This video mentions preheating. It's easier and safer to make a preheating tray from a tuna can. Wash the can, remove the label, and drive a hole in the side with a nail. Put just a few drops of alcohol fuel in the can, swish it around and then put the fueled stove in the tray. Light through the hole in the can. This will preheat the fuel and light the stove as well.
Yellow Heet, available at wally world for a ridiculously low price, makes fine fuel.
These are great for preparing coffee or tea while hiking on a cold day.
A lot of the polishing steps can be eliminated, the absorbant wadding is optional, and the addition of a cut down nail, or a penny, to the central filling hole can increase safety. these are stoves that one would construct ahead of time, while the one featured in the post does seem better suited to construction in the field.
M - Now if I could only turn a stove into a beer . . . ;-)
PS: so, what's the deal with the book thing? I got an old kid-sized Confederate reunion uniform I'd be willing to trade for some autographed 1st editions!
Bring on the Supercat vs beer can stove arguement. And when the alcohol runs dry the rusty old TLUD's and sooty hobo stoves will still be cooking along.
Who ever got nostalgic about the smell of an alcohol stove?
FWIW, I would not recommend yellow HEET brand drygas as fuel for any stove that is used in any way for food. It contains methyl alcohol, very toxic. The red HEET drygas, which is isopropyl alcohol, should be okay.
Post-SHTF, one thing I don't expect to be in short supply is soda cans. You might have to dig through some trash to find them, and yes, many will be crushed. But the volume of canned beer and soda sold in this country makes me think that it won't be all that hard.
Alcohol, OTOH, well, that's a different matter.
On the subject of stoves, for those who find such interesting, Zen Stoves is a site with lots of information.
I'm in favor of having multiple types of stoves, because when things go bad, you don't know what sort of fuel you might come across. And if it's alcohol, having a small, lightweight stove will come in handy. And it's a small thing, one afternoon, to construct a penny stove.
@ag42b: There's no problem cooking with a methyl-alcohol fire. Backpackers have been doing it for years. To say nothing of the use of propane, butane, isobutane and white gas stoves. You don't want to breath propane as regular thing, any more than you want to drink methyl alcohol or white gas. But burning them for cooking heat? Not an issue.
14 comments:
site has a virus
Saw the video. What a great idea!!! It's simple, ingredients are everywhere and anyone can make one!
Here's a video of the other alcohol stove design:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2p9bnOGmSk
This video mentions preheating. It's easier and safer to make a preheating tray from a tuna can.
Wash the can, remove the label, and drive a hole in the side with a nail.
Put just a few drops of alcohol fuel in the can, swish it around and then put the fueled stove in the tray. Light through the hole in the can. This will preheat the fuel and light the stove as well.
Yellow Heet, available at wally world for a ridiculously low price, makes fine fuel.
These are great for preparing coffee or tea while hiking on a cold day.
This one is pretty good, and possibly an easier build in the wild than others, and uses less tools. I think a better overall design can be found at
http://flamingbike.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/hannahstove.pdf
or at
http://www.jureystudio.com/pennystove/penny2.html
A lot of the polishing steps can be eliminated, the absorbant wadding is optional, and the addition of a cut down nail, or a penny, to the central filling hole can increase safety. these are stoves that one would construct ahead of time, while the one featured in the post does seem better suited to construction in the field.
M - Now if I could only turn a stove into a beer . . . ;-)
PS: so, what's the deal with the book thing? I got an old kid-sized Confederate reunion uniform I'd be willing to trade for some autographed 1st editions!
M - How about a really good idea - changing a stove into a beer? ;-)
PS: What's the deal on the book(s)? Still got that child's-size Confederate reunion uniform, would consider a trade.
This is sure to start a heated discussion.
Bring on the Supercat vs beer can stove arguement. And when the alcohol runs dry the rusty old TLUD's and sooty hobo stoves will still be cooking along.
Who ever got nostalgic about the smell of an alcohol stove?
Elegant in its simplicity.
The comments are better than the article.
Jimmy Gee says: "Or... you can just buy a can of Sterno..."
Erik Wilks retorts: "Maybe this is for when the SHTF there Jimmy, probably won't be able to buy anything then, just sayin..."
To which Jimmy Gee responds: "You mean like a can of soda and some medical alcohol?"
Jimmy has a point.
These Praxis posts are great. Is there an archive anywhere?
FWIW, I would not recommend yellow HEET brand drygas as fuel for any stove that is used in any way for food. It contains methyl alcohol, very toxic. The red HEET drygas, which is isopropyl alcohol, should be okay.
Post-SHTF, one thing I don't expect to be in short supply is soda cans. You might have to dig through some trash to find them, and yes, many will be crushed. But the volume of canned beer and soda sold in this country makes me think that it won't be all that hard.
Alcohol, OTOH, well, that's a different matter.
On the subject of stoves, for those who find such interesting, Zen Stoves is a site with lots of information.
I'm in favor of having multiple types of stoves, because when things go bad, you don't know what sort of fuel you might come across. And if it's alcohol, having a small, lightweight stove will come in handy. And it's a small thing, one afternoon, to construct a penny stove.
@ag42b: There's no problem cooking with a methyl-alcohol fire. Backpackers have been doing it for years. To say nothing of the use of propane, butane, isobutane and white gas stoves. You don't want to breath propane as regular thing, any more than you want to drink methyl alcohol or white gas. But burning them for cooking heat? Not an issue.
@jed Appreciate that info.
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