I made one of these this past week during the deep freeze here in Texas. Added a large disposable aluminium roasting pan as a reflector...essentially turned it into a mini fireplace. Out of all the makeshift heaters this has been by far the best. Yes we used it inside and before anyone goes of about safety...we are fully aware of the dangers and took every precaution necessary...including having a fire extinguisher on hand. My advice to anyone is to try these things out before an actual emergency. Learn what works, what doesn't and what not to do.
LOL I did the same with my cans for a Fireplace look, except I used Galvanized Tubs with rocks and sat some cans in large Terracotta pots for extra heat. We lost power here and Louisiana too. When my Big buddy ran out Propane, I improvised since the smell of my Kerosene heater makes me Nauseous.
@@chrissyg55 be careful with galvanized. I know heating it at higher temps let’s off a fume that’s bad for you. I don’t know if this would be in that range or not 🤷🏼♂️ but worth double checking the galvanized metal issue
Korina, just to clarify... I am assuming that you are referencing the power outages that affected Texas 2 weeks ago. I am wondering about the ability to use this in a home during an extended power outage in the winter. So my question is... really about the fumes. Is it safe to burn something like this indoors given the fact that I am utilizing every fire precaution that is available to me? AGAIN, The fumes are what I am primarily concerned about because I would utilize fire safety.
@@swimdad5146 Burning alcohol just gives off CO2 and water vapor, so you’d want to be careful in smaller spaces and sleeping on the ground next to it might not be advisable. Trying it out with an initial burn would cook off any coatings or solvents on the can, too
I was thaught this method back in the 70's. Back then we had hub caps on vehicles. Take a hub cap off, put it in your car, put the heater in the hub cap, and light it. Crack a window (back then we had cranks) and heat the car up. Put the fire out, roll up the window, and enjoy. We were taught to carry an extra bottle of alcohol. With 2 bottles and intermintent burning you'd have 24- 36 hours of heat. It could save a life! Oh back then we didn't have cell phones either.
Grandpa showed me that 50 years ago. In Minnesota you have a back-up, especially with the old cars. He used a metal coffee can and didn't add alcohol until needed to use. Burned for many hours if stranded. When no cell phones and on your own.
My father told me of a similar trick they used in WWII while rolling across Europe. They would take a empty bean can (any can, really) fill it with dirt, then pour gasoline into it. They then lit the gasoline vapor and used them to cook. The additives in the gas mean you probably wouldn't want to use them to heat a small space, but if the power is out you could still make a hot meal and drinks, or heat rocks to bring inside.
@@ralphm6901 We did the same in the Corp. I was in Motor T, 3533. We would take a C-Rations cracker can, full it with dirt and use diesel from our primary fuel filter drain plug to fuel it. Worked great for a camp stove.
Great video and survival concept. Thank you for sharing. I would only add the following... Store the sealed smaller can in a larger paint can. When used, place the larger can over the smaller, with an air gap at the bottom (use some small rocks or sticks). The larger can provides four key advantages... 1.) thermal mass, thus providing radiant heat that is more controllable and efficient, 2.) a means by which to regulate the speed of the burn (decrease or increase the size of the air gap), 3.) protection from dangers of an open flame, a hot can will not ignite anything, while a flame will ignite just about everything, and 4.) a way to extinguish the flame by simply closing the air gap.
Absolutely love the extra tip, Trip. Quick question. I've been scratching my head how to heat my small greenhouse, 10x10'. Do you think this can be used in a greenhouse, safety wise? Thanks in advance.
In 1988 I was working in my Oilfield job in a remote area of Northern Alberta .. it was Cold.. -43F cold… on a dark barely used section of old logging road, my engine blew.. the connecting rod hanging out the side of my pickup.. it was 8 pm… this was before Cellular.. before Aurora Telephones.. I was in a spot… I used a hammer and screwdriver to pop a hole in my Fuel tank, I filled 3 of the 81 Chevy hubcaps with gasoline.. I had a sealed water testing kit that was made out of aluminum and a rolled up rag in the bottom , added the gas and lit it.. the top and bottom on fire kept me alive until 7 am when a logging truck drove by and saw the steam coming from my back slider window ( the fumes were really hard on the eyes) opened to avoid getting asphyxiated… After that I started building almost the same heaters you have here.. and put them in every vehicles Safety Bag.. Saved my Live WITHOUT a doubt.
