Meths stoves........

[SimonB]

Howdy all,

Before I start, let me explain that this is NOT a whinge or gripe..... More of an observation.

I have made many meths/alcohol stoves of late, mainly through designs I have seen on youtube, from simple popcan stoves, to whitebox type.

Many of the "Tests" I have seen of these, apart from the one done by Ash, and only a handfull more, have been indoors...

Hence, perfect conditions, and quite impressive results.

Now, I used a popcan stove earlier in the year, and it used up quite a bit more fuel than it did on the indoor tests an what youtube videos suggested.

On a recent night out with a few likeminded bushy peeps, I took my WB type stove to use as my primary means of heating water/food, besides the campfire, and found the small diameter unstable, with a few topples... But, it worked a treat. Unlike the popcan stove which guzled fuel... Yet one of my fellow campers used a popcan stove, and it was brilliant.

I have since made a second WBS type, with a wider diameter, and already noticed a difference in stability, and on indoor tests, uses less fuel, And will be testing it out in the open before commiting to an actual event use, which is soon coming.

I don't care on how fast a stove can boil x ammount of water, I am only wanting for it to do the job asked, with minimal problems.


I wonder if the stove makers on youtube did fieldtests, their "fast" results would be different?.. More than likely I am guessing.

[Silverback]

Yet one of my fellow campers used a popcan stove, and it was brilliant.

You sure ? If you're on about mine it only started to work effectively if I pre heated it and I think i just dropped lucky, playing with that design, and puting it in that stove base I have. Other stoves of a similar ilk I have made havent worked particularly well.

I did think the one I was using was very meths hungry too although I suppose making bacon and tomatoes and a full kettle of water on one 75 ml (ish) fill isnt bad

[paulthefish2009]

Strange one this,my home made meths stove works a treat,fast,good on fuel etc. made mine out of a ally water bottle,maybe the slightly thicker gauge of metal compered to a pop can helped (heat retention etc). Theres probably some deep and difficult science involved in why seemingly identical stoves work totaly differently? Paul

[Proventurer]

I wonder if the stove makers on youtube did fieldtests, their "fast" results would be different?.. More than likely I am guessing.[/QUOTE]

I think you'll find this is why they supply or advocate the use of some type of wind shield, they will never know if you intend to use it up a mountain, by the sea or come to that in the middle of the Sahara desert, Bill of Whitebox stove fame is a long time established hiker, so I think you can take field testing as a given!

[SimonB]

Strange one this,my home made meths stove works a treat,fast,good on fuel etc. made mine out of a ally water bottle,maybe the slightly thicker gauge of metal compered to a pop can helped (heat retention etc). Theres probably some deep and difficult science involved in why seemingly identical stoves work totaly differently? Paul


This is what I have made my new stove from.. I used a de-odourant can for the first one, which was nice and light, worked well, and was efficient... Just a bit unstable, which Sapper will confirm.

The alloy water bottle I used for carrying my meths, is now my new stove, and the larger diameter has made it a lot more stable.. And yes, the thicker gauge material has also made a difference.

[Silverback]

Your earlier stove was indeed unstable but Joe solved that by putting it inside the outer of his woodgas stove as a windshield and it worked a treat. Maybe its the use of something to lift the pot and the height that allows it to work that bit better, also there's no heat lost sideways

[SimonB]

Could be.... Tried one on a hexi stove this morning, used a small lump of hexiblock to prime it, and it went like a good 'un.... made some charcloth with it as the test... Flying colours...

[Silverback]

Just back from poundland :D

[suggy]

Just back from poundland :D

Is this what you are making?..


557255735574

[Silverback]

Is this what you are making?..


557255735574


I am indeed !

[Silverback]

5575

the pop can stove I made in action which Simon is talking about. Made in the 'traditional' method. No adhesives or alu tape used all push fit. The only difference I made to the design was to drill lots of holes in the top rather than cutting out one big one. I think if you close in to the picture you can see the stove blooming out of the side jets

[Suba]

Have you seen this one?
It's by- tetkoba
He has a great channel anyway, well worth checking.
How to make Rift Stove
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_UkkTAkrk0&feature=g-like

[suggy]

I am indeed !

A couple of tips for the "sigg bottle" type stoves..

1. If you make them 38mm tall, they fit in a travel sweets tin, (also found in cheap shops, Lidl have them on the checkout) for protection.

2. If the meths fails to drain into the outer wall, as in the case of the silver one, It can be remedied by using a spark plug feeler gauge, ( I think thats the name) to create a very fine gap. It does kink the gauge though. It doesn't bother me as I spend more time building D.I.Y stoves than I do re-gapping spark plugs these days.

Here's a link to my post over on BCUK for "in a nut-shell" instructions for anyone contemplating making one..

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95503

38mm not 40mm as stated in that thread.

Oh and the burn time was 3mins 17 secs for 300ml of water as opposed to the white box stove's 2.56 or whatever,

99p versus £17, Mmmm:wink::

[Silverback]

Cheers suggy!

