Alcohol Stove

Posted by: ETSU Pride

Alcohol Stove - 09/29/12 02:44 PM

I was bored last night as I emptied a couple cans and decided to make an alcohol stove. I went to Lowes this morning and got some denatured alcohol, but didn't get to fully test due to rain. The flame was also too clear to see how well sealed my fuel cup and burner were. I heard table salt added to the alcohol will cause a visible flame. Is there a general rule to doing this? Pour some salt into the bottle of alcohol then pour into stove and light?

I need test whether or not my seal is good, if it bad it going be burning out the cracks instead of the jets. I'm already guessing I'm going have to make a few more until I get perfect cuts! Also, I'm make a separate pot support for it, I'm not going lay any pot onto the can. Constructive criticism is welcome. smile



P.S. It's a penny stove, I put a penny over the three holes in middle then pour alcohol onto it and let it overflow into the jets then light. I borrowed the specs from here
Posted by: ETSU Pride

Re: Alcohol Stove - 09/29/12 04:21 PM

Update: I had a wind screen around it and tested it, it put out HEAT!! From best I could tell the flame came from the 6 holes. I'll try again tonight to get better visual. It looks good so far for my first homemade stove! lol.
Posted by: billstephenson

Re: Alcohol Stove - 09/29/12 04:35 PM

Looks good to me. As good as my first one, that's for sure.

You might be able to roll that edge over a bit with a piece of tubing, but I doubt it's leaking there.
Posted by: ETSU Pride

Re: Alcohol Stove - 09/29/12 04:58 PM

From the best I could tell with a wind screen, it appears to be coming up through the holes instead of the edges. I'll do it again tonight in the dark if it not pouring down raining. I'll work on a pot support design soon.

I think the heat may have help self sealed it?? Is that possible? lol.
Posted by: jbylake

Re: Alcohol Stove - 09/29/12 05:45 PM

Originally Posted By ETSU Pride
From the best I could tell with a wind screen, it appears to be coming up through the holes instead of the edges. I'll do it again tonight in the dark if it not pouring down raining. I'll work on a pot support design soon.

I think the heat may have help self sealed it?? Is that possible? lol.


As for color, Sodium Chloride (table salt) should cause your alcohol to burn yellow. I'm not sure at what concentrate, because I'm not sure what amounts that you are working with.

Try about a teaspoon or so to about 6 fluid ounces of alcohol, and adjust up or down from there. There are other easily obtainable, but not Walmart attainable, chemicals which can be used to color alcohol flame also. I know some race cars burn alcohol, and chemicals are added so emergency personnel can "see" when and where fires are burning in the event of a crash, but I'm not sure what they are. Mostly chloride compounds.
But I know salt will work. I'm sure this is obvious but use NaCl, normal table salt, not sea salt, or other modified "salt" substitutes. Let me know how it worked out for you.

J.
Posted by: PerryMK

Re: Alcohol Stove - 09/29/12 06:16 PM

There is a nice chart here of the colors obtained by burning different chemicals. Google the chemical name and you can probably find an on-the-shelf product containing it, at least for many of them.
Posted by: jbylake

Re: Alcohol Stove - 09/29/12 06:31 PM

Originally Posted By PerryMK
There is a nice chart here of the colors obtained by burning different chemicals. Google the chemical name and you can probably find an on-the-shelf product containing it, at least for many of them.

PerryMK, checked the link out. Most of the chemicals listed are caustic, or toxic, and best used in a Chem lab. Others, may be found in compounds that contain them. Key word there, being compound. I don't think I'd want to cook food with some of those compounds gasses (or fumes), especially near food or water that I'd want to consume.
Salt is safe, and will cause a bright yellow flame. I think I'd just recommend the OP try that first, plus, he/she probably has some at home.

Cheers,
J.
Posted by: Franco

Re: Alcohol Stove - 09/29/12 07:04 PM

To cause a visible flame I use a free product called "dark"
We get that everyday and can be simulated by closing doors and windows.


OK, I have to admit that I did not think to suggest this, I tend to imagine that folk can work it out for themselves...
an easy and safe place to test an alcohol stove inside is your kitchen sink...
Posted by: PerryMK

Re: Alcohol Stove - 09/29/12 07:06 PM

Originally Posted By jbylake
Most of the chemicals listed are caustic, or toxic, and best used in a Chem lab. Others, may be found in compounds that contain them. Key word there, being compound. I don't think I'd want to cook food with some of those compounds gasses (or fumes), especially near food or water that I'd want to consume.


You are unlikely to find any of the listed elements in their pure state. All will be compounded with something else.

Calcium can be found in calcium chloride. This is a drying agent. It should burn brick red.

Boron can be found in boric acid This is in some roach killers (labeled boric acid) and flame retardents. It should burn bright green.

Iron can be found as iron oxide. This is rust. Try a powdered rust. Be careful grinding metal powders. Better yet, find some rust that is already powdery. It should burn gold.

