Pepsi can stove?

“Question:

Do Pepsi can stoves need fiberglass insulation, sandwiched btw. the inner and outer walls of the stove?

I made a stove up, but when I fill the stove, the fuel stays in the center and doesn't flow into the side chamber?

The flame only comes out through the large center hole, but not through my small jet holes, at all?

Anyone know what I did wrong?
last edited: 6/17/07 9:28:11 AM”

“I think if you check out this link you'll probably find the topic covered quite well, and all of your questions will be answered, multiples of times.”

“not required

i think it makes the stove prime a little better and burn a little more evenly.

try blowing on the stove gently. it will cause the stove to burn more fuel and heat up faster. that may get the side jets going.

once they are lit put your pot right on top of the stove (NO POT STAND). the pot will seal the stove and pressurize the unit.

i never use a pot stand with this style stove.”

“I made my stove with the jets drilled in the top, so it won't work with putting the pot on top of the stove.

I have a Pepsi stove that I bought, and the difference that I noticed is, that when I fill this stove, all the fuel goes into the side chamber, and you don't see any fuel in the center of the stove at all.

Where as with the stove I made, when the stove is filled (1 oz) all the fuel stays in the center of the stove and doesn't seem to flow into the inner chamber?

Thanks for the comments, I'll just have to keep plugging away at it, until I get it right.

The high temp.RTV seems to bond the top and bottom pieces together well.”

“subject without predicate somehow has question mark?”

“I had a similar experience when I tried the penny stove I built. No jet flames whatever. I realized I was burning the wrong alky. I haven't used it on the trail yet but the kitchen tests are much better.”

“you have to have holes or slots at the bottom so the fuel can get to the outer chamber, and then you will have equal amounts in the inner and outer chambers.


CRASH!!!! What's up big dog?”

“If you put a pot directly on the stove it will starve for oxygen and go out.”

“ive seen alcohol stoves that you can put the pot directly on top of. theyre designed so that oxygen gets in from the side”

“Well the original Pepsi can stove design, which is what we seem to be discussing, will not.

The whole alcohol stove thing has morphed into some pretty bizarre designs.”

“if i understand jimmy san correctly, you can put the pot directly on an original pepsi can stove, once the the side jets get going. ive never tried this, im interested to see if it works”

“I have tried it and I just told you it does not work.”

“Stoves with holes( jets) drilled in the sides are to be used with the pot on top of the stove.

Although, they tend to have a wider flame pattern, which works better for larger pots.

Stoves with the holes (jets) on top, are designed for smaller diameter pots.

And yes, I have the slots in the inner wall to allow the fuel to flow into the outer chamber as well.”

“well, then, jimmy san must have drilled holes on the side”

“the design with the holes drilled on the top isn't a very good design, imho.”

“i've never tried this cuz I know it would be too frogile for my clumbsy a$$. Plus I've seen one used and wasn't too impressed with the performance.”

“I get outstanding performance with mine. I use construction mesh for a pot stand so it really doesn't matter where I would have drilled the holes. I sealed the top of the chamber with JB Weld and which keeps the vapor on the chamber for combustion.”

“you would get results just about as good if you put the alcohol in a tuna can and lit it.”

“Thats what I forgot to do, seal the inner tube, top and bottom with JB Weld.

I'm going to try Scotts latest stove plans where you use a 14.9oz Irish Stout beer can for the bottom stove half.

I'll need to empty the contents first. ya,ya,ya!!!”

“You remove JB Weld by applying heat. I wouldn't think it would be a good choice for sealing a stove.”

“jb weld has been used for ages in stove construction and it works well. i guess the stove might not get hot enough?

i don't use it, however. when i first fire up the stove the paint (or can liner... don't know which) seems to fuse and seal the can well enough.

i am betting this isn't your problem, ncthiker, but it's fun to experiment.”

““You remove JB Weld by applying heat. I wouldn't think it would be a good choice for sealing a stove.”
bacpac
10:55:09 PM
6/18/07

I don't know how much heat it would take, but the stove doesn't generate enought of it.

Maybe an oxyacetylene torch, but not anything I have burned in the stove.”

“I think I lost a post in here....


but the website states

Q: How much heat can J-B Weld withstand?
A: J-B Weld (Part # 8265-S, 8265, and 8280) can withstand a constant temperature of 500 degrees F. The maximum temperature threshold is approximately 600 degrees F for a short term (10 minutes).

If the JB weld were outside near where the flame is oxidized, I could see a problem, but inside the chamber, below the flame, it hasn't been affected.”

“I sealed my Pepsi can stove with Bondo, the stuff they use to do body work on cars. I also put a layer all around it the from where the joint is on the stove right to the bottom. It made the stove heat up faster and is much stronger.”

“What's with the JB Weld. I have never used anything to seal the stove and never had any problems. Just make sure that the bottom can half is the outside of the stove.

