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Alcohol Stoves

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    • Alcohol Stoves

      TrafficJam wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      I got my stove too BB! I love it but question your taste in beer. :) JK

      Now I have to find fuel to try it out.


      I do not drink. I buy the bottles from a local redemption center for a nickel a piece. I buy the yellow Heet from Wal*Mart for testing at home.

      SLX is the preferred option on the trail. Do not get the Kleen Strip Green. Too much ethanol is not a good thing. SLX has a good mix between methanol and ethanol.


      I've been to two places and can't find the right fuel for my awesome stove. I don't have the courage to go to Wal Mart on a Saturday. I've got sterno and was thinking about using some in the stove...just to check it out. Is this ok?


      No. Wait until you can get Heet or SLX.
      Non hikers are about a psi shy of a legal ball.

    • Alcohol Stoves

      TrafficJam wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      I got my stove too BB! I love it but question your taste in beer. :) JK

      Now I have to find fuel to try it out.


      I do not drink. I buy the bottles from a local redemption center for a nickel a piece. I buy the yellow Heet from Wal*Mart for testing at home.

      SLX is the preferred option on the trail. Do not get the Kleen Strip Green. Too much ethanol is not a good thing. SLX has a good mix between methanol and ethanol.


      I've been to two places and can't find the right fuel for my awesome stove. I don't have the courage to go to Wal Mart on a Saturday. I've got sterno and was thinking about using some in the stove...just to check it out. Is this ok?


      I don't think sterno would work. You can get the yellow HEET at any auto parts store, some drugstores, and maybe a 7-11.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • Alcohol Stoves

      Big shout out to BirdBrain. I just checked my mail and found a little box. Of course I headed straight to the man cave to try that puppy out. It's even my favorite flavor. The stove works great and is much more fuel efficient than my cat can. I can't wait to try it on the trail. Come on spring!!

      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference

    • Alcohol Stoves

      jimmyjam wrote:

      Big shout out to BirdBrain. I just checked my mail and found a little box. Of course I headed straight to the man cave to try that puppy out. It's even my favorite flavor. The stove works great and is much more fuel efficient than my cat can. I can't wait to try it on the trail. Come on spring!!



      You need a caldera cone now. Maybe I will make you one. Or at least explain how. This stove works great in a cone.
      Non hikers are about a psi shy of a legal ball.

    • Alcohol Stoves

      Just Bill wrote:

      Couldn't post this the way I wanted so I made a quick PDF- my alchy stove-

      Alchystoves.pdf


      Good read. My goal was a bit different. I want a stove that is reliable and can't be crushed easily. You can stand on my stove. I have tried it. I won't do it with one I like though. I agree there is not much variance between stoves. Conservation of energy equations should prove that without testing anything. I find the only way to vary efficiency much is to build them wrong.

      These are the lessons I learned:

      1) There is an optimum jet to pot height. To see that, take a pot of water while it is boiling and raise and lower it. The water acts differently depending on height. With my stove I found 5/8" to be about right.

      2) Priming time is adjustable. The original White Box Stove took way too long to prime. By making the wall gap narrow and trying many wicks, I got it down to 18 seconds or so.

      3) A wick evens out the burn rate. Early in my testing I would notice that my stoves would fluctuate in burn rates. I did not want this. A wick not only provides fuel to the jets early, but it also stabilizes the burn rate.

      4) Hole patterns have a marginal effect on the stoves performance. This was a hard one. Every time I changed something on the stove, it would change other things. I tried many many hole patterns. In the end I found that 32 holes of 3/64 diameter about 5/8" from the top was about right.

      Again, I understand priority preference establishes stove design. I have no intentions of building stoves on the trail. Therefore, I chose to build one that is as bomb proof as possible. I also, have no intention of cooking, simmering, or frying anything. I just want to boil a set amount of water in a predictable manner.

      Having said all this, I am now tinkering with a stove design with jets on the inside.
      Non hikers are about a psi shy of a legal ball.