Potassium can be found as potassium chloride. This is found in some health food stores as a salt substitute intended for human consumption. It should burn violet.

Sodium as you already know is found in sodium chloride. This is table salt. It should burn bright yellow.

Think of all the fun you can have burning a differnt color flame every night.


All of these are readily available in many stores, none of these are caustic, and as I used to tell my students, all are less hazardous than gasoline. Many people use gasoline and white gas stoves with no ill effects. Use your head, but please don't be afraid of chemistry.

Posted by: PerryMK

Re: Alcohol Stove - 09/29/12 07:50 PM

About a teaspoon of table salt to less than an ounce of denatured alcohol.


About a teaspoon of Roach Away (boric acid)to less than an ounce of denatured alcohol.


I could have sworn I had some potassium iodide (KI) laying around the house but I can't find it. KI is said to be good to protect the thyroid from radiation fallout. It should be available in health food stores and military surplus/survivalist type stores.

Posted by: Samoset

Re: Alcohol Stove - 09/29/12 08:54 PM

Originally Posted By Franco
To cause a visible flame I use a free product called "dark"
We get that everyday and can be simulated by closing doors and windows.


I second this. Once you become more comfortable with alc you will be willing to bring it indoors for stove testing
Posted by: jbylake

Re: Alcohol Stove - 09/29/12 10:18 PM

Hey Perry, looks like the stove is working A-O.K...huh? That was the primary goal, right? Good job.
J.
Posted by: jbylake

Re: Alcohol Stove - 09/29/12 10:40 PM

Perry, didn't mean to sound cantankerous. In engineering school, University of Dayton, I took two semesters of chemistry. Doesn't make me a chemist by any stretch of the imagination. But did give me a healthy respect for chemicals, and the adverse effects that, if not handled properly, could have on my body. Especially in an industrial environment. I'd take table salt over roach poision to use as a fuel additive in my stove, any day.

Anyway, all that being said, I think he did a pretty good job building himself a simple but very effective stove, that runs on cheap and readily available fuel.

Me, eh..I'll take the easy way out and stick with my MSR stuff.
But I am impressed with these homemade alcohol stoves and quickly they'll bring water to a boil. Would have never thought they were that effective.

J.
Posted by: PerryMK

Re: Alcohol Stove - 09/30/12 05:19 AM

Originally Posted By jbylake
I'd take table salt over roach poision to use as a fuel additive in my stove, any day.

Boric acid isn't actually a poison; it works through a diferent mechanism but that's biology and I'm a chemist who has talked too much already. It even occurs in some ear drops meant for humans. The type used by people with excessive exposure to water like swimmers or scuba divers.

As for myself I like either canister stoves or solid fuel (esbit, etc.) for the times that I use a stove.
Posted by: DTape

Re: Alcohol Stove - 09/30/12 10:03 AM

It is strange when I read about worries of additives to alcohol fuel due to the fumes produced while cooking when I never hear the same concerns about the fumes from using esbit, hexamine, coal, gasoline, diesel fuel, cow dung, etc...
Posted by: ETSU Pride

Re: Alcohol Stove - 09/30/12 11:11 AM

Using 1.5oz of Crown brand denature alcohol, I got a burn time of 26 minutes. As the sun fell, the lack of lights outside allowed the alcohol to show flame without any salt added. All the flame came out of the jets. I'm make another where I'm add the walls of the fuel cap a little higher so when I fill the jets with alcohol none of the alcohol drips down the side and onto the ground.

Posted by: Glenn Roberts

Re: Alcohol Stove - 09/30/12 01:12 PM

Is there a rule for stovemaking similar to that for swimming? Something along the lines of waiting at least an hour after creating the raw materials before you start using sharp objects to prepare the parts and do the detail work for assembly? smile
Posted by: ETSU Pride

Re: Alcohol Stove - 09/30/12 02:06 PM

Originally Posted By Glenn Roberts
Is there a rule for stovemaking similar to that for swimming? Something along the lines of waiting at least an hour after creating the raw materials before you start using sharp objects to prepare the parts and do the detail work for assembly? smile


I think it more of a guideline than a rule.
Posted by: jbylake

Re: Alcohol Stove - 09/30/12 07:29 PM

Great job, ETSU especially for a first try. Looks good! P.S., I'm a Vol's fan...just kidding...

J.
Posted by: BZH

Re: Alcohol Stove - 10/01/12 11:25 AM

Well done. If you are worried about leakage, you can use JB weld to seal up your stove.

http://www.amazon.com/J-B-Weld-8265S-Com...words=auto+weld

Should be available at any autoparts store.

If you are looking to improve your manufacturing techniques you should check out tetkoba on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/tetkoba?feature=g-user-s

The man is a genius of novel alcohol stoves. He shows you how to make all of his stoves and he even has a video going over his tools.