[SimonB]

With the stove I made, I cut four slots in the screw end, and it drains a treat.... Not too deep, about 4mm just enough to allow drainage and to keep the pressure for the vapours....

[steve1975]

Just looking into making a meths stove. Was going to do a pop can one but like the look of the aluminum bottle one. Anyone got a guide to making one.

[Silverback]

Just looking into making a meths stove. Was going to do a pop can one but like the look of the aluminum bottle one. Anyone got a guide to making one.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95503

[David_JAFO]

hello,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverage-can_stove
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x69z0b_how-to-make-a-soda-can-stove_school :wink:
Regards
David


Just looking into making a meths stove.
Was going to do a pop can one but like the look of the aluminum bottle one.
Anyone got a guide to making one.

[andy t]

I've made w.b.s. type stoves but never one from a water bottle. Do they take longer to prime because they are thicker ?

[SimonB]

I've made w.b.s. type stoves but never one from a water bottle. Do they take longer to prime because they are thicker ?


Not that I noticed..... Warmed up quite quickly... :)

[BJ]

Have you seen this one?
It's by- tetkoba
He has a great channel anyway, well worth checking.
How to make Rift Stove
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_UkkTAkrk0&feature=g-like

That's a quality bit of kit, thanks for sharing, I have got to make one like this.
BJ

[Chubbs]

I have spent a few hours in the kitchen this evening trying four different burners that are fueled by meths. The burners used were Trangia, homemade coke can penny stove, Trangia copy and one that I made by taking a shoe polish tin and winding some of that stove rope inside it.

The one that came last was the Trangia copy. It was by no means bad, but slightly slower than the rest. The one that came out tops has to be the original Trangia burner followed very closely by the penny stove and the shoe polish tin with stove rope. The setup that I tend to use the most is believe it or not the shoe polish tin with stove rope inside. The tin fits perfectly inside the burning area that is in the Crusader Cooker and it is ready to use as soon as meths is poured on the rope and lit. I suppose you could prime the tin before leaving home but I would wrap it in clingfilm beforehand to be on the safe side.

All in all there really isn't much difference in timings for any of them. I don't really care if one takes slightly longer than the other or if one uses more meths than the next, the whole point is having a reliable way to cook or make a brew when you are out and all of these work equally well.

[andy t]

I think too many people get hung up on boil times. I'd much rather go with efficiency, weight and reliability. A stove that boils a pint of water in 2 minutes is no good if it takes half a pint of fuel to do it. A slightly longer boil time just gives me more time to enjoy the scenery which is why i am out there in the first place.

[mr.punch]

I think too many people get hung up on boil times. I'd much rather go with efficiency, weight and reliability. A stove that boils a pint of water in 2 minutes is no good if it takes half a pint of fuel to do it. A slightly longer boil time just gives me more time to enjoy the scenery which is why i am out there in the first place.

Totally agree with you, a couple of minutes here or there is nothing and if you are that parched as long as the water is safe have a sip while waiting. I use trangia with honeystove but prefer real fire in it to be honest and that can take more than 10 mins with collecting fuel lighting it Etc. all part of the fun IMO.

[FishyFolk]

I think too many people get hung up on boil times. I'd much rather go with efficiency, weight and reliability. A stove that boils a pint of water in 2 minutes is no good if it takes half a pint of fuel to do it. A slightly longer boil time just gives me more time to enjoy the scenery which is why i am out there in the first place.

Agree on people getting hung up on boil times.

Also those that are, seem to forget set up time. I did a test between a trangia burner and a kerosene flexi fuel burner to see which one would boil a a pint of water the fastes....from packed in rucksack to boiling.

The felexi fuel was supposed to be able to boil the water in 1 minute, 30 seconds. While the expected boil time on the trangia wa 10 minutes or thereabout.

Prepare time : Trangia - 1 minute, boil time 11 minutes and something...
Prepare time flexi-fuel - 8 minutes (Taking it out, connect fuel hose to pump bottle, connect fuel hose to burner, fill primer fuel, pump pressure, wait for primer fuel to burn out light, adjust flame, pump some more, put kettle on etc
boil time 2 minutes....

[Silverback]

I think too many people get hung up on boil times. I'd much rather go with efficiency, weight and reliability. A stove that boils a pint of water in 2 minutes is no good if it takes half a pint of fuel to do it. A slightly longer boil time just gives me more time to enjoy the scenery which is why i am out there in the first place.

Agreed ! Although where speed comes into its own is in bad weather. Used a chafing dish meths fuel thing this weekend, after 10 mins the kettle was barely warm whereas my mates both had steaming mugs of coffee in their hands despite lighting their cookers later. Both were using trangia style burners. The one I have had the most success with was my home made penny type stoves

[Chubbs]

The one I have had the most success with was my home made penny type stoves

Totally agree with you there Sapper. They cost nothing to make and do the job perfectly well.

[paulthefish2009]

So do I,providing i use a wind sheild. Paul