View Full Version : Quick cheap pocket stove to make
This stove costs virtually nothing to make and needs no special skill.
Items needed:
1 old shoe polish tin
1 Pr scissors
1 old bit of cardboard
1 candle
(Click any image for larger view)
http://img8.exs.cx/img8/9550/ingredients.th.jpg (http://img8.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img8&image=ingredients.jpg)
Step 1. Cut your old bit of cardboard 'across the grain' into strips about 2mm thicker than the rim of the shoe polish tin and roll it into a spiral untill you have a disc of cardboard the same size as the tin, then place the whole lot in the tin.
http://img119.exs.cx/img119/8835/coiledcardboard.th.jpg (http://img119.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img119&image=coiledcardboard.jpg)
Then light your candle and drip the hot wax all over the cardboard untill it's really soaked.
http://img119.exs.cx/img119/3748/waxing-up.th.jpg (http://img119.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img119&image=waxing-up.jpg)
Make sure that there is plenty of wax in the tin, but not so much as to cover the top of the cardboard, like this.
http://img114.exs.cx/img114/6199/waxingdone.th.jpg (http://img114.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img114&image=waxingdone.jpg)
When this is done simply light your stove and cook away !!
http://img114.exs.cx/img114/1818/goodburn.th.jpg (http://img114.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img114&image=goodburn.jpg)http://img118.exs.cx/img118/2217/stovelit.th.jpg (http://img118.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img118&image=stovelit.jpg)
To extinguish the cooker, simply drop the lid over the top and allow to cool.
http://img118.exs.cx/img118/5903/lidshut.th.jpg (http://img118.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img118&image=lidshut.jpg)
The cooker can be used 5 or 6 times before a recharge of wax is needed and when cool there is no smell or risk of contaminating any of your kit.
http://img118.exs.cx/img118/1774/used.th.jpg (http://img118.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img118&image=used.jpg)
After a while the cardboard will become a bit tatty but you simply cut some more strips, wax it up and off you go again. No moving parts to go wrong either :biggthump
That's about as simple as it gets, very good idea and a good post again Dave :biggthump
Nightfall
04-11-2004, 01:21
How long does it burn?
How long does it burn?
Depends how much wax you manage to soak into it. I can get 4 or 5 brews out of one fill.
another Great one from maddave.. :biggthump :You_Rock_ im not a big fan of stoves in general, and i have meths.. but this one i am certainly going to try! how have you found it under pots.. i would guess it makes them very sooty!
are we to call it "the maddave stove" or something more original than that!
These are good little stoves, although cooking on them can be a bit challenging as they don't get all that hot. I've never had a name for them but my mates call them buddy burners, no idea why :?: I've made a few from tuna tins and soup tins. One good thing about them is that after you've had them alight and put them out they will light again from a firesteel which makes them easy to use, more than anything I use them as a big candle, they can get sooty but it's not a big deal.
I think that Daves Idea of a shoe polish tin is fantastic, a complete self contained unit due to the top fitting on properly. :biggthump
They'd be good as snow hole warmers!
I have a bigger version which I bought - called an instant campfire, it comes in a galvanised bucket!!
Does the wax ingite easily?
They'd be good as snow hole warmers!
I have a bigger version which I bought - called an instant campfire, it comes in a galvanised bucket!!Sounds like a good idea for your Norway trip Gary.
Galvanised bucket? Nice and portable for wild walk...and brings a new meanig to 'fire bucket'.:o):
Does the wax ingite easily?
Yup straight from a naked flame, but if you use a firesteel when it's cold a small amount of tinder in the middle will get it going.
falling rain
04-11-2004, 13:12
Nice one Mad Dave. I like that..... Very simple.
Nightfall
05-11-2004, 03:01
I just made one. Alittle differnt though. I didnt have a shoe polish can so I used a tuna can. Works great. A bit a tinder in the center and it burns great. Thanks for the tip.
Keith_Beef
05-11-2004, 09:08
Great idea.
As Tony mentioned, these things don't get very hot.
But I remember from my Scouting days, that one good reason for carrying a nightlight (or tealight) candle in your pack, is that you can use it as a re-usable firelighter for conditions where you can't find dry tinder. This Polish Stove could be used in the same way.
Build a small altar fire, with a big enough opening along one side to put the candle (or Polish stove) inside, and get it out again.
