alcohol stove thoughts

[danmc]

I've been thinking about alcohol stoves and making another and thought I'd bounce an idea off people here to see if anyone else has tried this and learned anything.

I'm currently using a penny alcohol stove made with the plans from http://www.csun.edu/~mjurey/penny.html
I have no real complaints and will probably make another for some relatives but wanted to try something new too.

It seems that most of these stoves rely on getting the fuel hot by way of heat conducting through the metal. Aluminum is great for this because the thermal conductivity is quite high (this is why heat sinks for electronics use aluminum after all). But this also means it is fairly effective at a cold ground or cold air taking away that heat. I even came across one web page where someone mentioned he tried setting his lit stove on a block of ice and it immediately went out.

So what I'm thinking is something fairly similar to the penny stove but made with red bull or starbucks energy drink cans. Those are smaller diameter than normal 12 oz cans. Then I was going to wrap the stove with some sort of high temperature insulation like http://www.acehardware.com/sm-alpha-...i-1290599.html for example. But maybe just some fiberglass insulation will work and that's much cheaper. Then the plan is to put the insulated stove into the bottom half of another can which is probably a 12 oz can for mechanical protection of the insulation.

In the end my vision is more or less a small version of the penny stove with built in insulation.

What I'm wondering is if this has the potential to get too hot internally or not. Or maybe it will just burn too fast to be effective at boiling water.

Anyone have any thoughts before I go ahead and try it out? It'll probably be a few weeks before I cut any metal so maybe I'll have some good ideas before then.

Thanks
-Dan (who really needed Yet Another Project)

[flandersander]

http://zenstoves.net/Stoves.htm


Check this out. Plenty of good info. As for the insulation, I think it would be a great idea. Great idea, but aluminum has a high melting point so overheating shouldn't be a problem. The question is will it just evaporate all its fuel in one burst? I guess you will just have to try it. I think I will try insulating one myself, if it works out for you.

[klkak]

I used my Jetboil all last winter and never had a problem with it over heating or not getting hot enough. Two fuel cans lasted the whole winter. We used it for coffee twice a day and lunch every day. I doubt I will ever mess with another alcohol stove.

http://www.jetboil.com/Products/Cooking-Systems/Personal-(PCS)

[bulrush]

A square of fiberglass insulation placed under the stove should work well. As should a ceramic tile. There are a few websites which mention that the alcohol stoves are difficult, or impossible, to use in very cold conditions (40F or less).

[klkak]

A square of fiberglass insulation placed under the stove should work well. As should a ceramic tile. There are a few websites which mention that the alcohol stoves are difficult, or impossible, to use in very cold conditions (40F or less).

Hence the reason I use a Jetboil!

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

try hemitite stones . a form of iron they absorb heat and quickly, they release it slowly. a liner of small stones may solve the problems.

[rebel]

I just made and tested the 1/2 penny stove. It works as advertised. I made mine from aluminum beer bottles. I don't see a real need for this type of stove. I think a wood burner would be better.

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

I just made and tested the 1/2 penny stove. It works as advertised. I made mine from aluminum beer bottles. I don't see a real need for this type of stove. I think a wood burner would be better.

I dont know any thing about alcahol stoves, I use oil lamp/stoves my self.
thats not to say that they work better. with vegi oil you dont have explosive vapors. you can burn it and fry with it,or fry with it then burn it,... try frying frenchfries in alcahol! the oil lamp stove can use multiple wicks to provide as much or as little heat as needed, also you can use the lamp for light. this is a good example of an oil lamp stove..Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

[crashdive123]

erunkiswldrnssurvival - do you have any pics of your lamps or stoves in action? I understand how oil lamps and stoves work, but in the pictures that you have posted I'm just not seeing it. Thanks in advance.

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

up loading pics right now

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

erunkiswldrnssurvival - do you have any pics of your lamps or stoves in action? I understand how oil lamps and stoves work, but in the pictures that you have posted I'm just not seeing it. Thanks in advance.

Here is a CRAB lamp stove in action.... Notice that a layer of fine gravel heats the oil, and prevents the oil in the vessel from overheating or catching on fire, only the wicks will burnGuests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

[crashdive123]

Now I follow. Thanks for the pics.

[Wild Child]

I love alcohol stoves and we use them quite a bit. I'd love to see some photos of the stove you made danmc. I usually buy my alcohol stoves but I'd like to make one with my little boy... I think it would be fun.

[crashdive123]

Here's a thread with a few pics in it. http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...=alcohol+stove

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

Thoes stoves seem to be like mini jet engines! alchihaul with steroids. My oil stoves I may try one of thoes stoves but i'll take a Crab -n- oil with me too

[rebel]

Pics of my homemade stove:

[Rick]

Nice job. I love the 16 fl oz on the side! Nice fake out!

[erunkiswldrnssurvival]

That is a nice job! I quess that I should catch up with the world and try building one of those