Equipped To Survive Equipped To Survive® Presents
The Survival Forum
Where do you want to go on ETS?

Topic Options
#80717 - 12/18/06 07:46 AM coffee can stove
ironraven Offline
Cranky Geek
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 09/08/05
Posts: 4642
Loc: Vermont
I realized I've got a coffee can stove with me here, and I've never posted pictures despite describing the silly thing a bunch of times. I've got a couple of these around, and while they only last a few years in my experince before rust gets to them or they get squashed, they are basically free.



As you can see, a bottom of the coffee can, two lids, and four pieces of wire go with the kit. I usually have a smaller can lid in here, not sure why I didn't have one with this which kinda worries me. I've put the trangia in there just because it was in the can along with some other stuff. The can has a lot of free space when everything is stowed- I usually tuck in a bit of scrub pad, aluminum foil, some wire, seasonings and the like into this, with the fuel in a metal bottle along side it in the pack. I usually wrap it in a large piece of aluminum foil folded to fit over all the holes and several layers thick, and held closed with some rubber bands.



This is just the stove. You can see the smaller holes in the middle groove- those are just big enough for a piece of coat hanger wire, and are at least as important as the ventilation holes. You'll see why in a moment.



The longer legged wires are bent bowlegged so they can clip into the groove. The trangia rests on them, and you have enough space to put a mess tin or a small pot on the top lip and not snuff the stove. If you need to preheat, just let it burn under the stove on the ground, or suspended from the second set of wires though the bottom vent holes, possibly with the missing, smaller can lid for support.



These two images (sorry about the fuzziness) show how this is set up for use with a cup that nests into the mouth of the can, in this case an Olicamp cup. The set of wires with the straight legs are slipped though the top vent holes, while the angled legs are slipped into the bottom vent holes to hold the trangia. In this position, fueling the trangia can be a bit dicey, however.



The entire thing, set up and ready to brew (well, it would be if I wasn't on the carpet). As you can see, the bottom of a coffee can is a perfect fit for the olicamp cup. Or for some of the kleenkanteen stainless steel water bottles.

If I were using a solid fuel tab, I'd put the angled wires in the middle possition with bit of foil or something to hold the tab, with the cup just above it. With candles, it would depend on the candle, but usually they'd go on the bottom position, particularly something like a Nuwick.

If used with small wood, just build your fire in the bottom of this guy. I recommend using a can that had a pull tab cover, so you have a lip on one end, and having that end at the top when you are using it with wood. It lends strength, which is important, because I've had these guys glowing around the edges before with some charcoal in them- with a good enough wind, I would be surprised if someone has actually made one of these a little soft. If you do that, make sure you can spend the night there, because you won't want to touch this thing until the fire is out and it's had some time to cool. It could also be used with small wood to get a fire going under windy conditions, then the can would be lifted out by a wire bail and a stick, or a pair of pliers/multitool.

Raw material:
1 x coffee can
1 x lid cut from a smaller can with a side cut can opener
2 x plastic lids from coffee cans
1 x wire coat hanger

tools:
side cut can opener
drill with bits, range up to 3/8"
file, sandpaper (to smooth the edges)
good wire cutters (for the coat hanger)

You should be able to see how to put it together from the pictures. I recommend firing it before you use it, just to get a good layer of oxidation on it (looks almost like a cross between cheap parkerizing and case hardening, the pictures don't do it justice in this light) to keep it from rusting. Get it good and hot, then just let it cool.

Not a bad project, the real work only takes an hour or so if your pokey and picky like me, then the time to fire it. There is also an art to the bent legged wires, they are fussy but once they are bent right they are good for life. Don't be surprised if you junk the first two or three you make because you don't like how they work, or you tear them with the drill- it's all recyclable though.
_________________________
-IronRaven

When a man dare not speak without malice for fear of giving insult, that is when truth starts to die. Truth is the truest freedom.

Top
#80718 - 12/18/06 03:50 PM Re: coffee can stove
Stretch Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 11/27/06
Posts: 707
Loc: Alamogordo, NM
Outstanding! Your post and the one previous about the SuperCat stove has me "fired" up. I made a supercat last night and I assume it could be used in a coffee can setup like yours in place of the Trangia stove.....right?
_________________________
DON'T BE SCARED
-Stretch

Top
#80719 - 12/18/06 04:40 PM Re: coffee can stove
Ron Offline
Member

Registered: 02/04/05
Posts: 171
Loc: Georgia, USA
Cool.

This setup is very similar to the Swedish army alcohol stove kit, only I am sure that it would be lighter and more compact. You can get two military surplus Swedish kits for $12.97 at Sportsman Guide right now.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=288323

I bought the Swedish kit a while back and have used it. It is a bit heavy, but works great. Anyway, you get two full sets of the stainless steel ones for $12.97. (These are the heavy stainless steel version, there is an aluminiun version that is lighter) This includes two of what looks like the same type of trangia burner that you are using. Not a bad price, even if all you want is the trangia burner.

A couple of weeks ago, I was camping. Using the Swedish kit on a 45 degee day and using HEET as fuel, I was able to bring a quart of water to a full boil in less than 10 minutes.

Thanks for another good project idea.




Top
#80720 - 12/18/06 05:58 PM Re: coffee can stove
MichaelJ Offline
Member

Registered: 08/30/04
Posts: 114
I found this site very helpfull:
http://wings.interfree.it/html/main.html
I really want to try a wide verity of possibilities.
There is also a site (somewhere on the internet) where someone made a sierra type stove from a coffee can and a discarded computer cooling fan powered by a 9 volt.

Top
#80721 - 12/19/06 12:50 AM Re: coffee can stove
Arney Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 09/15/05
Posts: 2485
Loc: California
Nice stove and nice presentation. Thanks for sharing that.

Top
#80722 - 12/19/06 04:17 AM Re: coffee can stove
ironraven Offline
Cranky Geek
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 09/08/05
Posts: 4642
Loc: Vermont
I picked up the same kits summer before last when they had them on sale for like 12 bucks for three. That's where my trangias came from, and the pot set makes a pretty good dutch oven (but I wouldn't try it with aluminum), but the weight is something else. Just a simple matter of moving some of the holes of the basic design I learned as a kid, and these worked just fine. I first used them with "buddy burners", the old school wax and corrogated cardboard in a can heaters, and small sterno cans.
_________________________
-IronRaven

When a man dare not speak without malice for fear of giving insult, that is when truth starts to die. Truth is the truest freedom.

Top
#80723 - 12/19/06 04:22 AM Re: coffee can stove
ironraven Offline
Cranky Geek
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 09/08/05
Posts: 4642
Loc: Vermont
Absolutely. I've run soda can stoves in these as well, but I've never liked them as well as I do my trangias. You'll probably have to play with your spacing for the cross pieces, and make sure they are secure, so you don't have your stove go wandering and spilling if it gets bumped.

Nice thing about these is, even if you have to trial and error your hole placement, coffee cans are easily scrounged. And if you are using a soda can stove, you could always try something like a pasta sauce can that has some ribs in wall, or maybe shape your cross piece into something that looks like a big staple.
_________________________
-IronRaven

When a man dare not speak without malice for fear of giving insult, that is when truth starts to die. Truth is the truest freedom.

Top
#80724 - 12/19/06 11:04 PM Re: coffee can stove
gunsmith Offline
Newbie

Registered: 03/16/06
Posts: 35
Loc: Co.'Douglas 80125
I have been experimenting with small wood stoves lately & stumbled across a "new" type called "Inverted Downdraft Gasifier " stoves.
Although the theory of opperation is counter intuitive (top lit, burns top to bottom) it works in practice.

Easy to make, very efficient, low to no cost... I made one and was quite supprised.

Burn time, about 1/2 hr., on a handfull of twigs !
Boil time, 1pt. water 6 - 12 min. depending on fuel used ect.
Weight, 2 - 3 oz.
Almost no smoke !

A simple design avalible at.

web page Wood Gas Stove





Thought you might find intresting


Edited by gunsmith (12/19/06 11:11 PM)
_________________________
Never been lost, But I've been "Powerfull confused"

Top



Moderator:  Alan_Romania, Blast, cliff, Hikin_Jim 
March
Su M Tu W Th F Sa
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Who's Online
0 registered (), 453 Guests and 95 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
GallenR, Jeebo, NicholasMarshall, Yadav, BenFoakes
5367 Registered Users
Newest Posts
What did you do today to prepare?
by dougwalkabout
03/27/24 11:21 PM
Zippo Butane Inserts
by dougwalkabout
03/27/24 11:11 PM
Question about a "Backyard Mutitool"
by Ren
03/17/24 01:00 AM
Problem in my WhatsApp configuration
by Chisel
03/09/24 01:55 PM
New Madrid Seismic Zone
by Jeanette_Isabelle
03/04/24 02:44 PM
EDC Reduction
by EchoingLaugh
03/02/24 04:12 PM
Newest Images
Tiny knife / wrench
Handmade knives
2"x2" Glass Signal Mirror, Retroreflective Mesh
Trade School Tool Kit
My Pocket Kit
Glossary
Test

WARNING & DISCLAIMER: SELECT AND USE OUTDOORS AND SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES AND TECHNIQUES AT YOUR OWN RISK. Information posted on this forum is not reviewed for accuracy and may not be reliable, use at your own risk. Please review the full WARNING & DISCLAIMER about information on this site.