Re: [pct-l] Homemade alcohol stove

[Jeff Eckert <jeeter@cari.net>]

Brett Tucker wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I noticed a few posts several weeks ago about making an alcohol-burning
> stove using tin cans and a few simple tools. Someone supplied a few web
> sites for obtaining further instructions, among which were:
>
> http://www.uvol.com/scouts/stove/stoveUNPC.htm
> http://www.backpacking.net/contents.html
>
> The suggested fuel for use in this type of stove is
> methanol - methyl alcohol. A cursory search around town for this fuel turned
> up nothing. ]

In southern California, methyl alcohol is sold as "denatured alcohol".  I have
found it at drug stores, hardware stores, and home improvement chain stores.
The pharmacies have been the most expensive of the three.  The other two sources
sell the fuel in the paint department right next to the various solvents.

> And this leads me to wonder how methanol will fare, if and when I find it.
> Will it vaporize from the holes, and if so, what sort of flame will this
> produce? A blue flame, like a "professional" stove, a strong yellow
> flame - sufficient to boil 1 qt water in the prescribed 10 minutes?

I built the double wall, no wick stove.  When I use it as designed, i.e. with a
pot above the flame and a wind screen (adding a bit of reflective heat no
doubt), the fuel does vaporize and burns with a blue flame from the 32 holes.
It appears as if the large flame in the center of the stove disappears, and is
replaced by the flame from the burner ring. However, it is not a high pressure
flame like one would find on a traditional stove, more more similar in
appearance to the flame from a sterno burner that a caterer might use.  It is
the gossamer nature of this flame that demands the use of a wind screen.  I use
two pieces of aluminum sheet metal, cut from the walls of a soda pop can.  Their
natural curvature confoms to the side of my 1 qt.cook pot. and encompasses
approximately 7/8 of it's circumference.  1 pt. of cold water to rolling boil in
a covered pot, in still air (60 deg.F)from striking of the match is eight
minutes.  Give or take 30 seconds.

BTW, I think it is very important to make the 32 holes as tiny as possible.  I'm
sure it helps to build up the pressure between the inner and outer walls.  IMO,
1/16 inch is too large.

I chose not to follow Jim Mayer's great design for two reasons.  First, I have
been known to be a tad clumsy.  I think I would have a pretty good chance to end
up crumpling the stove either in my pack, or just through inadvertantly knocking
it about.  The stove with the burner cap "seems to be" (read: no empirical
evidence) a bit beefier.  Second, I think (again, none of that darned first hand
evidence) that a wickless stove will air out faster, and will carry less of the
scent of fuel back into my pack.

Jeff


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