Jim again here. I just made a stove as follows;
Hunt's tomato sauce can 3" high and 2.75 in diameter. I cut a rectangular hole near the bottom for easy access to light the tablet. That rectangle was 1.5 wide and 1 inch high. I cut (7) 3/8" dia holes very near the top and 4 at various heights around the middle and near the bottom opposite the access opening. When I tested this set up heating 8 ounces of H2O I was surprised at two things. First the flame was very bright and large, suggesting lots of make up air and adequate exhaust ports. Second it heated faster and used up the tablet faster. The 8 ounces of H2O were too hot to drink in 5 minutes, half the time it took with a similar stove with much less vent holes. So my conclusion, if it isn't already obvious, is that the tablet burns quite hot, and fast, with adequate ventilation. I would recommend a compromise because I think some of the heat is wasted when the flame is so high. Try fewer and smaller holes to start with and work up until the flame on the bottom of the pot seems to be concentrated on the pot where it will do the most good. By the way, with such a large flame the 3" of height is none too far away from the tablet. Let me know if you try this or have different results. By the by, the link in the first answer is great.


Edited by Pliny (12/22/08 06:06 PM)
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Jim M