On the platform of the fire, put some tinder and kindling, and use the candle or stove to heat up and dry out and ignite the tinder. Once it's got going, you can remove the candle/stove. You add bigger pieces of kindling to the platform, which burns awy and falls inside the fire to form hot coals.
Keith.
falling rain
16-11-2004, 08:34
Mad Dave. I tried this burner last night with the Air Cadets and very impressed they were too. Mine burnt for 18 minutes. Boiled a large mug of water for a brew. Nice one.... Thanks :super:
I goning to have to try this with the Scouts, when we get an opportunity. I like the idea of using it as a fire starter as well.
MartiniDave
16-11-2004, 08:58
Thanks for the basic idea MadDave
made a version of this using a coke can with the top cut off and a cotton wool "wick" to give light at our "bushcraft bonfire-night" camp fire cooking session. Worked very well, gave far more light than garden candles, and only use about an inch of wax out of the can over the course of about 3 hours.
Took quite some time to cool down enough for the wax to re set after use though. More variations in the pipeline, I've particularly got my eye on a travel sweet tin.
Cheers,
Dave
More variations in the pipeline, I've particularly got my eye on a travel sweet tin.
Cheers,
Dave
Let us know how you get on with the travel sweet tin, I have loads of them at home.
mmcniven
16-11-2004, 11:30
Just made one using an old Air Gun pellet tin, perfect for the job and works really well.
Thanks for the info on the burner.
Mike
falling rain
16-11-2004, 13:07
Just found this site too for Hobo stove making. loads of little projects that look interesting to try http://wings.interfree.it/html/main.html
dchinell
16-11-2004, 16:43
Here's another good stove site:
http://home.comcast.net/~agmann/stove/index.htm
Check out the Atlanta stove for a dead-simple alcohol burner. I'm going to try this one out weekend after next. (Getting married this weekend, so no time for outdoorsy stuff.)
Bear
Here's another good stove site:
http://home.comcast.net/~agmann/stove/index.htm
Check out the Atlanta stove for a dead-simple alcohol burner. I'm going to try this one out weekend after next. (Getting married this weekend, so no time for outdoorsy stuff.)
Bear
Good resource that Bear !! Thanks for sharing :You_Rock_
falling rain
17-11-2004, 08:38
That's a good site too Bear. Nice one. :super: I'll try some of those out over the next few weeks.
When I get round to posting some photos I'll put some up of an oil lamp made from a couple of beer cans. I learnt it from a chap in the Green craft field at Glastonbury this year. I've made about 15 now. I really like the idea of making stoves/lamps etc from old food and drink cans
Cheers :wave:
falling rain,
would like to see your oil lamp. I have been playing around with a version similar to the lakeland green oil lamp but havent quite managed to get a decent lamp yet.
I find it difficult to get a decent oil container that wont leak and a globe/windshield that wont melt.
Cheers
JFW
falling rain
17-11-2004, 13:17
No probs JFW. I'll do a step by step photo tutorial. My camera is currently in Kenya though with my son who's visiting for a holiday, so It'll have to be next week when he gets back. You only need 2 beer cans and the base of one is used as a reflector. A lot easier to do the photo tutorial than explain in words, but I'll try and get it posted next week.
Cheers :wave:
Had a go at making mad dave's pocket stove last night, excellent idea btw!
However, it took me quite a while to drip candle wax into the cardboard so (being an impatient b*gger) what I did instead was to shave off a load of wax into the empty tin. I then gently heated the tin on a low heat on the cooker. Then, when the wax reached liquid form I slid my piece of rolled up cardboard into the tin. Then carefully take it off the hob to cool and job done. Now I'm just looking forward to brewing up with it :)
Cheers, Gravo
This one is dead simple if you´re using small wood as fuel:
http://wings.interfree.it/html/sstove.html
benjamin.oneill
12-04-2006, 17:40
Let us know how you get on with the travel sweet tin, I have loads of them at home.
just to continue the theme of vatiations on the theme....
I've just made a midget one in the tin vaseline comes in (another handy thing to have out and about anyway) it just about boiled a mug... handy spare or for a mornings walk i suppose and truly pocket sized, about the size of a tealight but kept in a handy tin, brighter and hotter.
will post pics in a sec... if i can get them to work!
Ben
sxmolloy
12-04-2006, 21:37
I've just made 2 of these. Great idea. I used empty maya dust tins, they work a treat. I made the cardboard a little thinner (10mm) than the depth of the tin, so you can stand a mug on the tin edges whilst the flames heat the mug. Cheers Dave. :You_Rock_