We used these during the big ice storm in Memphis is 1992. The fumes burned our eyes so that they were NOT useful as heaters indoors. We found that candles as heat to heat pans of water held the heat a little longer. Now we know that candles in a pan with a terra cotta planter over it upside down works better.
Absolutely this. A smaller flame feeding into a trap with more thermal mass and low conductivity will make the most use of the heat energy being released by the flame.
@@OddBallPerformance unfortunately, you need what approaches a prohibitively significant number of candles to output enough heat for a room in practice - not enough watts output by such a small flame so you need a dozen or even two dozen of them - those tea-light heater videos are a joke at best - the pilot light in the water heater doesnt meaningfully change the temperature of the water inside and the conditions there are more or less ideal
I have made these about 45 years ago, using the small coffee cans, back when they were all made of metal. I never thought of using a paint can. Thanks for sharing this info.
In Covid-land, that’s one mighty expensive source of heat right there using toilet paper. Lol 😂 might as well burn a gold bar or something. Just kidding, great idea video!! 👍🏼
Cheap 1$ store tp 4 rolls for a $ works just fine if uve prepared for things there really isn't a issue even with the way things are now also isopropyl alcohol is 1$ a bottle or cheaper depending where u get it an how much u buy at a time these work great in an emergency, heat is better than no heat when u need heat but always take precautions for for any senerio
These also work great at getting rid of fleas. Was shown that years ago when had bad flea problem on back porch. Had one of these set up in middle of porch and walked away from it and the fleas would jump in it bc of attracted to the heat. We just put the liquid in the can and let it burn until went out.
Made several as gifts over the years for friends and family, always use 70%. Also, keep one in my vehicle ... just in case. Great (supervised) project to do with young neices and nephews to gift their dad for father's day. Thanks for sharing!
@@GanderFlight Hey question: How much alcohol did you pour into the cans? I have some 4 liter jugs, just wondering/ trying figure out the burn times I'd get for that much. Thnx.
@@dizcret I don't recall specifically - just filled them until they were saturated and full. Sorry I can't be more specific but I don't want to make up an answer. Less than a quart of liquid for a quart can ;)
I learned of this from a colleague who had done his medical residency at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. During the first week, they gathered all the newbies and told them of a list of emergency supplies to keep in their cars for the winter in case they get stuck overnight in the snow.. The coffee can, the isopropyl alcohol, and the matches. My memory tells me they said you could use this in your car, just crack a few windows and have a base to use. Much easier to heat the inside of a car than outside.
That was very interesting. I have used this for a cooking source. It worked well. I will make one for my car. When I made one for cooking I used denatured alcohol. It lasted a long time. I appreciate all your time it took for you to do this. Thank you
I think I will try putting a quarts sized heater like this one inside of a gallon can that will hold other stuff as well, like the matches, or a space blanket.
Excellent presentation. Very informative and thorough. Particularly helpful is the burn time info. Thinking of a winter night situation, 2.5 hours is likely not enough time in a remote location. Would definitely invest in a few more bottles of alcohol in that kit. What a lifesaver! Thank you.
Actually, it would provide a lot more heat time if you used it to heat something like a clay pot or a large rock. Once that absorbs all the heat it can and the burner runs out, whatever you heated would give off its heat for some time, perhaps an extra 1/2 hour or so.
I have something similar but done with small round tuna tins. Cutting long stripes of cardboard, slightly shorter than the tin height. Roll the cardboard stripes into a roll ant introduce it in the tuna tin. Later pour some old used cooking oil and it will be ready to use as a candle or a cooking stove with some sort grill on top. And of course, it is working as a heater while being used for other porpouses. I will try to find the video and share it here.
I made little diy "camp stove," like that as a kid. A tuna tin with strips of cardboard inside and covered with paraffin. Then a coffee can turned over on top of it with vent holes punched with a can opener. I think I learned it in scouts.
Old tobacco cans fit a toilet roll nicely. We used this method for heating ice fishing shacks. As soon as the toilet paper starts burning we put it out and refilled the can. In a car carry candles.
Watching from Texas right now. They say that we are expecting even more snow this year. Funny they know that. They also say that our grids DEFINITELY won't be able to take it. Looks like another year with no power. Thanks for the video. They will all come in handy.
