View Full Version : Are all pop can stoves made alike? (stove materials)
Hey had a quick question, ive been making popcan stoves for a while for fun for my friends and myself and was curious, with the wide knowledge base of the users here, if people knew if there was any sort of practical difference between the various different pop or beer cans. Just your regular average can, not the noticeably thicker ones such as the venom energy drink cans. Thanks for your input!
Green, welcome to WB.
If you're talking about 12 oz beverage cans made in the US, they are the same across brands, as standardized by the Can Manufacturers Institute.
The Supercat uses cat food cans. The design is lighter and simpler than most soft drink can stoves, and at least as efficient (I find that the windscreen design and pot bottom diameter make more of a difference than stove design as far as efficiency is concerned). I like a stove where the pot sits on top, rather than one which requires a pot stand, necessitating a taller (heavier) windscreen as well as the additional weight of the support itself.
Rocket Jones
12-12-2010, 14:52
The Supercat uses cat food cans. The design is lighter and simpler than most soft drink can stoves, and at least as efficient (I find that the windscreen design and pot bottom diameter make more of a difference than stove design as far as efficiency is concerned). I like a stove where the pot sits on top, rather than one which requires a pot stand, necessitating a taller (heavier) windscreen as well as the additional weight of the support itself.
I agree with this. I use a short and squat grease pot, which sits directly on top of my Supercat. I suspect that if I used something like a Soloist, I'd probably be happier with a Gigapower or Pocket Rocket.
Green, welcome to WB.
If you're talking about 12 oz beverage cans made in the US, they are the same across brands, as standardized by the Can Manufacturers Institute.
Thanks for the information Roland and for the welcome, this was just what i was looking for.
gunner76
12-12-2010, 22:11
Shug over on HammockFourms.net has some videos where he compares various stoves. If you have not seen any of his videos, you are in for a treat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dez6kGCzjUU&feature=related
A friend recently sent me an alchy stove that was made from a Venom energy drink bottle that was half turned inside out. I'm told that Mountain Dew and Bud Light also make aluminum bottles, but that the Venom bottle is a bit thicker/sturdier.
I've also made a bunch of can stoves from various sizes of beer cans, potted meat/cat food cans, pop cans. I had never seen one constructed like this.
It hurt my brain trying to figure out how it was made, then I found a video of Tinny at Minibull designs making one with a hydraulic press and the bottom of another can (he uses bud light cans). Anyhow, I like this stove as it is sturdy, as a wide base so it doesn't tip over too easy, and has an integrated pot stand. Looking forward to trying my hand at making some soon. :)
Here is what I found.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d82VZ5-No5k&feature=channel_page
garlic08
01-19-2011, 11:01
I disagree that all cans are alike. I'm sure volume and overall dimensions are standard, but there are very subtle differences. It's been a few years since I made one, but I used to use Pepsi products because I heard that they have the best bottom rim for punching holes. Sure enough, I tried a Coors can once and the bottom rim was slightly different and it was an inferior stove.
I also heard somewhere that there's a British can that works well as a stove bottom because it's a micrometer or two larger than a US can and the US can fits into it better.
there are slight differences in diameters in some brands. One of the articles in zenstoves identifies them. They are supposed to make nesting the top and bottom pieces easier. (I have a hell of a time doing that with minibull size stoves, which I favor)
I disagree that all cans are alike. I'm sure volume and overall dimensions are standard, but there are very subtle differences. It's been a few years since I made one, but I used to use Pepsi products because I heard that they have the best bottom rim for punching holes. Sure enough, I tried a Coors can once and the bottom rim was slightly different and it was an inferior stove.
I also heard somewhere that there's a British can that works well as a stove bottom because it's a micrometer or two larger than a US can and the US can fits into it better.
Instead of micrometer I think you mean micron. A micrometer is a measurement tool, a micron is approximately 25 times smaller than a thousandth of an inch. Sorry the old machinist in me is coming out.:)
I do agree that all of the cans are similar but not the same. I still have some of the old pepsi cans saved up from when my daughter lived at home.
Hey had a quick question, ive been making popcan stoves for a while for fun for my friends and myself and was curious, with the wide knowledge base of the users here, if people knew if there was any sort of practical difference between the various different pop or beer cans. Just your regular average can, not the noticeably thicker ones such as the venom energy drink cans. Thanks for your input!
