More ideas on how to cut open the beer can would be appreciated. I have the opener that leaves a smooth top etc. and apparently you cut your can below the top of the rim because I don't seem to be able to fit the 15oz can inside the beer can with the rim intact as the super duper can openers leave them. (yes I went to many grocery stores in search of the super duper non can destroying can openers). I made one can to go with the esbit stove sold through this website and it works great, but the can I found in the cubard that matches the one you used will not fit inside with the rim still attached. Ideas?

Yes, I did read that page, but the stove in the pictures is very different. The zenstoves image shows all the airflow going upward, with extra air being added after the fuel and mixed in a high temperature zone which causes a strong updraft.

In this thread's stove, air can only enter the beer can on the bottom, and there doesn't seem to be any way to control how much air enters the inside can (top vs bottom)

I guess what I'm saying is I can't picture the airflow... maybe I'm just slow today.

>More ideas on how to cut open the beer can would be appreciated.


A classic method often used to make alcohol stoves from pop cans is to use a utility knife blade clamped into a book at the proper height. See "FIGURE 7" on this page. I use a C-clamp to hold the book steady, then I can use two hands to turn the can smoothly.

Edited by Otter on 06/06/2007 20:50:12 MDT.

Thanks Douglas. Very helpful.

I cut the can with a pair of scissors. This works well.

As far as taking the TOP off of the can this is a different matter. The SafeCut can openener (and similar ones I have tried) just eat up the can. The diameter of the pop can is too small, I think. They don't work with energy-drink cans either ("red bull", etc).

Also, in the classic open-top stove design the bottom is cut out of the can. See the web page referenced in a prior post... image 5 I think. This picture could be captioned "how to cut off your finger with a pop can and a sharp knife"... but it does work. Just be careful.

Edited by jjpitts on 06/07/2007 10:33:57 MDT.

Not my idea but this works better than putting the razorblade in a book as it is securely held.

Can is then CAREFULLY rolled on the blade that scores the can until the cut goes through.

This leaves a clean cut--if you do it slow and easy

Drilling the holes in the soup can is no problem as the can is stiff,however, the foster can is flimsey and my attempts to drill leave torn and destorted holes. PLEASE HELP.

Perhaps the use of a backer material---piece of PVC pipe of a diameter that would fit inside comes to mind, a reinforcing tape (?)---would make for cleaner drilling.

Kevin,
The backing is a good idea. PVC pipe,however, will not fit tight as the top of the can is steped and is smaller than the area where the holes go.
Thanks
Mike

As an alternative could you fill the can with water and freeze it?
Ron

Bingo! Where's my light bulb emoticon?

What a simply elegant idea! Once the top is gone, there should be no danger of distorting the can—excellent!
Thanks Ron.

Try a hand held hole punch, it even works on the relatively thick walls of cat food cans. On second thought... no.

Edited by Brett1234 on 06/07/2007 20:24:46 MDT.

The frozen water trick. Great idea. One could also use the largest diameter dowel they could get their hands on and after clamping it in a vice, slip the beer can over it (the dowel piece protruding from the vice would be slightly shorter than the can's height). The dowel should just about approximate the curvature of the can. You would have to rotate the dowel occasionally to keep fresh, undrilled wood stock under the can. I was thinking the ice might start turning to chips and water after a few drill holes.

How about sand? Would that work?

I just realized the dowel would hit the lip just as the PVC pipe would mentioned above by someone else. A way around that would be to find a dowel, small diameter wood pole, etc slightly smaller than the beer can opening and cut it a bit shorter than the can's height. Drill a hole lengthwise through the center, then press fit a rod or smaller diameter dowel into it. This would be clamped into the vice. Keep the jig for future beer can replacements. The outer dowel could also be replaced easily enough.

I read Steve's experiment with interest and thought I would try. 24 ounce aluminium beer cans do not exist in England.
I made a stove as much like Steve as I could based on a cut down 1 litre steel beer can (it was too tall). This can was the outer jacket and structure. The firebox was a Salmon can about the same size and shape as Steve's but which has a tapered shape wider at the top with a top rim that fits into a hole in the 1 litre can's top. The pot stand was a black treacle tin which was a telescopic fit in the open bottom of the 1 litre can when not in use but just nested between the outer and firebox rims when put to use. The stove weighed about 130 gram and had good secondary combustion, like in Steve's picture, when the firebox got hot enough. It was best fed little and often. However the cut bottom of the litre can was flimsy, the whole stove seemed too tall, unstable and hard to shield from the wind. And the bottom of the firebox got choked with ash.

Someone on the TGO site told me that it was possible to get an imported Japanese 2 litre Aluminium beer can 110mm diameter that he has used to make an ultralight 28 gram cooking pot.
I got one made a litre cook pot 35 gram from the bottom and used the top as the outer jacket of another stove. The outer jacket does not reach the ground. The firebox and ashpit is a 130mm high 100mm wide steel dog food tin with a smaller bottom rim ( this is important because the smaller rim fits neatly inside the outer jacket, so this can is used upside down) I used 2 titanium tent skewers through holes 30mm up the tin to rest a grate made from a bit of 15mm grid I cut from a cooling rack ( for cooling new loaves). The pot stand is a 1lb steel golden syrup tin. This again nests well inside the firebox ( through the open bottom) when not in use, but fits inside the smaller top rim on a little annular vestige of the firebox original bottom (remember its upside down).
I found a large Aluminium foil turkey bag which is large enough to make a complete ring windshield 300mm high. Folded in half this rolls round the firebox for storage. Everthing fits in the 1 litre pot except the outer jacket which I had to slit to get it to slide over the pot. final packed size 160mm x 111mm diameter, with room inside for tinder, pot grab etc.
When assembled the top of the pot stand is 210mm above ground.
The whole pot,stove,windshield, outer jacket,grate weighs 200 gram.
With dry wood and ideal conditions it boils 500ml of water in 5 minutes from ignition.
28 gram= 1 oz, 100mm= 4", 1 litre= about 34 English fluid ounces

I read Steve's experiment with interest and thought I would try. 24 ounce aluminium beer cans do not exist in England.
I made a stove as much like Steve as I could based on a cut down 1 litre steel beer can (it was too tall). This can was the outer jacket and structure. The firebox was a Salmon can about the same size and shape as Steve's but which has a tapered shape wider at the top with a top rim that fits into a hole in the 1 litre can's top. The pot stand was a black treacle tin which was a telescopic fit in the open bottom of the 1 litre can when not in use but just nested between the outer and firebox rims when put to use. The stove weighed about 130 gram and had good secondary combustion, like in Steve's picture, when the firebox got hot enough. It was best fed little and often. However the cut bottom of the litre can was flimsy, the whole stove seemed too tall, unstable and hard to shield from the wind. And the bottom of the firebox got choked with ash.

Someone on the TGO site told me that it was possible to get an imported Japanese 2 litre Aluminium beer can 110mm diameter that he has used to make an ultralight 28 gram cooking pot.
I got one made a litre cook pot 35 gram from the bottom and used the top as the outer jacket of another stove. The outer jacket does not reach the ground. The firebox and ashpit is a 130mm high 100mm wide steel dog food tin with a smaller bottom rim ( this is important because the smaller rim fits neatly inside the outer jacket, so this can is used upside down) I used 2 titanium tent skewers through holes 30mm up the tin to rest a grate made from a bit of 15mm grid I cut from a cooling rack ( for cooling new loaves). The pot stand is a 1lb steel golden syrup tin. This again nests well inside the firebox ( through the open bottom) when not in use, but fits inside the smaller top rim on a little annular vestige of the firebox original bottom (remember its upside down).
I found a large Aluminium foil turkey bag which is large enough to make a complete ring windshield 300mm high. Folded in half this rolls round the firebox for storage. Everthing fits in the 1 litre pot except the outer jacket which I had to slit to get it to slide over the pot. final packed size 160mm x 111mm diameter, with room inside for tinder, pot grab etc.
When assembled the top of the pot stand is 210mm above ground.
The whole pot,stove,windshield, outer jacket,grate weighs 200 gram.
With dry wood and ideal conditions it boils 500ml of water in 5 minutes from ignition.
28 gram= 1 oz, 100mm= 4", 1 litre= about 34 English fluid ounces

Derek, I'd be interested to hear how you find the UL 1 L cookpot? I've been looking for an UL pot that is larger than the Heineken can, but was told that larger beercans are not strong enough. Do you think the pot is robust enough for backpacking? Also, what brand/model of beercan did you use, and where did you obtain it?

Edited by chris_jackson on 07/19/2007 21:14:11 MDT.

("Note the flames streaming out of the top holes. That's gasified wood fumes!")

I think what you are seeing is oxygen coming into the stove through the upper holes, not gassified wood fumes.The flow of air is forming a pattern in the rising flames that gives the impression of flames comming from the holes. If gas was comming through the holes it would show a complete circle of flame surrounding the holes(like the flame comming out the jets of an alcohol stove). The gas comming off the burning wood is following the path of least resistance, the large center opening, not the cavity between the walls of the two cans. The gassification is occuring at the bottom of the stove where the wood is. Air is entering at the bottom enableing the wood to burn/gassify. If complete combustion is not attained at the bottom it will combust once it reaches the top where the gasses are mix with incoming air through the top holes.

In your photo you can see the hole on the right is not encircled in flame nor is the one to the rear(top of hole showing a little). Hole on the left has no flame around it at all.