I live in MN and we've lost power in the dead of winter when it was -25 for about 5 hours during a blizzard.. no fun. We luckily had one of those big kerosene heaters which helped a lot but we also bought a gas generator as well as a portable heater that runs on those coleman gas cylinders that's relatively ok indoors since that incident. There are always options like this one in the video though that are a help in a pinch. If you're a homeowner obviously you have more flexibility than those who rent in these matters. One thing I noticed quite a bit from the news down there.. if it gets so cold that your pipes can freeze leave a slight trickle going. Good luck this winter!
Tl;dr: work great but they leave black soot on the ceiling... ..Great video, I can vouch for these. I moved out at 17 and found a farm that would let me stay in an old barn that had a drywalled room and outhouse. Did odd jobs in return for living area. All thru the winter i used these since there was no electricity - besides a single extension cord. Also they double as lighting. But - be warned itll leave black soot on the ceiling above where you burn it. This was only 8 years ago. Never feel trapped make the best of every living situation
Thank you. THE Best video I've seen personally on these. Short. Very informative & educational. Very clearly produced and camera work angles zoom etc & covered lots of points. Perfect . Thank you. from UK.
if you use the large can, what about putting a smaller can inside and some sort of insulator between the two cans, sand, rock, litter, ect... this might help keep outer can cooler..just a thought have not tried it. Great video..thanks.
What exactly would that achieve? If you're not handling the can why would it matter if the outside of the larger can is cooler? If anything, the heat coming off a warm can is extra heat to warm you.
@@roseanneward657 exactly... an insulator.. meaning less heat comes off the can. You could probably even add more sand to where almost no heat is generated.
Excellent! Only thing I would do differently is to use cotton balls instead of the very valuable and sometimes hard to find toilet paper. When I was growing up in the 60's our family camped a lot and we had an alcohol heater that used denatured alcohol (it burns cleaner with no soot) and had a lot of cotton in the fuel tank to prevent spills I think (Origo maybe?) It was very warm and we used it in our pop up tent trailer going across America in 1966. You could even cook on it. I like the way you made these into a nice little kit that has everything needed ready to go. Good thinking.
Definitely Cotton Balls & Petroleum Jelly. I use a 1 quart can and an inverted gallon can with hole around the bottom. Inverted over the quart can makes a Very Hot Heater. I lived in a shack made from pallets over a homeless winter. Very efficient heater.
@@bradd1780 Yes, but petroleum jelly emits much higher levels of CO1. (Carbon monoxide) Denatured alcohol does not, also, in case of a spill, it can be extinguished with water and is much safer to use inside.
Nice! Denatured alcohol would be an awesome option as the soot is definitely an issue for sure - and cleaner burn means cleaner air too - but always prudent to use them in a space that has a fresh air supply readily available.
I saw this decades ago in one of the outdoor magazines. I think they were using it for a duck blind or an ice fishing shanty. If you are using it for an enclosed space, like a room in your house during a blackout or a small enclosed structure you might want to use some bricks to place around it and add some above, or maybe a clay flower pot as I saw used in another video. The heater will heat the bricks about the flame and radiate the heat around rather that loosing so much up to the ceiling. BTW, for the most heat production go to a hardware store and by some denatured alcohol. It will burn better and isn't diluted with water like the rubbing alcohols.
I think I would buy a bottle of grain alcohol and keep the toilet paper in the can dry in case i needed to use the paper for it's original purpose. I could use the alcohol for several other things. Make the heater if I and when I needed heat.
I understand what you're saying, but it's designed as a compact, ready to go unit. You'd have to carry the alcohol in a separate container, then risk spilling it in an emergency situation. This way all you have to do is open the container and light it.
If using it as a heat source during a power-outage, I recommend putting it on pan, baking sheet, or in a pot, and elevating off the floor with a sturdy wooden base.
I put the quart inside in as it gallon and be sealed it. I used it in a 3 day emergency. I put some wire on the top so I could cook on it. I used 91% and it works great. Since I was at home we closed off the kitchen and stayed there . Did fine.
I made up a few of these a number of years ago. I tested using a grate to rest a pot over it. It works well as a flame for cooking, although the smoke does darken the bottom of the pot. Cleans off easily. If you have a spare lid, you can cut triangles around the lid and extend the burn time and focus the flames. Great emergency stove if power goes out for extended time.
