# Homemade Penny Stove



## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

Great stuff guys and gals


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## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

yah that's real similar to the one I built before the coke can stove. The thing with this one is it runs with wicking instead. I like the wicked ones, that video I did on the micro cookset it ran just fine.


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

Leon said:


> yah that's real similar to the one I built before the coke can stove. The thing with this one is it runs with wicking instead. I like the wicked ones, that video I did on the micro cookset it ran just fine.


Yea def like the idea


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## Nuklhed (Feb 17, 2013)

*Alcohol gas stoves from recycled cans*

I've got a bunch of alcohol gas stoves that I'm trying to sell at $20 with free shipping. I made these by hand, but all work great.




















If you're interested, send me a PM.

Cheers,
Paul


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## wesley762 (Oct 23, 2012)

I found a PDF on line how to make a different version of it, after about the 4th attempt I got pretty good at them.

http://flamingbike.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/hannahstove.pdf


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## Nuklhed (Feb 17, 2013)

Yep, pop cans. 

Mine are made from aluminum bottles, about 0.020 thousandths thick. Aluminum cans are about 1/10 that thick. I've stood on top of mine and caused NO damage, and I'm no small kid.


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## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

Nuklhed said:


> Yep, pop cans.
> 
> Mine are made from aluminum bottles, about 0.020 thousandths thick. Aluminum cans are about 1/10 that thick. I've stood on top of mine and caused NO damage, and I'm no small kid.


I like those ones you made, what did you do those with?


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## Nuklhed (Feb 17, 2013)

I currently use them when camping/backpacking. They are small to carry, weigh about one ounce. I figured since something like a jet boil would be great, but too prone to breaking (I'm a klutz). And, it still needs fuel. This way, when I use denatured alcohol, I can still use it to start a fire, too, if the wood is wet.

To make these, I mark the bottles in three places, cut them, file the cutouts in the bottom for the alcohol to run through. Then, I put them in a machined die, press it to fold the edges over and then drill holes that are evenly spaced in the die. Once I pop them out of the die, I crimp the edges in three places to allow the stove to breath.

I've made over 100 hundred of these--I'm done! It takes me about 2 hours to make 12 because of the many steps. The cutting is the most challenging part, since the entire process is by hand.

By the way, I've cooked lots of food--the most exotic was popcorn and fried fish (not mixed together). One ounce of fuel burns for 10 minutes, so they are super efficient, too.


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## pharmer14 (Oct 27, 2012)

I just threw one together... It took about 25 minutes if that. I didn't add any insulation to it. I wouldn't recommend using isopropyl. It doesn't heat up quick enough to gassify the contents before the pool on top exhausts itself. I'm going to pick up some HEET tomorrow to see if it works better.


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## pharmer14 (Oct 27, 2012)

A couple weeks later, I ran HEET through my stove tonight... I was impressed with how well it held up in the wind, and for how long it burned. I tried boiling water over it, but I cut that experiment short after 30 minutes with no success... I will try again when there is less wind and will try with a different aluminum can. The one I used has a polymer inside it, and I suspect that this slowed down the boiling process by insulating the water from the can itself. The water did feel like it was getting closer. I was just done with the cold.

Also, after I quenched it by putting jar overtop of it, there was still HEET inside... after a half hour of burning!!! This may be the coolest little thing ever. It is definitely being added to my BOB and probably to my backpacking gear as well!


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## Nuklhed (Feb 17, 2013)

Try some denatured alcohol. The big box stores sell it in the paint stripper section. It burns well, is clean, and gets hot. 70% isopropyl doesn't work well at all, 90% only slightly less frustrating.

Denatured is the way to go.

pharmer14, put up some pictures!


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## buckyn8 (Mar 3, 2013)

Good info here! I'm going to give it a try.


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## Juggernaut (Feb 15, 2013)

Awesome will try to make one tomorrow


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## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

Nuklhed said:


> Try some denatured alcohol. The big box stores sell it in the paint stripper section. It burns well, is clean, and gets hot. 70% isopropyl doesn't work well at all, 90% only slightly less frustrating.
> 
> Denatured is the way to go.
> 
> pharmer14, put up some pictures!


The denatured is simply awesome for these and other stoves because it burns hot but doesn't catch things on fire with a little mishap. It's easy to extinguish and it burns with like no soot at all. Pure blue flame, great burn times on that stuff. I bought a couple drums of it and put it in those Coleman keep all bottles, works like a charm. Smell is almost nothing, with iso it leaves huge soot and smells.


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## punch (Nov 6, 2012)

Definitely place a wad of insulation inside just in case you bump or tip it over you won't have a fire hazard. After a while you'll know a little goes a long ways and you will easily be able to ballpark just how muck alcohol will boil water, fry fish or just plain warm your feet. Be safe, we want to hear back from you. Have a great week all!

punch


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## Adan699 (Feb 27, 2013)

punch said:


> Definitely place a wad of insulation inside just in case you bump or tip it over you won't have a fire hazard. After a while you'll know a little goes a long ways and you will easily be able to ballpark just how muck alcohol will boil water, fry fish or just plain warm your feet. Be safe, we want to hear back from you. Have a great week all!
> 
> punch


I'm totally agree with you.You'r 100% good here that a wad of insulating material within just in case you bump or tip it over you won't have a flame risk.
You will easily be able to ballpark...


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## Jaye880 (Feb 19, 2013)

I made 2 of these and then I found another version which i think is a little better, no priming at all. here is the link to it.

[video=dailymotion;x69z0b]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x69z0b_how-to-make-a-soda-can-stove_school[/video]


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## pharmer14 (Oct 27, 2012)

Nuklhed said:


> Try some denatured alcohol. The big box stores sell it in the paint stripper section. It burns well, is clean, and gets hot. 70% isopropyl doesn't work well at all, 90% only slightly less frustrating.
> 
> Denatured is the way to go.
> 
> pharmer14, put up some pictures!


I didn't take any last night. Once things settle down with grad school a bit, I will try again and post pics.


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

Thank you for sharing!


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## Montana Rancher (Mar 4, 2013)

Ok, fun science project but I can't think of a single prepper reason to have one.


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## punch (Nov 6, 2012)

redundancy. 2 is 1 and 1 is none


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## Denver (Nov 16, 2012)

My wife and I made several and have them in the BOB's. Denatured alcohol works very good. The hottest fuel we have found is Everclear. Seems to burn hotter and I guess if you get bored with cooking you can drink it. I have a problem with any thing to eat or drink that says "May cause blindness" on the label. lol The stoves may or may not be good for long term or even short, but they were fun to make and we had fun trying different fuels.


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## StewtheBird (Mar 5, 2013)

Easy to make and great to have, made plenty of these myself.


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## pharmer14 (Oct 27, 2012)

Montana Rancher said:


> Ok, fun science project but I can't think of a single prepper reason to have one.


I think it's a good way to keep a low profile if you're on the move. If you're local to your BOL, you probably wouldn't have a use for it, but my BOL is a 4 hour car ride away. I have several strategical waypoints picked out where I can access water and possibly set up some quick traps for food. I wouldn't want to build a massive fire at any of these places if I could avoid it. Fire screams "Come over here!" pretty loud. These stoves are barely visible from a distance... especially if you take a few minutes to seclude it even more.

They also burn pretty long. Like I said earlier, I probably could have gone nearly an hour with it filled up to the brim. And to it's easier to carry a 4 ounce bottle of fuel that will probably burn for about 12 hours or so than to harvest the wood to keep a fire going that long.

Like I said. I see your point once you get to your BOL location, but if I have to hike for a week, I want to keep as low a profile as possible.


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