And, I don't use any baffeling (inner wall) or insulation in the can either.
last edited: 6/19/07 7:04:12 AM”

“... a tuna can.

a lot has to do with contstruction methods for fitting the two can halves together. i strech out the bottom of the stove with a full can of the same type then slide the two stove segments together. this makes for a very tight fit and the can doesn't bend of crimp. i have seen a lot of people do this cutting the edges of the can or crimping them with piers but when I do this the stoves don't seal as well. i get the best seal by streching out the bottom can half, fitting the stove together, and burning it HOT on the first burn. that first burn seems to melt the paint on the can to seal the stove. generally i can't pull the can halves apart without destroying the stove and i never have a leak i can see when i fire one up.

...but i don't use the open-top designs anymore and i done use designs that require a seperate pot stand. build on... it took me a year to find a setup i was really happy with. you can buy VERY well made stoves pre-built (minibulldesigns.com) that ar cheap... the fun is in figuring this out for yourself... the tinkering... at least for me it is.”

“Jimmy san - From minibulldesigns.com which stove most resembles yours?”

“JS,
I like that idea of stretching the can over a full one. I have been crimping. I'm gonna try it.

I usually us the pot stand made of 1/2" hardware cloth and make the stove out of two small tomato juice cans-that is all, no inner works. I punch sixteen holes around the outside of the rim and four holes in the cup in the middle of the top to pour the fuel in. I make the holes with a ice pick and punch from the inside out. I make the holes just large enough for a standard paperclip to barely slip through, then sand the rough edge of the hole off. With just the four holes to pour the fuel through, it is a little slower to fill, but the can develops some pressure.

I think it is time to start tinkiering with the stove with the outside burner holes and no separate pot stand.

The windscreen is the key to all this anyway. You can boil water using a stove made from an open cup, if your windscreen is right.”

“BS...

There is a bit of an art to doing this properly. I take the can I am using as a "tool" and get it wet. I also make sure the bottom of the stove has been washed out (no sticky residue). Then I push the tool as far as it will go trying to stay as perpinducular as possible to the table. Because of the buildup of air pressure it will be hard to do and you will have to use a fair amount of gentle force. You might spilt the can a few times before you get a feel for it. The air pressure will "push" the tool back out. If it get stuck just put the stove bottom over a flame on a gas range for a few seconds... it should pop right off with the air expanding from the heat.

Sometimes I use spray-on canola oil rather than water. It does work better but is a little messy.

When you are done and you try to fit the can halves together they still won't seem to fit. That's because the bottom will have been very slightly expanded... so if the two can pieces aren't perfectly aligned the won't fit.

I put the one piece of can (the outside piece) so it just overlaps the other and tape it in place. Then I move about 1" further down and repeat. I use the tape to hold the overlap in place. Eventually i get to a small part that won't quite fit. Then I make a "tool" from a piece of the can about 2" long and .5" wide that is tapered to a point. I use this to slide inside the overlap and help tuck the remainder of the can edge in.

Gentle tapping on the table top (so the two parts stay parallel) finishes the job.

Then I fire up the stove and burn it much hotter than usual which really seals it up.

My boy scouts seem to be able to do it so it's not THAT hard.

As far as which minibull stove mine is most like, I don't know. I don't use the priming wick that Tinny does (he fastens it with JB Weld, by the way). His stoves are VERY well made and he hot-crimps the two stove halves together... really well built and I totally recommend any of his designs.





Weight = 1.5 oz.. boils 2c water with .5 oz denatured... YMMV
last edited: 6/19/07 1:49:17 PM”

“I'll add that not all cans are created equal. I used to have a list of which cans were a little smaller and which were a little larger. Now I just make sure that all parts of the stove including the tool I use to expand the bottom come from the same type of product (in fact from the same case in most situations). This saves a LOT of frustration.”

“Thanks for the explanation.
I even have a cup like that in the picture. I just don't have a foil flying nun's hat.”

“My 2nd stove was a success, I think my problem with the 1st stove was I didn't have a tight fit with the inner tube ring, with the top section of the stove. 2nd stove burns well!”

“I don't know how much heat it would take, but the stove doesn't generate enought of it.

chili
6:23:15 AM
6/19/07

That is pretty much my experience with alcohol stoves. They don't get hot enough. That is why I have stuck with my whisperlight.”

“outstanding ncthiker.... i have a pile of stoves... i was aluminum-can crazy for about 6 months there.”

“Those things will never catch on. ;-)”

“I think these little babies are great. Next, I'd like to get a folding, Firelite titanium, esbit stove.
Although their boil times are much slower, but, it would be nice to carry the small cubes, versus the alcohol?”

“look at the Ultralight Outfitters Beercan Esbit Stove System. it's hard to beat for weight. if i use esbit this is the setup i use.



http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/ultralight_outfitters_beer_can_esbit_stove.html”

“How long does it take to boil a Fosters?”

“depends on how long you have let it sit opened up in front of me...”