alcohol (soda can) stove help?

[kdk1610]

just bought an alcohol stove. can anyone give me tips on:

1. where to buy denatured alcohol (ie, along the long trail)? where would i go to find it in large urban areas? what about storage of extra alcohol in a hot car while i section hike in VT?

2. special operating instructions (special platform needed, lite windscreen recommendations, etc.).

thanks in advance,

dave

 

[onestep]

Denatured alcohol is available in most hardware & department stores. You'll usually find it in the paint department.
As an alternative, especially when resupplying off-trail during a long hike, you can use Heet gasline antifreeze (the yellow bottle) or any other brand as long as it's Methyl Alcohol based and not Isopropyl. Isopropyl alcohol burns sooty and not as hot.
A third possibility you could use for fuel would be "Everclear" or any other high-proof booze... but some I know would end up eating cold meals with this option!

As far as a windscreen or pot stand goes, get creative and make your own... you'll save lots of weight here too. This is what I use. The windscreen is make from a heavy weight aluminum foil oven tray and the pot stand is from a piece of 4" clothes dryer vent.

 

[DougPaul]

Boating stores also sell denatured alcolhol as stove fuel.

Doug

 

[Rick]

If you have any 1/4" or 1/2" mesh hardware cloth, you can make a great pot stand similar to this, (I beleive this is 1/2") Hardware cloth stand

For an ultralight windscreen, I use those large aluminum lasagna tins you can get at your grocers in the baking aisle. I cut the sides off them and they work great with some paper clips, I use 1.5 tins to make a windscreen.

When I hiked the AT from MD to NY, I had no problem getting Heet at local gas stations and quickee marts, though I always carry a half dozen esbit tabs for emergency (Flip your pepsi can stove upside down and put the esbit in the base of it).

My windscreen wraps around my gatorade 16 oz fuel bottle and the entire package sits inside the hardware cloth pot stand.


Good Luck
Rick

 

[McRat]

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/rev...II-D Alcohol Stove/Jim Sabiston/Field Report/

Half way down there is a fairly spiffy windscreen design for this brasslite stove. I like how it breaks down to fit in the cookpot. I personally settled with cutting up a leftover 'lasagna tin' as mentioned above.

If you are new to alcohol stoves, the best and worst part (during 3-season use) is the silent, and near invisible flame in daylight. Great way to enjoy the quiet, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't burn my figures a few times when I first switched to alcohol.

EDIT - Figures 2 through 4.

 

[Barry Sr]

All the stove info you need on a dozen different types.

Stoves

I use a couple of different designs depending on time of year and temperature

 

[percious]

This site has good instructions for use. I am assuming you have a double wall type stove.

http://www.advancedmountainproducts.com/instructions/classic/instr.html

-percious

 

[Rick]

Percious,
What do you use to drill your holes? I have a 1/32 drill bit, which I have tried on and off at various times, but the drillbit "dances" around on the surface before biting into the metal, any suggestions? I have had a lot of luck punching holes using those tiny eyeglass screwdrivers and a carpeting hammer, but the holes are slightly oblong.

Also, A friend mentioned filling his cans with water and letting them freeze before working on them, I haven't tried it yet, but I might be giving a workshop to a bunch of scouts and it seems like it might allow them to do a better job their first time around, as they develop their PC Stove Fine motor skills.
Thanks
Rick

 

[percious]

I have deleted this post, in favor of a PM.

 

[imarchant]

Windscreen

I made a windscreen/pot support out of some 3" Aluminum duct. (+/-$2.50) I cut 2 sections 8" long. They fit together to make a 6" screen. My pot was a little less than 6" diameter so I bolted (3) 1/2" X 3/4" angle brackets on the inside. I drilled about (10) 1/2" air holes around the bottom. The brackets support the pot. When I first tested it the aluminum softened and the screen buckled a bit, so I bent over the top 1/4" of the duct for extra rigidity. That seemed to work. I have not used it in the field yet, but it worked at home. I have also heard the three tent stakes can be used to support the pot. That is my back-up plan.

 

[Doc McPeak]

What do you use to drill your holes? I have a 1/32 drill bit, which I have tried on and off at various times, but the drillbit "dances" around on the surface before biting into the metal, any suggestions?
Rick

Rick, you may want to try using a pushpin. Just be sure to push every hole in all the way to keep them all the same size.

 

[Rick]

Rick, you may want to try using a pushpin. Just be sure to push every hole in all the way to keep them all the same size.

Yeah - That's the first thing I tried, I then went through a myriad of items, including grinding down points on 10P nails on my bench grinder (which actually worked pretty good). I have stuck with the eyeglass screwdriver simple because it is the quickest (and least damaging to the ends of my thumbs )
Thanks

 

[jbrown]

I used a pin vise with a .030" (or thereabouts, don't remember the exact size...) drill bit for the holes on my stove. Lots of plans here . I've made most of the pop can stoves here and found that most work very well.

In reference to storing denatured alcohol in a hot car, I don't think I'd be very comfortable with doing that...let me know what happens.

 

[Barry Sr]

This site has good instructions for use. I am assuming you have a double wall type stove.

http://www.advancedmountainproducts.com/instructions/classic/instr.html

-percious

Yes, one of the designs I use is double walled filled in with insulation as a wick

 

[charlos]

i use a sewing needle in the handle of a sliver metal exacto knife, the kind where you lock in blade tips by twisting the head of the handle.

i tap the handle with a hammer at first on an angle to get some bite then once through, straighten it out and work the needle a bit to get a clean hole.

viva pepsi can stoves!

 

[omegaman]

Question on insulation

What kind of insulation do you use? Is it plain ordinary fiberglass? Also if you are precise kind of person or want consistancy, you can order the smaller drill bits from industrial supply places like McMaster Carr http://www.mcmaster.com or MSC Industrial Supply ( http://mscdirect.com). Depending on the size they may be a couple of bucks each. The break very easily and you will need to have only a tiny bit outside the chuck. I would still mark the spots with a needle to keep the bit from wandering.

 

[VFTTop'r]

Check this one out. Very simple to make.

http://www.backpacking.net/makegear/stove2/