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Friday, October 25, 2013

Easy alcohol stove for the tinkerer in all of us


There are actually a THOUSAND ways to make an alcohol stove, but this looks almost like fun. And easy as hell!
 

 
I'm actually attempting this today. Will have to let ya'll know how it turns out.

UPDATE:. I HATE THIS GUY! First, I guarantee he oiled the can before he made his die. I had to rip my first stove into pieces and pull it out of the die piece by piece.
Second, even oiling, being gentle, and marking on the can how far to compress it for that rolled top look, it DIDN'T. Just kinda bent over and got all creased. So I flattened that sucker out with a hammer all along the inside edge. Nice tight fit!
Third. He doesn't point out, but I noticed, every third hole around the rim was larger. HOWEVER, even doing it his way with the tape and all, even providing just the gentlest of pressure, my stove ended up dented all over the place.

Did it work? Sure. Its ugly as hell, and I wouldn't want to try to balance a pan on it, but with an outside stand, it heated up a cup of water in less than 4 minutes. Just shy of boiling. I used 70% isopropyl alcohol, and had to put a cotton ball in the center to keep the alcohol going long enough to heat the stove, which took an original five minutes give or take. And you probably need a windshield, at least with 70% alcohol, because I was able to blow it out with one good breath.

Will I make another? Yep. Will it be as pretty as the video? I'll let ya know....but don't place any bets...

2 comments:

Phil said...

When I was 16,broke, starving and temporarily living with my alcoholic Mother, I had a can of Chili and no electricity.
I scrounged a tuna can and cut some cardboard strips, wound them around in the can and poured some rubbing alcohol I found in the bathroom in it.
It wasn't pretty but it fucking worked!

The Old School Boy Scouts actually taught shit back then and I remembered it.

Xenolith said...

Yep, Old School BS (thats boy scouts, not bullshit) was the schiznits!
Nowadays, they're too worried the Scout Master is a fag to take the boys out to LEARN anything.