

How do you fit a simmer ring and get a 45 minute burn, like you can with a Trangia 27?

 

[gregorach]

Cheers Chopper... 13 mins to boil 500ml sounds about right - I think I'd already primed it when I got my record 8 minute result.

As for a simmer ring, I've whipped the top end off one of the cans and that seems to work OK. Only gives 30mins burn rather than 45, but that seems pretty good when you consider how much fuel it holds when compared to a trangia.

 

[Chopper]

Cheers Chopper... 13 mins to boil 500ml sounds about right - I think I'd already primed it when I got my record 8 minute result.

As for a simmer ring, I've whipped the top end off one of the cans and that seems to work OK. Only gives 30mins burn rather than 45, but that seems pretty good when you consider how much fuel it holds when compared to a trangia.

Remember my test was done outside and it was windy, I think it would do much better in better weather.

Do you have a picture of the simmer ring in action?

 

[gregorach]

Not as yet... I'll see what I can do.

 

[gregorach]

Forgot about this for a while there...

I've made a simmer ring for this burner which is just about passable... It's just the top of a can, pounded out a bit with a punch to try and get as low a profile as possible when it's all stacked together.



Burns for up to 30 minutes in this mode.

 

[Chopper]

Brill...I will be giving the simmer ring a go first thing in the morning.

I just love this burner,

 

[Glen]

As for a simmer ring, I've whipped the top end off one of the cans and that seems to work OK. Only gives 30mins burn rather than 45, but that seems pretty good when you consider how much fuel it holds when compared to a trangia.

I built a simmilar ( though simpler and maybe not as efficient ) burner using a Toast Toppers can as the lower half, reasoning that as it has a flat bottom it'd give a few more ml usable capacity. If your after a longer burn time it might be worth trying with your design and simmer ring.

 

[oops56]

that antiseptics liquid soap got alcohol in it. Its like sterno and that green gel . I just got done time testing it put 1/2 oz in a small jar lid pot stand 3/4 to 1 in. from cover lid top hi it burn for 6-1/2 min and boiled 18 oz. water the cost is a 1.00 or 1.50 all depends where you get it contains 7-1/2 oz. i get mine at the dollar store every thing there is a dollar [P. S. after you use up about 1 oz. put in bottle some alcohol or meths 3/4 oz. or so shake it all up makes it burn even better]

 

[naefearjustbeer]

For simmering what I have done is got a very metal small paint pot and filled it with cotton wool balls ( dont tell the wife) then poured a generous measure of meths in. It easily lights using a fire steel and after using either a coke (redbull) can stove or gas stove to bring to the boil I swap the pan over to the paint pot to simmer. I actually made a redbull can stove and it creates a fierce heat and brings water to the boil in no time at all however it does it in such a small area it is only good for burning water. The paint pot doesnt have the oomph anything quickly to the boil but once up to temperature it will keep a gentle simmer no problem at all. At the monment I am seriously considering as cruader based system but I have my doubts that it is capable of anything more than a basic brew kit ideally I would like to be able to cook meals on it too.

 

[gregorach]

Yeah, I've junked the simmer ring... I never actually used it in anger. I only use this setup for boiling water for brews or dehydrated rations. Actual cooking gets done on a fire.

 

[lab72]

Just made one out of a red bull can very happy with it