fuel

Posted by: jakem456

fuel - 01/20/08 08:12 PM

i have a pop-can stove i made and i filled it with perlite. does anyone have a cheap easy-to-find fuel i can use?
Posted by: cheap

Ethanol alcohol - 01/20/08 08:50 PM

I suggest you go to a marine/hardware store and buy some ethanol alcohol. Don't buy isopropyl, it burns all sooty. I found that shoppers drug mart stocks life brand rubbing alcohol compound that is 95% ethanol. costed about 4 dollars for a big bottle.
Posted by: NiytOwl

Re: Ethanol alcohol - 01/20/08 09:32 PM

Adding to what cheap said: Denatured alcohol is ethanol with a bit of methanol and is available in the paint department of - lessee...Walmart, Kmart, Home Depot, Orchard Supply, Ace Hardware, Sears....

You can also buy a product called Heet. It's a fuel line de-icer that's sold in a YELLOW plastic bottle in the automotive section. It's pure methanol and not quite as good a fuel as denatured alcohol. Don't buy the red bottle!
Posted by: KYratshooter

Re: Ethanol alcohol - 01/21/08 08:47 AM

You can also burn hand sanitizer. %60 alcahol. Clean your hands and heat your food.

Pure grain alcahol will work but is not cheap. But, how else can you cut your stove fuel with water, add koolaid and have a stiff drink.
Posted by: cheap

Re: Ethanol alcohol - 01/21/08 05:49 PM

Don't use hand sanitizer!!! It will cover your pots with soot and hardly produces any heat. It is 60% alcohol AND about 40% water.

A good fuel is Everclear. It is a bit expensive, but it is a good fuel and it also makes good cocktails.

(pure grain alcohol can make you go blind)
Posted by: phat

Re: Ethanol alcohol - 01/21/08 10:29 PM


Hand sanitizer will burn but not well. Don't try it in a stove.

use denatured ethanol, or methanol.
methanol can usually be found as "Heet" brand in the states in a yellow bottle in car places. In Canada it's just "gas line antifreeze" or methyl hydrate. read the label - if it
says methanol, or methyl hydrate, it's good stove fuel. If it says Isopropryl, use only as
a last resort - it's sooty and nasty.
Posted by: Pika

Re: Ethanol alcohol - 01/22/08 05:05 AM

Quote:
(pure grain alcohol can make you go blind)

You can certainly cause problems with your throat and larynx if you drink pure ethanol (grain alcohol) but won't make you go blind the way that methanol (wood alcohol) can. Ethanol is the active ingredient in Scotch, Bourbon and Gin (and Everclear). Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) is another thing to avoid drinking; makes a lousy stove fuel too! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Posted by: Paddy_Crow

Re: Ethyl alcohol - 01/22/08 06:03 AM

Sorry to interrupt, grammar cops here. I have to change the subject line before I go nuts.

Ethanol alcohol is redundant. It's ethyl alcohol or simply ethanol.

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Posted by: layla17

Re: Ethanol alcohol - 01/22/08 06:35 AM

Yeah I've heard of people having big problems with their larynx from drinking grain alcohol too often. A friend of mine drank grain alcohol straight one weekend and he said he had a horrible sore throat for a 3 days.
Posted by: NiytOwl

Re: Ethanol alcohol - 01/22/08 08:29 AM

Quote:
A friend of mine drank grain alcohol straight one weekend and he said he had a horrible sore throat for a 3 days.


Alcohol is hydrophilic. It pulls water out of the air, your skin, and your mucus membranes better than the driest air. This is also how it kills bacteria - by dehydration. When you drink Everclear straight, some of the alcohol remains in your throat after you swallow and is subsequently inhaled where it dehydrates the cells lining the trachea. The cells die and you get a sore throat.
Posted by: Earthling

Re: Ethanol alcohol - 01/22/08 09:24 AM

Great trivia Nity <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />
Posted by: jakem456

Re: Ethanol alcohol - 01/22/08 01:05 PM

thanks for the help! i think im going to try using the denatured alchohol