    • Alcohol Stoves

      Not that I got the impression- but worth making clear either way- Your stove is awesome, one of the better ones I have seen. Even though I don't go with an Alchy stove, it was time well spent and a good skill to have, your passion made me want to share my two cents if it's any help and just because they aren't the perfect stove for my UL speedy style doesn't mean they aren't the perfect stove for many people.

      FWIW- I also found the same results as you- 5/8" (roughly) and 32 holes was just right. I did find that the overall height made a difference on my stoves. Rough ballpark of 2 1/2" from the holes to the bottom seemed about right to balance boil time, prime time and heat sink loss from the pot itself. Looks like on my eyeball tape measure you are close to that number as well. I have no wick in my stoves due to the construction goals, although I agree it would help, if not make a large difference.

      I agree there is little reason to make a stove on the trail, so better to spend your time making sure you don't need to as you have. More of a MacGyver type goal for me, but I did note that durability or accidental damage was a concern among those debating the switch so I tried to address that concern.

      That said- I think the type of stove you are building is one of the best styles period, and I think your personal version is one of the best, if not the best of that style. Congrats!

      I mainly shared my other stuff for WOO or yourself to continue to tinker with, and perhaps perfect what I was dabbling in. Personal opinion only- I think you have nailed the wide (relatively speaking) pot design. I think WOO (and some of mine if I may be so bold) are on the right track for the smaller pots. I do recall that making stoves is tons of fun even if I don't use them much personally- enjoy.

    • Alcohol Stoves

      Just Bill wrote:

      Not that I got the impression- but worth making clear either way- Your stove is awesome, one of the better ones I have seen. Even though I don't go with an Alchy stove, it was time well spent and a good skill to have, your passion made me want to share my two cents if it's any help and just because they aren't the perfect stove for my UL speedy style doesn't mean they aren't the perfect stove for many people.

      FWIW- I also found the same results as you- 5/8" (roughly) and 32 holes was just right. I did find that the overall height made a difference on my stoves. Rough ballpark of 2 1/2" from the holes to the bottom seemed about right to balance boil time, prime time and heat sink loss from the pot itself. Looks like on my eyeball tape measure you are close to that number as well. I have no wick in my stoves due to the construction goals, although I agree it would help, if not make a large difference.

      I agree there is little reason to make a stove on the trail, so better to spend your time making sure you don't need to as you have. More of a MacGyver type goal for me, but I did note that durability or accidental damage was a concern among those debating the switch so I tried to address that concern.

      That said- I think the type of stove you are building is one of the best styles period, and I think your personal version is one of the best, if not the best of that style. Congrats!

      I mainly shared my other stuff for WOO or yourself to continue to tinker with, and perhaps perfect what I was dabbling in. Personal opinion only- I think you have nailed the wide (relatively speaking) pot design. I think WOO (and some of mine if I may be so bold) are on the right track for the smaller pots. I do recall that making stoves is tons of fun even if I don't use them much personally- enjoy.


      Thank you for the kind words. For what it is worth, I have saved your pdf. I am a consumer of information. I desperately want competing ideas on stove design. I am still learning.
      Non hikers are about a psi shy of a legal ball.

    • Alcohol Stoves

      OK, so here is my humble take on my BB Stove, as I am now calling it(every stove deserves a name, right???) And keep in mind it is for my son, not me... It's flame pattern is too wide for my normal pots, Zelph's Ridged Fosters(just around the house to boil water for Via or Ramen, or whatever) old skool, not the flat bottom one, and my Go-To Ti Goat 475ml cup w/carbon fibre lid... I do use a Side Burner stove for both of those, SmokEater908"s Rollover stove, made from an 8oz RedBull can with great success... 2 cups in the Foster's, full rolling boil on 17ml of SLX, under 4 minutes, 12oz of H20 in the Ti Goat, in well under 17ml of fuel, just over 3 minutes... Sooo, I busted out my MSR Blacklite 1.5L pot w/lid and put 4oz of H2O in it, 20ml of SLX in my BB Stove and fired that puppy up... As soon as it bloomed, and it really does in like under 20 seconds, I placed the pot on the stove and went out my back door to get some snow... By the time I got back, less than 2 minutes??? there were already "frog eye's" as Stick would say, and I immediately started adding the snow... Long story short, I hade over 3 cups(actually wound up w/30oz of H2O) of H2O @ a rolling boil 5:05 minutes in... VERY IMPRESSED BB!!! gif.004 Thanks again brother...
      1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish...

