Helllloooooo Hobo! Hobo / Meths Can Stove - Work in progress

Just finished my Hobo Stove mk1 & meths can stove.

It's pretty rough and ready, but it's my first attempt and should prove useful.

Just need to get some fuel and test the baby out



As you can see the hobo stove is drilled and vented. tent pegs or wire can be used as a spacer where necessary and I am mulling over using the left over cans as an inner combustion chamber.



I wanted to take the meths can concept that Dar Kuma works with but incorporate it into the Hobo Stove mk1, that way I can use both solid, forage fuels along with meths fuel.

Thus allowing me the flexibility on the move if the meths supply runs out.
If the meths can does not apply enough heat then it will need additional mods. Or I may just keep it for solid fuels only.



The Meths Can Stove

With these holes it should, if my measurements are correct sit nicely on the hobo stove mk1 and allow flame to come through to heat the stove up and then, in turn, a messtin with water in it.



The meths can did not go according to plan, the crimping and fitting together (bottom to bottom) initially was a nice, snug fit. But going for the final 'squeeze' the base split (pictured).
I'll still use it though (test pending) if it does ok on the field test.

Thanks to Dar Kuma and all the other gang for support on this.

I'd of done more but I was busy building an inspection ramp for the car today!

Here's a sneaky photo! Not survival really but here it is

I can see that holes gonna be leaking and using more fuel then you need to, dont worry.
Its happened to me on a number of occasions, I bet you swore didnt you...

I made one of those pop can stoves once... the smaller ones.

It worked pretty good I guess, it burned a while with not that much fuel. It blew out a couple of times, and took quite a while to get heated up. The jets never worked properly outside, only in my fireplace. Maybe a wind issue once again?

I used kerosine

[edit on 9/14/2008 by Yarcofin]

A windshield is handy, I made on out of a larger tin and also acts as a pot stand, If it doesn't work right you probably havn't made it right.

Try making another, Yar.

Ok the Hobo Stove and meths can went into action today.

The results were a mixed bag really.

First the good.

50ml of meths filled the can and had a burn time of 18 minutes, the flame was fierce and would of boiled multiple water pots / 1 large pot.
As the boffins would probably say 'This is excellent energy density output'
With this test performed I felt the rest would be a formality, how wrong I was!

First hiccup:





The can stove 'worked', flame came out but as Yar said there were some issues with flame out and with the hobo stove in situ with the combustion chamber installed the flame would cut out almost immediately once a water pot was on top. Oxygen starvation, so I drilled some holes in the chamber. Still no good.

Next, I removed the combustion chamber, this time the hobostove flame kept going, but then went out again after a short while once the water pot went on.



I tried it without the hobo stove (just water pot sitting on the meths can flame pot) and it worked a treat, the pot boiled fairly rapidly after about 5 minutes

Problems:

1. The wind, while channeling the air and feeding the flame, did not allow the jets to ignite and take full effect.
That said being a first attempt my fabricating skills might be to blame for that.



2. The cans design means that, as the meths level gets lower, the likelyhood of 'flame-out' increases.



3. The vapour and fumes is nearly intolerable. It really reeks like the devils own brew!
This may be due to the meths variant I was using (purple coloured stuff) or maybe the meths itself (i suspect the latter).
I ended up having to wear a half-mask (which helped) to complete the trials but even then I began to feel a little nauseous so the whole 'meths-as-a-fuel' thing is a no-go for me. If I was in the field I really would not consider it an ideal solution. You could orientate yourself around so you're upwind but the reeking stuff will likely foul out your pack and kit as you keep using it.
Dar, do you use the purple meths?

Solutions:

Forage for wood, twigs and scrug an alternative source of fuel for the Hobo and only use meths in emergencies.
Liquid petroleum would be a possible alternative.

It cost me £3 for 500 ml of meths. I can get a canister of camping gas that will last as long, if not longer for almost the same price.
Having said that, this is a good back-up to have if supplies are tight.

[edit on 14-9-2008 by WatchRider]

I have used the purple meths, I do have some of the red meths that I will be trying out in a few days.
I havn't seen a great deal of the red meths, Their was one bottle when I was at B&Q last week so I grabbed it.
I'll email you with the results, WR.

This is a bit weird, Could you put in a small valve on the side of the stove so you can run a gas line to it and use the gas canisters, That would be a good trials run, meths bottle Vs small gas cannister.

I'm pretty sure the gas would run out first though, especially if your trying to save space and get one of the smaller canisters.



[edit on 14-9-2008 by Dar Kuma]

I have to wonder about the choice of fuel. Is vodka or other similar alcohol not a possibility for you? Given the ease of making some of the not so smooth stuff on your own in a Sit-X of any fermentable stock, you might want to try some bottom shelf stock for evaluation.

Geesh, when you said meths stove, I thought you were talking about something completely different.

I've mades toves like this. I used a tuna can filled with rolled cardboard and parafrin, though. I don't know how it compares to the alcohol in terms of heat and burn time.