That’s a great series of tests! Now I’m curious to know if we could take some regular cotton fabric, roll it tightly, and put that in the can as a wick. I did a test too, and I set the can into our wood stove. Worked nicely, and looked like a regular fire in the wood stove. If I were to use it more decoratively, I might camouflage the can within the wood stove. This truly is a great emergency heater. Everyone KEEP IN MIND: Never, ever, pour additional alcohol or any fuel into a lit (or potentially lit) can. That could be catastrophic. Love this vid!
@@GanderFlight I saw a video of a guy who cut old denim jeans into strips the size of the tuna can he was using. Rolled them like to. You can burn all types of oils, alcohol or liquid paraffin in em. Your method has a lid to snuff out the flame and preserve unused fuel too. After a minute without air supply, it would be safe to add more fuel and extend the life of the 🧻 tp. Great presentation. 👍
Thank you for the info.! I just went through The Texas Cold storm of February, 2021. This would have been great to have as a backup. Finally, after waiting 11 months, due to COVID-19, 91% alcohol is available at Walgreens.
I think this is the same trick my friend from Kansas does, just uses a coffee can, good if you get stuck in a storm in your car. Thanks for testing this out for us!
Please use candles in your car. This methods flame can get a bit high and can catch the interior of your vehicle on fire. He says this in the video. Be safe. ❤
Great video and quite inspirational. A couple of alternate takes on this idea that may have merit for someone out there is as follows. I, personally would only use pure Bio-ethanol that is designed for indoor vent-less fireplaces. Why? Simply because it gives of ZERO carbon monoxide. It doesn't shoot, and it burns super clean. Secondly, if you carried a couple of extra lids with this kit with various hole configurations drilled in them, you would be able to control the burn rate instead of the flame going full tilt and wild. A great idea, made a little better, with perhaps just a little tweaking.
I have been playing with these for the better part of a year now, So far I love them. First as shown in the video the only thing that I would seriously suggest, skip the 70/90% isopropol and go with denatured. Denatured is cheaper and made for stoves. The second thing I recommend (not for use like in the video) I live in the Seattle area and like an occasional cigar during winter and I found that a second can, with holes drilled around the edges of both the top and bottom (6-8 dime size holes works well, more smaller would be fine) placed on top of the first after you light it will act as a radiator. The difference is really noticeable if you are sitting next to one. (and yes you can reuse the same can/paper many many times)
You have the best little tips. We live in the mountains and of course get snow. This is going in my emergency box. I’m thinking the smaller cans and the 70% alcohol. But maybe I’ll do a couple of each. Thanks as always for sharing!
@@GanderFlight so far since I use only 70% isopropyl alcohol not very of course I have it in an IKEA "hobo" stove and I have it just in case I need to cook when lights go out
Cool video, neat walkthrough on it. Old timers used that exact same heater back in the day, definitely not a new idea, but easy to get lost over the years with newer fancy ($$$) heaters
the 1 lb coffee can works very well. used one for years while hunting. just use a small piece of wood to kill the flame and save the plastic lid to reseal the can.
@@theresaprice310 when you're hands are freezing, using one of these little heaters correctly is not wasting anything. The paper does not burn much. The alcohol vaporizes and burns mostly above the can untill it runs out of fuel.
Great idea. You could use any alcohol. Make a bourbon scented one. Made something similar years ago using corrugated cardboard and wax. Burns for hours, makes lots of smoke. Not for use indoors. Plus you have to deal with hot melted wax, be careful if you try.
For more efficient heat have a pot stand to go on top of the paint can heater and two terracotta pots, one larger to leave an air gap between the pots, inverted over the heater. Provides a surface to radiate heat and shield the open flame.
I'm curious in what ways you mean that it is more efficient. Conservation of energy and all that. As a heat sink, because of poor ventilation conditions, there are more compact and easier ways to accomplish that, such as the simple double-container sand-insulated idea given by others (but surely there is something more useful than sand, in an emergency situation, that can also act as a thermal mass.)
VERY IMPORTANT. PLEASE READ: Gander Flight: I did not get your name, sorry; but this warning should be part of your tutorial. This is an emergency heat application you would typically use in a car, stranded somewhere in the dead of winter. IT CAN save your life. But...IT CAN ALSO KILL YOU. You cannot light this inside a car without proper ventilation. You must crack some windows and generally monitor the quality of the air you're breathing. If your car won't start and the electric windows don't work, then you need to leave a door partially open, which, by the way, may defeat the whole point of such a small source of heat, but that is another comment. This heater generates Carbon Monoxide, which quickly converts into CO2 when it finds oxygen. As the available oxygen level goes down (because of this heater and because of the people breathing it), more and more carbon remains as Carbon Monoxide, CO. Carbon Monoxide is not smoke. You cannot see it. You cannot smell it. You cannot taste it. What happens with CO is that you get sleepy and then you NEVER WAKE UP. And by the way, CO poisoning makes for a nice, pinkish face, healthy-looking corpse.
