Pocket stove

[zelph]

I always wanted to make a pocket stove from an altoids type tin. Many years ago I visited a Cival War museum and it is there that I saw my first pocket stove. It was military issue and was very interesting. No photos were allowed so I had to wing it LOL.
The pot supports are stainless steel.

The burner is from a Starlyte stove.

The container is ebay brand.

Total weight of stove is 2 ounces.

This is a photobucket video. click on the photo to view it.

[1azarus]

stop making me want more gear.

[WIAPilot]

That is cool! You should have lit it!

[Big Dawg]

stop making me want more gear.

lol,,, no doubt!

[perrymk]

Very nice.

I have two original pocket stoves in my stove collection. One is a small (fits in my hand) rectangle shaped box with simmer flaps. That is, two flaps that cover a portion of the burner. This stove has no marking. The other is round like a tin of shoe polish, also small enough to fit in my hand. Take off the lid and pop up the pot supports. It has stamped on it, among other things, patented 1866 and 1875. Both appear to be made of brass or a similar metal.

These were also called travelers stoves. They can sometimes be found on ebay.

[Capt Nat]

Very Nice!!!

[camper10469]

That's pretty cool. What kind of fuel do these stoves use?

[kidchill]

"Micro-range"....Fosters, Australian for beer!

[zelph]

Very nice.

I have two original pocket stoves in my stove collection. One is a small (fits in my hand) rectangle shaped box with simmer flaps. That is, two flaps that cover a portion of the burner. This stove has no marking. The other is round like a tin of shoe polish, also small enough to fit in my hand. Take off the lid and pop up the pot supports. It has stamped on it, among other things, patented 1866 and 1875. Both appear to be made of brass or a similar metal.

These were also called travelers stoves. They can sometimes be found on ebay.

Thanks for sharing that info and you are fortunate to have those in your collection. At the time I saw ones like it on ebay I was in a mind set that I had too many stoves. I can just imagine riding in a stage coach and stopping along side a stream for a cuppatea break. Any idea what they used as fuel?

today I did a video using alcohol in the burner but the WIFI service here at the campground where I am is dead slow to load videos. I will try in the early morning hours.

A friend suggested adding fold out flaps for windscreens. I will be adding those to the inside of the lid.

Thanks everyone for the comments. Get an altoid tin and join me in making a stove. I made a round one and it's in a thread here somewhere. I'll see if I can find it.

[perrymk]

I can just imagine riding in a stage coach and stopping along side a stream for a cuppatea break. Any idea what they used as fuel?

I can't imagine anything other than alcohol could be used with any degree of safety, although alcohol could also be called spirits back then. That would be really confusing and dangerous as mineral spirits, a petroleum product, could also be called spirits.

I once read that use of these stoves to make tea in hotel rooms and boarding houses was responsible for more than one place burning to the ground. That's one reason I usually don't care for alcohol stoves for myself. I'm so clumsy I'd knock the thing over and start a forest fire.

[zelph]

I can't imagine anything other than alcohol could be used with any degree of safety, although alcohol could also be called spirits back then. That would be really confusing and dangerous as mineral spirits, a petroleum product, could also be called spirits.

I once read that use of these stoves to make tea in hotel rooms and boarding houses was responsible for more than one place burning to the ground. That's one reason I usually don't care for alcohol stoves for myself. I'm so clumsy I'd knock the thing over and start a forest fire.

It is said that Mrs. Oleary's cow kicked over the kerosene lamp and started Chicago on fire.

I would imagine smoking in bed caused a few fires back in the olden days of wooden hotels.

I checked ebay today and none were listed.

They are 3 11/16" x 2 5/16" x 13/16". (94 x 59 x 19.5mm) Same size as an Altoids tin.
Some photos of altoid size stoves:

[perrymk]

I searched "(pocket, traveler) stove" and found 6 pages. Of course only one was a classic pocket stove. Kind of pricey though.

See Item number: 270953012797
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Whitall...item3f160ede3d

Your stoves a looking very nice.

[zelph]

I searched "(pocket, traveler) stove" and found 6 pages. Of course only one was a classic pocket stove. Kind of pricey though.

See Item number: 270953012797
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Whitall...item3f160ede3d

Your stoves a looking very nice.

Thank you for your comment. I viewed the link you gave and found the original listing. It was interesting to see how the stove could be adjusted. They sure do get pricey.

I need a deeper container. The one I'm using is 3/4" deep. I would like one that is 1" deep if anyone out there has one maybe we could make a trade....stove for the container :-)

Here is an update video:

[perrymk]

I have a Sucrets tin that is 1 inch deep, but it is slightly shorter and narrower (about 3.25 x 2.375 inches) than an Altoids. If you can't find one locally (Target, WalMart, drugstore, etc.) PM me your address and I'll send it to you.

[zelph]

I have a Sucrets tin that is 1 inch deep, but it is slightly shorter and narrower (about 3.25 x 2.375 inches) than an Altoids. If you can't find one locally (Target, WalMart, drugstore, etc.) PM me your address and I'll send it to you.

Thank you, I'll stop there tomorrow and get one. That dimension might work well.

[zelph]

Thank you, I'll stop there tomorrow and get one. That dimension might work well.

It was to small in the other dimensions. We tried.


I did some more work on it and came to an acceptable unit.
Stainless steel hinges and pot suports.
Stainless steel windscreen(needs to be a little larger)
Burner holds 1 ounce of fuel
Pot is a Kmart greas strainer, holds 4 cups of water.
Last week I used a new size burner that holds 1.5 ounces of fuel to cook 4 chicken legs(drumsticks) Water started to boil at around 8 min. and flame went out at about 18 min. The four legs were fully cooked. I was curious to see if they could be cooked with one burner filled with 1.5 ounce fuel. I suspect I could boil 1/2 squirrel if need be while out bushcrafting with this setup. That particular burner is too tall to fit inside the tin.

[perrymk]

Very nice.

[zelph]

Very nice.

Thank you!

I made a major modification

[perrymk]

What kind of welder do you use? Have you tried just using JBWeld? My thought is JBWeld would make the idea more accessible to others wanting to try your design (Assuming that is of interest to you). In any case, it's a nice looking stove.

I have a cheap Harbor freight flux welder that is good for bigger stuff but I suspect might burn up an Altoids tin. I haven't actually tried it though.

[zelph]

What kind of welder do you use? Have you tried just using JBWeld? My thought is JBWeld would make the idea more accessible to others wanting to try your design (Assuming that is of interest to you). In any case, it's a nice looking stove.

I have a cheap Harbor freight flux welder that is good for bigger stuff but I suspect might burn up an Altoids tin. I haven't actually tried it though.

I use a cheap harbor freight spot welder. I did use jb weld in the second try of the stove. It can be seen in one of the videos. Hinges were purchased on ebay, search stainless steel hinges. Hobby Lobby has the hinges that I used on the last modification.