View Full Version : DIY alcohol stove idea for Boy Scout troop
greginmi
05-01-2009, 17:22
My son's Scout troop wants to do a DIY alcohol stove.
I'm looking for some ideas on an easy stove that will take about 20-30 minutes for the boys to make.
Regards,
Greg
Phoenixdadeadhead
05-01-2009, 17:29
This one is super easy to make, and works great. You can build the whole thing with nothing fancier than a hacksaw blade.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcrW27Leo4w
karoberts
05-01-2009, 19:06
I would make a cat can stove and a wind break.
skinewmexico
05-01-2009, 19:37
http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/SuperCat/index.html
skinewmexico
Thanks for the link!!
Best article I've seen to date. Completely stripped of opinion and bias.
Skidsteer, who is pretty scientific in approach, has told me the little tea light cup is as good as anything.
This approach allows me to "play with fire" when in the mood.
Big Dawg
05-02-2009, 06:24
SuperCat is the way to go. I've made many alky stoves, but the SC is the easiest & most reliable,,, it's the one I always carry on hikes. jwbasecamp.com (mentioned above) was the site I used to build mine. See my pics for some shots of stoves I've made.
Homer&Marje
05-02-2009, 06:49
I was not a big fan of the super cat at all. Did not find it as efficient or durable as the ones I use. To each their own.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRt8mNOP2b0
mister krabs
05-02-2009, 11:16
Alcohol stoves can be dangerous for clumsy scouts. Have them make one that won't spill a sheet of invisible flames when it's knocked over.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98EcuktVdrc
My son's Scout troop wants to do a DIY alcohol stove.
I'm looking for some ideas on an easy stove that will take about 20-30 minutes for the boys to make.
Regards,
Greg
Do a starlyte, they are hard to beat, have made a bunch of other stoves it is the best.
MrBillTroop73 unican alcohol stove all you need is a can and a pocketknife.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzGJzUxnwCM&feature=PlayList&p=494E1A2A761C0FD3&index=0
camper10469
05-03-2009, 09:10
Since they are a large group, how about making one of those alchy stoves used in the Idterod?
Anyone ever see or make one?
Homer&Marje
05-03-2009, 09:30
Since they are a large group, how about making one of those alchy stoves used in the Idterod?
Anyone ever see or make one?
I have a stove in the beginning stages of development lets say....classic design that I have used but the cans are giant aluminum containers that hold the coffee beans at my restaurant.
It is about 9" in diameter and about 12" tall. Have not worked out the pressurizing issues....have to make an internal pressure system or somehow make the top smaller, or get a bigger pot....should run on about 4-6oz of fuel
Skidsteer
05-03-2009, 10:37
9" x 12" aluminum can?
Sounds like it would make a good bear canister.
Homer&Marje
05-03-2009, 11:05
9" x 12" aluminum can?
Sounds like it would make a good bear canister.
It's a pressurized can....damn expensive imported Italian coffee.
Just figured it could make a kickass flame if nothing else:D Which is so far, all it has provided :D
Who here...reading this...can honestly say they don't like burning a half bottle of heet out of sheer boredom :rolleyes:
Our troop has made and used the Cat stove successfully for several years.
greginmi
05-04-2009, 10:09
I've built a SuperCat and SimmerCat using the "modified" paper punch method where you remove the tab so the jaws can open wide enough to get over the can lip.
I was trying to avoid trashing a bunch of hole punches after just 1 use, but might keep this reasonable if I split the boys up with half doing an aluminum foil windbreak and the other half making the stove. That would reduce the number of paper punches to about 10.
I'll take a look at some of the YouTube links when I get home from work. Firewall access is blocked while I'm in the office...
Thanks for the ideas everyone. I'll let you know how it goes.
Regards,
Greg
Phoenixdadeadhead
05-04-2009, 11:07
Here is a pic of the modified stove I use. It is very fast and easy to make 10 to 2 minutes tops (24 hours to set though) also with the mod it is decently spill resistant, while on its side it will drip slowly. I added the vid link to build it in higher up on the page, and you can see the mod is a large washer with a quarter inch hole.