I’m not sure with the size of the flames I would ever light this inside a vehicle anyway - but you are absolutely correct- if you decide to light this in an enclosed space absolutely positively have a source of fresh air!
Burning alcohol does not produce Carbon Monoxide. It only produces H2O vapor and Carbon Dioxide. So maybe cracking open a window slightly or burning alcohol in an big open area.
Great video. I used to carry one when I lived in South Dakota as I worked on the road year round. Then I moved to Texas and forgot about it. However, after last year and this year in Texas I've decided to revive it.
Great vid never saw this one before. Going to do Qt cans for all vehicle and going to do gallon paint can as well. Will check it out as community heat source and for self-contained cooking. Thinking about sinkings 4 to 5 pieces of rebar inside the can. To see if if it will give a big enough gap to put a pot on to and not kill the flame 🤞
As compared to the toilet paper? I’m not sure there would be a difference in performance as if done correctly theyre just acting as a wick for the alcohol and not burning themselves.
@@Bucky1836 since it's in a container, I don't think the absorption would be a limiting factor because anything not absorbed is still in the can. In fact, the thicker shop towels would leave less room in the can for alcohol, so higher quality might actually lead to lower yield.
If you used something like paraffin wax instead of alcohol you could probably get a much more 'stable' version. No need to worry about spilling or evaporating. On top of that paraffin is denser so you can fit more in the same area AND it has about 30% more energy per unit than isopropyl. The only real downside is the harder prep and lighting may not be quite as easy
@@abou824 We've used liquid paraffin and paraffin wax in paint cans for shows and Christmas light trails for decades. For liquid paraffin toilet roll works best but for wax you want a central wick around 30mm diameter made from either glass or paper rope but for an improvised burner tightly wound toilet paper or other paper might work. You really need a blow torch to light them but you could probably use alcohol as a starter fuel and a match.
@@ghin780 what a roll of toilette paper is used as the wick, no it is not called a candle, and the principles are closer to that of oil lamps than that of candles
I’m sorta thinking that, what you thought was corrosion in the cans, was actually the effects on the inner coating being broken down by four years of being soaking in the alcohol. Most modern paint cans have a protective coating inside, to keep the tin from rusting from the water in latex paint. Great video, I’ve heard of doing this but you’re the first person I’ve seen that showed the method and in use. Four years of storage and still useful…? Interesting comparison between the percentages of alcohol too. Great to know. Thanks for sharing. 👍
You may be correct on the corrosion. Lots to learn with this experiment and many more questions presented. Changing the fuel type, the toilet paper type etc. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave your thoughts Jason.
We bought clearance hand sanitizer and it is 70% alcohol. $0.59 a half gallon. Burns really well and this sanitizer had no bad smells. Also tried gel hand sanitizer and it works but takes awhile to saturate toilet paper
Awesome explanation! What's ironic "was" the use of toilet paper because it was hard to get. I paid through the nose for TP on eBay, which doesn't have the paper tube and is solid. So it will work just fine.
One quart paint can, one gallon coffee can with holes drilled through on the top a around the top of the sides. Invert the coffee can over the paint can. Now you have a good heater and a stove top for a pot or frying pan. Just insulate the bottom. It'll burn anything. Out of alcohol, use gas, oil or just wood. Although gas & oil do smell. 30+ yrs in the Canadian north and it cost practically nothing, but has kept me reasonably comfortable at may -30c° nights. Just extinguish it before you go to sleep.
used to make these way back for heaters when out hunting . used coffee cans back then . only down side was the plastic lid they started using in the late 70s . i miss metal coffee cans , had lots of uses .