    • Alcohol Stoves

      BB- another thought- You may consider your design in miniature- I'm sure there would be a few scaling down changes but the basic design and layout should work. Red-bull is the main can as that was the only mini-can when it came out- but Diet Pepsi, V-8, and generic (aldi) red-bull can be had for much cheaper if you have to resort to purchasing.
      Might be just the trick for the smaller pots. The Bird hippocampus has a horrible ring to it though.

    • Alcohol Stoves

      Toli wrote:

      OK, so here is my humble take on my BB Stove, as I am now calling it(every stove deserves a name, right???) And keep in mind it is for my son, not me... It's flame pattern it too wide for my normal pots, Zelph's Ridged Fosters(just around the house to boil water for Via or Ramen, or whatever) old skool, not the flat bottom one, and my Go-To Ti Goat 475ml cup w/carbon fibre lid... I do use a Side Burner stove for both of those, SmokEater908"s Rollover stove, made from an 8oz RedBull can with great success... 2 cups in the Foster's, full rolling boil on 17ml of SLX, under 4 minutes, 12oz of H20 in the Ti Goat, in well under 17ml of fuel, just over 3 minutes... Sooo, I busted out my MSR Blacklite 1.5L pot w/lid and put 4oz of H2O in it, 20ml of SLX in my BB Stove and fired that puppy up... As soon as it bloomed, and it really does in like under 20 seconds, I placed the pot on the stove and went out my back door to get some snow... By the time I got back, less than 2 minutes??? there were already "frog eye's" as Stick would say, and I immediately started adding the snow... Long story short, I hade over 3 cups(actually wound up w/30oz of H2O) of H2O @ a rolling boil 5:05 minutes in... VERY IMPRESSED BB!!! gif.004 Thanks again brother...


      I am humbled. I am glad to share. Anyone else want one?
      Non hikers are about a psi shy of a legal ball.

    • Re:Re: Alcohol Stoves

      Toli wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      I did it!!!! I feel like a kid who just learned to tie their shoe. :lol:





      Now you're cookin :)


      The flame went out a few times when I set the pot on it.


      In BB's instructions, he sez to hover ur pot over the flame til it blossoms, so you don't drop the temp of the stove/alcohol...
      .

      I did but I think it wasn't long enough, just a few seconds, but the last time was 10-15 seconds and that worked.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • Re:Re: Alcohol Stoves

      TrafficJam wrote:

      Toli wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      I did it!!!! I feel like a kid who just learned to tie their shoe. :lol:





      Now you're cookin :)


      The flame went out a few times when I set the pot on it.


      In BB's instructions, he sez to hover ur pot over the flame til it blossoms, so you don't drop the temp of the stove/alcohol...
      .

      I did but I think it wasn't long enough, just a few seconds, but the last time was 10-15 seconds and that worked.

      10 - 15 seconds after side jets blossom? Sounds like you got a lemon. It should not be that touchy. Hmmmm....
      Non hikers are about a psi shy of a legal ball.

    • Re:Re: Alcohol Stoves

      BirdBrain wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      Toli wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      I did it!!!! I feel like a kid who just learned to tie their shoe. :lol:





      Now you're cookin :)


      The flame went out a few times when I set the pot on it.


      In BB's instructions, he sez to hover ur pot over the flame til it blossoms, so you don't drop the temp of the stove/alcohol...
      .

      I did but I think it wasn't long enough, just a few seconds, but the last time was 10-15 seconds and that worked.

      10 - 15 seconds after side jets blossom? Sounds like you got a lemon. It should not be that touchy. Hmmmm....