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k287/phoenixdadeadhead/007-5.jpg
boyscouts and alky stoves huh? i look forward to reading the newspaper article about this...
seriously though. i'd go w/ a supercat and build a simple docking station that you can drive a tent stake through, greatly reducing the newspaper article written about your troop factor.
you can see some pictures of what i mean on my post about halfway down the page on this thread:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=765975
little 1/2 can is held down by 2 screws
JuiceBox
05-23-2009, 13:05
I had my troop build this stove, and this is the one I use as a matter of fact. It's the easiest one to build, and, believe it or not, I find it to be the best and most efficient alcohol stove that I've ever made; I've made quite a few different models.
http://www.boblog.org/at/cobrastove.htm
Hoop Time
07-18-2009, 16:44
I had my troop build this stove, and this is the one I use as a matter of fact. It's the easiest one to build, and, believe it or not, I find it to be the best and most efficient alcohol stove that I've ever made; I've made quite a few different models.
http://www.boblog.org/at/cobrastove.htm
Just finished making one . . . my first attempt at a stove. It was easy as advertised to make. Will post when I get back on how well it worked.
Hoop Time
07-22-2009, 10:56
Stove worked really well. My only problem was with my potholder. Instead of getting the hardware cloth is the directions, I tried using a piece of aluminum stuff taken from an old gutter protector I had lying around. It probably was not the same gauge as the hardware cloth, and it melted significantly. It worked OK for an overnighter, but for a longer hike it would not have held up. That said, I am not sure I even need it. The windscreen was plenty strong enough to support my pot. I just "molded" it to fit under a small rim around the top of the pot.
I made this one in a hurry, and it could be refined a little ... smaller holes for the jets are a particular modification I will make on the next one. It burned faster than it needed to, which might have been part of the melted potholder problem. But overall it worked very well.
greginmi
07-22-2009, 11:30
Since I was the originator of this thread, I thought I'd let everyone know we made a SuperCat stove with windscreen.
A couple of the boys used them on a 3 day hike around North Manitou Island we did back in June.
No newspaper stories or liability lawsuits that I am aware of at this point.
Regards,
Greg
crazyonelost
06-10-2010, 16:44
I tried building the penny alky stove and it actually blew apart. Didn't know what I did wrong. but never tried again. Guess I whimped out.
Why make something harder than it needs to be? Get a can of fancy feast and poke two rows of holes near the top. Buy a can of denatured alcohol.
Total Cost: Less than $10 (alcohol included).
Total Time: 20 minutes to wash out and poke holes, maybe less.
The Super Cat is the way to go. No frills, as light as possible, and takes up no pack space. All it requires is common sense to operate and nothing should go wrong. If something happens to it, you can make another for less than $1 at your next stop. Buy a can of fruit, then you have a pot for it. Voila.
here what i think of the penny stove
http://www.youtube.com/user/RJBURG#p/u/13/qxNIqG1qZmA
The homemade alcohol stoves are now prohibited for use within scouting.
http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HealthandSafety/GSS/gss07.aspx#a
Prohibited Chemical-Fueled Equipment—Equipment that is handcrafted, homemade, modified, or installed beyond the manufacturer’s stated design limitations or use. Examples include alcohol-burning “can” stoves, smudge pots, improperly installed heaters, and propane burners with their regulators removed.
Chemical Fuels not Recommended—Unleaded gasoline; liquid alcohol fuels, including isopropyl alcohol, denatured ethyl alcohol, and ethanol; and other flammable chemicals that are not in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions for chemical-fueled equipment.
Not my rules just sayin. I am guessing they had an incident where a boy or boys were injured and a law suit was filed.
Lets face it we are talking about 12-16 year old boys for the most part......I would have to agree that most 12 year olds shouldn't use or be around and cat can stove.
I tried building the penny alky stove and it actually blew apart. Didn't know what I did wrong. but never tried again. Guess I whimped out.
a soloution
qxNIqG1qZmA
skinewmexico
06-13-2010, 22:07
Liquid fuels have been banned with the BSA for years.
PapaSmurf
06-13-2010, 22:10
Liquid fuels have been banned with the BSA for years.
Sorry, not true.
PapaSmurf
06-13-2010, 22:15
From the same document in Lostone's above post.
Recommended Chemical Fuels—White gas (Coleman fuel); kerosene; liquefied petroleum gas fuels, including propane, butane, and isobutane; vegetable oil fuels; biodiesel fuel; and commercially prepared gelled-alcohol fuel in original containers.
There was at least one Scout fatally burned with alcohol. While not using a stove in this case, just having the alcohol for the stove is asking for trouble. Kids don't realize that stuff is virtually invisible when burning in bright daylight. http://wcbstv.com/local/boy.scout.death.2.769232.html
Liquid fuels have been banned with the BSA for years.
Some Scout camps have banned liquid fuels in their camps. This is a council decision. Our local camp does not allow white gas, just propane.
Some scout camps have also banned fixed blades knifes. These are local and not national rules.