This is my latest upright canister stove. I will call it the micro pocket stove. The stove weighs in at 24.3 grams (0.85 oz) the canister empty weight is 18g (0.63 oz) and that makes the total weight for the stove and canister at 42.3g (1.48oz) and is small enough for both the canister and stove to comfortably fit into the top pocket of my shirt.
This stove has been designed for day walks using a small pot or cup but it could possible be used for multi day use. The canister can be filled with the amount of fuel needed up to the maximum fill volume which is 30g. I have not run efficiency test on it yet but I am hoping to get about 1g fuel used to 100ml of water boiled that would give about 3 litres of water boiled.

The stove is completely hand machined from aluminium and titanium except for the jet and valve handle, the jet was purchased and is made from brass, the valve handle is a paper clip.

As I have not yet been able find a suitable wide base canister here in Canberra Australia the canister could need a stabilisation base if it is used on soft surfaces but it is ok on hard surfaces, I am looking at making a suitable support base next.

Tony

If you cant find a wider canister try to find a smaller or increase the high of the canister. Another possibility would be a bigger pot.

Sorry for that, but with this canister your stove looks pretty unstable.
Looks like you have to balance with each noodle inside.


Anyway.
Could you shorten the length of that tube where gas and air are mixed? Looks quite long.
A wider angle of your 3 pot support would increase pot stability.
The distance between flames and pot seems to be more than in "common" constructions. Could be an effect of the image/photo?! Not sure.


Oliver

Edited by Snuffy on 05/27/2007 18:58:24 MDT.

I'd be very nervous about that narrow base canister but what an awesome product. If this could somehow be made into a hanging stove system, the problem would become moot and could be suspended from shelter ceilings or even branches. One approach is on this BPL thread:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/58/index.html

Can you give details as how you made a refillable canister and the process of filling it? Or is this a stock canister available only in Oz?

Edited by kdesign on 05/27/2007 19:15:14 MDT.

Hi Oliver,

Thanks for the recommendations.

The stove is designed to be a minimalist stove, sometimes some inconvenience has to be put up with, the stove is till under development I hope to reduce the weight a bit more and a stable base is a top priority but a small wide canister would solve the problem.

“Could you shorten the length of that tube where gas and air are mixed? Looks quite long.”

I could shorten the mixing tube length a bit but some length is required to allow proper mixing of the air gas mixture, the stove is working very well at the moment and I do not want to modify it too much. It looks long because of the long thin canister. It is no longer than most other canister stoves.

“A wider angle of your 3 pot support would increase pot stability.”

The pot supports could be made wider but that adds weight, the stove is designed for small pots and cups.

“The distance between flames and pot seems to be more than in "common" constructions. Could be an effect of the image/photo?! Not sure.”

I have looked at the pot flame height of many stoves and the height that I have used is about std I will fine tune the height when I do some more testing but if the height is to low then it can loose efficiency the same is for if the pot is to high and it can also raise high CO levels if the pot is to low.

Hi Ken,

Thanks for the advice and the hanging pot thread info.

The canister is one that I came across, it is wider and shorter than the small butane canisters that are available in the local hardware shops.

"Can you give details as how you made a refillable canister and the process of filling it? Or is this a stock canister available only in Oz?"

These canisters are not refillable and I would not recommend refilling them. A similar canister is made by Ronson Corp for refiling cigarette lighters but is not available here in Oz.

Tony

Rather than modifying the stove to better support a pot, consider modifying a pot to fit the stove. The pot could be milled with a groove along the bottom that the three support stands could fit into or some such thing.

Very cool. I wonder if a Caldera-style windscreen might work for stability - it would mean not having to widen the base of the canister and also not having to worry about stirring your food knocking the pot off the flame supports.

To provide stability with soft ground I suggest trying 3 lightweight guylines seated just above the 'shoulder' of the canister. Use 'U' shaped wire stakes - size and thickness to be chosen after experiments.

At first I thought there might be a problem with heat damaging the guylines where they touch the canister, but on reflection if the canister gets hot enough to damage the guylines, the pot falling over is the least of your problems.

quite impressed there. Nice stove. Something like this could have some interest here.

I'm still puzzled by what you stated in your initial post, Tony---"The canister can be filled with the amount of fuel needed up to the maximum fill volume which is 30g." and then in a follow up post in which you said, "These canisters are not refillable and I would not recommend refilling them. A similar canister is made by Ronson Corp for refiling cigarette lighters but is not available here in Oz."

Could you clarify this, please?

Also, what kind of fuel mix is in that cartridge---butane? isobutane? isobutane/propane blend?

Edited by kdesign on 05/28/2007 11:35:19 MDT.

Hi Kevin,

Some good points I was hoping that refillable canister question could be avoided.

The canister that I am using is not a refillable canister, refilling these canisters can be DANGEROUS and I DO NOT recommend that a non-refillable canister be refilled.

That out of the way, I made an adaptor that I can refill the small canister with, I am currently using Butane gas as I can buy it very cheap (my stove development projects are sponsored out of my own pocket) the canister that I am using has had Propane in it and I will eventually use it with a mixture of iso-butane/propane.

The ideal canister would be a refillable canister made from Aluminium with a std Lindal screw valve that has the dimensions of about 2 inches diameter and about 1.5 inches high.
If I can use the lindal screw valve my stove will weigh about 15 grams or 0.5 oz. I have been searching for such a canister for quite a while.

If you would like some more information I can PM you.
Tony

Hi Damian,

Thanks for your suggestion
'I wonder if a Caldera-style windscreen might work for stability'

The caldera style wind screen has been seriously looked at especially for my remote liquid feed stoves and I will be trying one soon, though I would like to do a small redesign, I would like to get a blank cone with no hole in it.

Tony

Hi Sam,

'Rather than modifying the stove to better support a pot, consider modifying a pot to fit the stove. The pot could be milled with a groove along the bottom that the three support stands could fit into or some such thing.'

some good points I will look into it, greater surface area on the bottom or groves will increase the heat transfer efficiency.

Tony

Hi David,

thanks for the suggestion I have an idea that is similar but the best and simplest idea would be a suitable wider base size canister.

Tony

自分が作った組み合わせです。バルブ装置は市販品を改造したもので、７３ｇです。それは重いです。5℃から使えるように、ジェネレーター付きのバーナーを２．５ｍｍの真鍮パイプから自作しています、１５ｇです。ステンレス製の４０ｍｍ高さのスタンドは１１ｇです。NBRチューブは１０ｇです。ここまでの合計の重さは、約１１０ｇです。私も、専用のバルブが欲しいです。

Valve equipment is a commercial item. It is 73g. It is heavy. It is a burner with a generator so that it can use from 5 degrees C. It is 15g ,made of 2.5mm brass pipe. The stand of the 40mm height made of stainless steel , it is 11g. A NBR tube is 10g. The sum total so far weighs about 110g.I want to a valve for exclusive use.

Edited by JSBJSB on 05/31/2007 03:43:08 MDT.

By the way, some of the disposals stores in Melbourne used to stock mini gas canisters like the one you have - they were for a Gaz "randonee" stove that was a lot like yours.

Hi Yukiosan,

Thankyou for posting pictures of your 110g stove I am very impressed by your stove designs.

I do not understand what you mean by “I want to a valve for exclusive use.” I do not think it translated well, could you please give me more information so I can try and help you.

Thankyou

Tony

私は、このバルブと取り付ける部分がとてもよく出来ていると感心しています。日本では、この形の市販品はまだありません。私はこれが発売されたら、欲しい気持ちです。

this valve and portion to attach It will be impressed if it has improved very much. In Japan, there is no commercial item of this form yet. I expect to this is put on the market.

Hi Yukiosan,

I am honoured by your interest in my valves. Unfortunately I am unable to commercialise or put them on the market, it would be very difficult for me to arrange this. I work a full time job and I have a family, making backpacking stoves is my hobby, which I do, in my available spare time. Each of my valves are meticulously hand made and take many hours to make.

I am happy to design and make you a valve and send it to you for no cost, to do this I need to know some more details of your canister and tube connection.

I would prefer to discuss this by e-mail if you send me a Personal Message (PM) with your e-mail address I will send you my e-mail address.

Tony