      Also, I had just washed the pot, it may have been a little wet on the bottom.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • Re:Re: Alcohol Stoves

      TrafficJam wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      Toli wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      I did it!!!! I feel like a kid who just learned to tie their shoe. :lol:





      Now you're cookin :)


      The flame went out a few times when I set the pot on it.


      In BB's instructions, he sez to hover ur pot over the flame til it blossoms, so you don't drop the temp of the stove/alcohol...
      .

      I did but I think it wasn't long enough, just a few seconds, but the last time was 10-15 seconds and that worked.

      10 - 15 seconds after side jets blossom? Sounds like you got a lemon. It should not be that touchy. Hmmmm....


      Also, I had just washed the pot, it may have been a little wet on the bottom.

      You may have just nailed it. I light the stove and hold pot over stove while it is priming to start the heating and dry the bottom of the pot. Once it blooms good, I set the pot down. A wet pot will effect flame.
      Non hikers are about a psi shy of a legal ball.

    • Re:Re: Alcohol Stoves

      BirdBrain wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      Toli wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      I did it!!!! I feel like a kid who just learned to tie their shoe. :lol:





      Now you're cookin :)


      The flame went out a few times when I set the pot on it.


      In BB's instructions, he sez to hover ur pot over the flame til it blossoms, so you don't drop the temp of the stove/alcohol...
      .

      I did but I think it wasn't long enough, just a few seconds, but the last time was 10-15 seconds and that worked.

      10 - 15 seconds after side jets blossom? Sounds like you got a lemon. It should not be that touchy. Hmmmm....


      Also, I had just washed the pot, it may have been a little wet on the bottom.

      You may have just nailed it. I light the stove and hold pot over stove while it is priming to start the heating and dry the bottom of the pot. Once it blooms good, I set the pot down. A wet pot will effect flame.


      Also, I didn't wait for the jets to blossom gif.010
      Lost in the right direction.

    • Re:Re: Alcohol Stoves

      TrafficJam wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      Toli wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      I did it!!!! I feel like a kid who just learned to tie their shoe. :lol:





      Now you're cookin :)


      The flame went out a few times when I set the pot on it.


      In BB's instructions, he sez to hover ur pot over the flame til it blossoms, so you don't drop the temp of the stove/alcohol...
      .

      I did but I think it wasn't long enough, just a few seconds, but the last time was 10-15 seconds and that worked.

      10 - 15 seconds after side jets blossom? Sounds like you got a lemon. It should not be that touchy. Hmmmm....


      Also, I had just washed the pot, it may have been a little wet on the bottom.

      You may have just nailed it. I light the stove and hold pot over stove while it is priming to start the heating and dry the bottom of the pot. Once it blooms good, I set the pot down. A wet pot will effect flame.


      Also, I didn't wait for the jets to blossom gif.010

      Paul Harvey strikes again. Oh TJ. What am I going to do with you. That was the real issue. The stove will go out every time if the jets are not running.
      Non hikers are about a psi shy of a legal ball.

    • Re:Re: Alcohol Stoves

      BirdBrain wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      Toli wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      I did it!!!! I feel like a kid who just learned to tie their shoe. :lol:





      Now you're cookin :)


      The flame went out a few times when I set the pot on it.


      In BB's instructions, he sez to hover ur pot over the flame til it blossoms, so you don't drop the temp of the stove/alcohol...
      .

      I did but I think it wasn't long enough, just a few seconds, but the last time was 10-15 seconds and that worked.

      10 - 15 seconds after side jets blossom? Sounds like you got a lemon. It should not be that touchy. Hmmmm....


      Also, I had just washed the pot, it may have been a little wet on the bottom.

      You may have just nailed it. I light the stove and hold pot over stove while it is priming to start the heating and dry the bottom of the pot. Once it blooms good, I set the pot down. A wet pot will effect flame.


      Also, I didn't wait for the jets to blossom gif.010

      Paul Harvey strikes again. Oh TJ. What am I going to do with you. That was the real issue. The stove will go out every time if the jets are not running.


