I was searching the e-net and found a web site that is called the zen-stove great website lot of cool ideas all of them pretty involved. It led me to another web site called the penny burner wich looked pretty easy to build with readily available parts.....So I built one. The idea is simple it burns Methanol or other types of Alcohol. It is a self regulating semi pressurised burner. It is also made from beer cans. I am not a beer Drinker so I enlisted my Boss whom loves Heineken and made him save me a few cans (it takes two and a regular soda can or such) The idea is to cut the cans @ certain intervals and punch a few holes and add a penny and whoosh " I have created FLAME" suprisiingly it works really well. Very easy to build and will bring a couple of pints to a boil in about 5 min or less. Now I am a antique guy and the older the better but this little guy is pretty neat with little or no expense involved just time. Heres some pics of me brewing some tea and a mass build that me and my brother decided to do for christmas gifts and one of the flame that is put off. Since it is 99% methanol its pretty hard to get a pic of it in the light. Give me some feed back let me know what you characters think of this silly beer can and penny Burner 8)
I love it! As soon as I am caught up on projects this will be on the list! Thanks for bringing attention to it. Rob
There are quite a few build your own alcohol stove links out there. Here's another good one: Build your own alcohol stove
Hey Rob A little hint about cutting beer cans. Get lots of bandaids!! Not really you can cut your self really easy but... The secret is in the Dremel tool. Get yourself a utility knife and a couple of spacers about a 1/4 thick or so. Lay your knife flat then add spacers (I used some floor tile) and measure from the blade to the c-top set the can upright against the blade then slowly mark your can at the appropriate height dont try to cut thru you will never make a good cut. After you have it marked take your dremell with the heavy duty cut-off wheel #420 and slowly section it out leaving about 1/16" between sections then come back and just touch it on the 1/16 areas till it cuts thru. After cutting its a little jagged so use some 220 grit sand paper to dress it up. That is my helpful hint!! on the website it says to use scissors?? that would be a bad mistake with alot of Bandaids to back that up!! Let me know how it gos I have made about a dozen or so.
One of my favorite home made metho stoves. I just use sissors. No worries. I usually pess the rest of the can over from the top to the botttom in one go. Gives a tighter seal on the top burner plate. Double the thickness keeps the top lip from bending too much in travel. I use a lid made out of a nother can to keep the coin in and lip good. Also serves as a preheater tray. Cut 4- notches in it.Place on bottom little metho and away you go. Keeps the overall height of stowed burner down by 10-15mm. 1 Litre five minutes from lstriking a match in a 91 set up. I like them cos' they keep the flame at the same height during burn and keeps the pan in optimum heat zone
I have seen a couple of sites like that and some of those little stoves are really cool. My favorite was made out of an old Altoids tin.Very creative stuff. Dan