The average can for making stoves are all the same.:)
mweinstone
01-19-2011, 17:03
im working on a stove project so revolutionary, if sucessful it will revolutionize how we cook with all fuels on trails. i call the group or genre of stoves , "ig burners". it stands for " in ground". my system works around a central fundemental idea. that burning fuel in a depression in dirt or sand or even pepples, not only creates a windblock, but insulation and thermal mass. the surface of the ground becomes the potstand and a hole aside the fuel pit draws air. one contraption looks like part of a small hole digger the kind you might use for planting bulbs. it has a seperate tube for peircing the air hole and thats a substitute tent stake if needed. the whole setup is a matter of stepping on the stove with the heel of your boot till it is drivin in the ground,removeing a plug ,and placeing the stove in the hole so its top is just above the surface.then you drop in an ice cream cone shaped burnner and poke the air hole with the tube and light.more air holes are made when needed. in no wind you set it in a more shallow hole.just an idea. no prototypes yet. but i belive its sound.i would be going for effincecy not speed or liteness.
im working on a stove project so revolutionary, if sucessful it will revolutionize how we cook with all fuels on trails. i call the group or genre of stoves , "ig burners". it stands for " in ground". my system works around a central fundemental idea. that burning fuel in a depression in dirt or sand or even pepples, not only creates a windblock, but insulation and thermal mass. the surface of the ground becomes the potstand and a hole aside the fuel pit draws air. one contraption looks like part of a small hole digger the kind you might use for planting bulbs. it has a seperate tube for peircing the air hole and thats a substitute tent stake if needed. the whole setup is a matter of stepping on the stove with the heel of your boot till it is drivin in the ground,removeing a plug ,and placeing the stove in the hole so its top is just above the surface.then you drop in an ice cream cone shaped burnner and poke the air hole with the tube and light.more air holes are made when needed. in no wind you set it in a more shallow hole.just an idea. no prototypes yet. but i belive its sound.i would be going for effincecy not speed or liteness.
:datzNow why didn't I think of that!!!!!! Absolutely outstanding:sun
The hole digger part can be made of titanium for durability and tactical purposes.
The plug that comes out of the ground can be replaced intact so as to "leave no trace"
Make the prototype and see how it works. Videos will do it right.:)
Odd Man Out
01-19-2011, 17:32
Instead of micrometer I think you mean micron. A micrometer is a measurement tool, a micron is approximately 25 times smaller than a thousandth of an inch.
Actually, a "mircon" is the unofficial term for a millionth of a metre (meter in the American English spelling). Micrometer (or micrometre) is the proper word for a millionth of a meter, using the official metric system prefix micro, and abbreviated "um" where the "u" should be a lower case Greek letter mu. I find that most people put the accent on the first syllable when referring to the measurement (MI cro meet er) vs the second syllable when referring to the measuring device (mi CROM uh ter).
I find stretching the outer can a bit by forcing it over the bottom of an intact unopened can (at a slight angle) works good.
I think the spelling is metre to the English.
In America it's meter (but wee kant spel anywayz).
I meant to add a :) to the above. :confused.
Ok, I need to get my donation in! :D
Rocketman
01-19-2011, 19:23
Instead of micrometer I think you mean micron. A micrometer is a measurement tool, a micron is approximately 25 times smaller than a thousandth of an inch. Sorry the old machinist in me is coming out.:)
I do agree that all of the cans are similar but not the same. I still have some of the old pepsi cans saved up from when my daughter lived at home.
Centimeter (.01 meter), Millimeter(.001 meter), Micrometer (.000001 meter), (.000000001 meter) Nanometer.......
Deciliter, Centiliter, Milliliter, Microliter, Nanoliter..........
A micron and a micrometer are the same length.
A ruler may be a King, or Queen or a stick with evenly spaced marks upon it. There are lots of words with more than one meaning.
I fondly remember millimicrons as a measure of the wavelength of light. Sadly, in a revision of SI units, millimicrons were replaced with nanometers.
It took me a LONG time to stop saying the well learned but obsolete units of millimicrons.
You are not wrong, but you didn't allow for double meanings of the word micrometer.
Think how embarrassing it would be to be introduced to a world ruler, and find out that he was just a man instead of a really big stick with marks on it.
matthewski
Like the Dakota Fire Hole ?
Franco
Just to save searching for it, this is what the Dakota Fire Pit looks like :
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e389/Francophoto/odds/dakota-fire-pit-diagram.gif
Franco