      Ha ha, I didn't know what was supposed to happen. I should have watched some videos. I'm an expert now. I'll impress all those jetboil users at the shelters.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • Alcohol Stoves

      I made another stove in the spirit of building a stove that the other half like. It worked great. It is very hard to build because it is made out of very thin material. Check out this video. Going out to buy more cans today.
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbHHQrh9m58
      Built the one above. Building the one below next.
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTp5zTOYPHQ
      Non hikers are about a psi shy of a legal ball.

    • Alcohol Stoves

      BirdBrain wrote:

      I made another stove in the spirit of building a stove that the other half like. It worked great. It is very hard to build because it is made out of very thin material. Check out this video. Going out to buy more cans today.
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbHHQrh9m58
      Built the one above. Building the one below next.
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTp5zTOYPHQ


      Someone gave me one like the top one the first year of Trail Days in Dahlonega, with a mesh pot stand... Never got to use it much as I gave it to a Father/son pair hiking NOBO(they were from Spain) at Woods Hole Shelter... They had one of Tiny's Mini-Bull stoves, aboot an inch in dia. and were using like a 7 inch dia. pot gif.002 ... It was crazy unstable... The 2 nights I used it, it was very efficient, I was using a 900ml SnowPeak Ti pot w/ it... Can't wait to get my mine for field testing ;)
      I know Dr. BB... patients Grasshopper :silly:
      1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish...

    • Alcohol Stoves

      BirdBrain wrote:

      Toli wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:


      This stuff is approaching the limits of my abilities.


      You must become one with the stove, Master...
      Otherwise, I ain't gonna get one :P

      When are you going hiking this year?

      Hey MM and ATM..... have you guys got your stove in the mail yet?


      The Black Forest Trail is DEFF one of them, talked with WOO about doing it last year, but it did not work out, maybe we can git 'er done this year... If I go solo, I will just Yo-Yo it... DEFF the PA. Grand Canyon, AKA The West Rim Trail, might even bust out my Tankara and do some Trout fishin' along the way... Then there is always the possibility of stalkin' HB when he hits PA. :evil: Will go back to the Dak's again this year too... AK gave me sooo many good suggestions... Batonia with 'Socks and his Posse??? Ain't Skeered 'Socks gif.002
      1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish...

    • Alcohol Stoves

      Toli wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:

      Toli wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:


      This stuff is approaching the limits of my abilities.


      You must become one with the stove, Master...
      Otherwise, I ain't gonna get one :P

      When are you going hiking this year?

      Hey MM and ATM..... have you guys got your stove in the mail yet?


      The Black Forest Trail is DEFF one of them, talked with WOO about doing it last year, but it did not work out, maybe we can git 'er done this year... If I go solo, I will just Yo-Yo it... DEFF the PA. Grand Canyon, AKA The West Rim Trail, might even bust out my Tankara and do some Trout fishin' along the way... Then there is always the possibility of stalkin' HB when he hits PA. :evil: Will go back to the Dak's again this year too... AK gave me sooo many good suggestions... Batonia with 'Socks and his Posse??? Ain't Skeered 'Socks gif.002
      I ain't a skeerd of no Jersey Devils.

    • Alcohol Stoves

      rocksNsocks wrote:

      Toli wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:

      Toli wrote:

      BirdBrain wrote:


      This stuff is approaching the limits of my abilities.


      You must become one with the stove, Master...
      Otherwise, I ain't gonna get one :P

      When are you going hiking this year?

      Hey MM and ATM..... have you guys got your stove in the mail yet?


      The Black Forest Trail is DEFF one of them, talked with WOO about doing it last year, but it did not work out, maybe we can git 'er done this year... If I go solo, I will just Yo-Yo it... DEFF the PA. Grand Canyon, AKA The West Rim Trail, might even bust out my Tankara and do some Trout fishin' along the way... Then there is always the possibility of stalkin' HB when he hits PA. :evil: Will go back to the Dak's again this year too... AK gave me sooo many good suggestions... Batonia with 'Socks and his Posse??? Ain't Skeered 'Socks gif.002
      I ain't a skeerd of no Jersey Devils.


      Neither is any other club in the NHL :ohmy: OH SNAP!!!
      1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish...