Tiny Alcohol Stove

[singteck]

I never tried making one of those soft drink can stove because i feel that they are too flimsy and too large for my tiny (12cm) pot. I imagine the flame would shoot out the side and completely miss the pot!

Today I went to the bakery shop to pick up some gum tragacanth and found some nice round tart molds. They are made of aluminium and looks rather thick walled. So I bought ten.

They are 5cm in diameter and 3cm deep and the walls are about 0.5mm (can't be sure but it's much thicker then coke cans )

This is what they look like and what I did to them



They are very easy to make. Just drill the holes and they nest together with about 2cm in between the two base.

This is how they look like in use.



What do you think?

singteck

 

[Nelis]

Now that is an home made stove I could see myself using, They seem much more sturdy than the coke can stoves I have seen so far. Might have a go at making them myself.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[Gailainne]

Have you timed how long it takes to boil a litre of water using it yet ?

Also did you try it with just one ?

I would have thought the thermal transfer would be better with 1, the problem with the 2 nesting is the transfer of heat to vapourise the fuel is the small connection between the 2 pots, perhaps cutting the top cups bottom into 4 quadrants and bending them down into the bottom cup might increase that.

Its a nice idea, I hope you dont take offence at my comments, just my observations, take then or leave them as you will.

Stephen

 

[singteck]

Didn't try boiling a litre of water with it yet, From first prime till it ran out of fuel took about 16mins. Took about 6mins to boil the water in the pot (3/4 fill). I did take a while to prime, that's why I added the tray, to shorten the time.

With one it didn't work as well, too erratic with large flames coming out every now and then. With the two stack, I get more fuel in there and it's easier to prime. The aluminium tranfers the heat with no problem at all.

singteck

PS: no offence taken

 

[Gailainne]

16 mins is bloody good, I would still suggest you try cutting the top cups bottom, into segments, and bending them down, the larger surface area will only help with heat transfer, and should get your boil times down.

Stephen

 

[Gailainne]

Hmm happening a lot lately this is,

 

[scanker]

Looks good. If you wanted to try a single pot version again, try putting a little alcohol in the bottom tray to prime the stove. It should get the stove going faster and once it's burnt away the stove should be hot and the fuel vaporising properly.

I have a very small aluminium pudding basin I may have to have another look at....

 

[mick miller]

I'm very much liking the simplicity of the 'stacking' as opposed to cutting flimsy aluminium cans and all the associated fitting. They don't happen to have a brand stamp on them anywhere so I can try and find the same ones on t'internet do they?

Let's us know how the bigger holes work out on the upper tin. Final questions, does the stacking seem quite stable? And are the tins easy to separate once they've been heated and cooled?

 

[singteck]

Looks good. If you wanted to try a single pot version again, try putting a little alcohol in the bottom tray to prime the stove. It should get the stove going faster and once it's burnt away the stove should be hot and the fuel vaporising properly.

I did try that before I drill the hole at the bottom. Too much heat transfer and so I get a huge jets of flames and spitting. The fuel runs out much quicker and the capacity is also reduced.

They don't happen to have a brand stamp on them anywhere so I can try and find the same ones on t'internet do they?

Let's us know how the bigger holes work out on the upper tin. Final questions, does the stacking seem quite stable? And are the tins easy to separate once they've been heated and cooled?

The back of the mold is stamped "xin cheng M-B12". Looks like china stuff.

The stacking is very stable. The two stack together and will not move unless you tug it. There wouldn't be any vacuum lock because of the holes. You will still need to tug at them but they will separate. Might need to find a way to make a wider base for it to increase the stability.

singteck

 

[scanker]

Ah OK. It was just a thought. The trick I've found is to put just enough priming fuel to heat the stove, but not enough to have a constant fast boiling of the primary fuel. I've had 3ft high jets before. I'd have thought the extra thickness of the walls would need a little priming though.

 

[mick miller]

The stacking is very stable. The two stack together and will not move unless you tug it. There wouldn't be any vacuum lock because of the holes. You will still need to tug at them but they will separate. Might need to find a way to make a wider base for it to increase the stability.

singteck

Thanks for answering that Singteck, I'm wondering what could be used to add stability without compromising the neatness of it all and still let it fit neatly into a billy or cooking pot?

 

[singteck]

I am thinking of brazing a loop on the tray to hold the stack.

singteck

 

[mick miller]

That'd work, I was also wondering whether hinges brazed or riveted onto the edge would work too (see bad sketch below)? I tried looking for something similar in the UK, so far no luck.

 

[scanker]

If you could have a ring the right size, or maybe a jubilee clip, to go tightly around the hinges and pot you perhaps wouldn't need to braze/rivet.

 

[singteck]

It's not possible to blaze the hinge to the aluminium (I've never got it to stick anyway). Rivet will be the only way to do it neatly. Jubilee clip would be last resort

I was thinking maybe a rare earth magnet inside the mold would make it stick to a steel base but I am not sure if the heat would destroy the magnet. Will have to wait until next week before I can find out. Packing now to move to a new place.

singteck

 

[tecNik]

I was thinking maybe a rare earth magnet inside the mold would make it stick to a steel base but I am not sure if the heat would destroy the magnet.

Magnetic materials loose there ferromagnetic ability when heated. This is called the Curie effect. It really depends how hot its going to get.

Another problem is rare earth magents often contain cavitys that could cause the magnet to explode when heated. So be careful when trying this.

Enough naysaying from me. I do love homemade kit. Keep up the good work. :You_Rock_

 

[singteck]

Thanks tecNik. Don't think I want to risk it

The magnet does hold it securely to the base!

singteck

 

[singteck]

Thanks tecNik. Don't think I want to risk it

The magnet does hold it securely to the base!

singteck