Thanks!!! GREAT idea for the car!!!.. 😘😇... I also carry a bucket of pellets, and gravel, and salt... hmmm.. another diy?? 🙄.. wonder if you could.. put some pellets in can, from the beginning... would it make it.. hotter?.. or last longer??.. 🤔.. I appreciate these projects.. I wrote English papers, for people to get me through science and math... 🤣.. so, I love your.. simplistic explanations!!.. stay creative, and WARM! 🙏🌡🌞🌟
Good project. Wondering: what if you took another can large enough to nest the heater in, perforated it and cut some fold-in tabs on the sides so that you could invert it over the heater? Could that effectively reduce the open flame a bit and act as a radiant surface? Or perhaps multilayered stainless steel mesh?
I would think that using 100 percent anhydrous isopropyl alcohol would take care of the corrosion problem. Sometimes you can get old cans that are brass lined would help. Just some ideas to address the corrosion problem.
I used those in a hunting ground blind, they work great for heat, you have to be very careful, if they get knocked over, the alcohol is thin and spills and can easily ignite the inside of you car.
They work very very well hello I would use the gallon paint can just me living here in Montana in a tent for more than 4 years I've been through negative 40s good warm sleeping bags great however getting out of the sleeping bag sucks in the cold but with a good tall tent in one of these heaters you wake up open the can flip a match HID lights take a 5-minute snooze and the entire tent is warm enough to get sorry for the mental picture naked cleaned up dressed and ready for day's work put the lid on and it will go up. Word of note if there is a fabric or plastic floor in your tent find a Flat Rock Brick worst case scenario get you a pile of sand to put it on.
That is pretty but I have one of the little buddy and if I use one can of 1 lb fuel it lasts about or so and I wonder which creates more heat that would be a great thing to watch but thank you for the video
Question - what kind of plastic liner was inside the quart sized paint cans? Answer - the kind you don't want to inhale when they're burning, melting or even hot (I strongly suggest you use unlined cans).
Fantastic! I know how im heating the house this winter! But Ill have a ABC fire extinguisher near by. A thought. Don't keep/store the fire extinguisher near the fire. If the can spill you dont want to run into the burning alcohol to put the fire out.
This definitely isn't a good way to heat a house, please don't do it. Way too sooty and you definitely need to keep it properly ventilated with fresh air.
Extra points for the quarter taped to the top for an opener. )) They stop burning due to lack of oxygen. Candles in glass jars fail the same way. Supporting hurricane glass over a plain candle will let air get under the flame so the candle burn till gone. A couple of toothpicks for clearance works well. Wax candles need a drip container like a saucer. If there is enough wick left, the spills will burn too. Alcohol in the can will not allow a hole in the bottom, so when the air runs out, yer done. Cigarette lighters don't light when its cold. Matches need striker grit to light so keep the match box strip with the matches. Pill bottle is good to keep them dry. Wet/damp matches are a dissappointment. Your system works well enough for me to make this set up for my car and for my tent. This could be worth the trouble of a big lantern container when used just for light not cooking. Thanks for making this video. ))
Having seen many of the soda can penny stoves I am wondering how much burn time would you get from the quart cans if you drilled holes in a separate lid so you could still keep it in the car but replace the sealed lid with the holed lid and used it as a stove. Just something to try I guess.
I used to do this in my deer stand using the 70%. It would get so hot that you had to open the window and shed the coveralls. I keep some in my house incase the power goes out.
I did the same thing but I use cotton balls and the alcohol and it worked just as well or Crisco in a can with a candle in the middle works just as well also and it's cheap
Hobo candle 🕯 is another approach. Coil up corrugated cardboard in a can and melt candle wax in there to fill all the empty spaces (doesn’t have to be completely filled in , don’t have to worry about corrosion or the thing exploding from vapors building up and it gives a nice heat that lasts hours
We used these frequently in my youth. They work well as a candle or a heater. 💯 Vodka burns better & Cleaner. It’s also a hand sanitizer & wound cleanser without the toxic side effects of isopropyl which is wood alcohol. We get wood alcohol from paper mills as a by product of paper making along with the residues of some very harsh chemicals. After chipping the wood the wood then goes into chemical vats to be cooked down. Wood alcohol is toxic. It prunes your cells like raisins. It’s bad, yet they use it all the time in sanitizing food packages for store bought foods. Vodka don’t poison us on a micro scale. That is, unless you abuse it. These work really well. This video took me back some yrs. thanks. Ps: we use to use white gas. The same stuff that is used in the old Colman lanterns & camp stoves. You can use most any file that burns, but don’t explode. I bet lantern oil would work. I’ve not tried that, but you have to be in a ventilated area or the fumes may kill you.
What I do with a lot of my stuff is to label, say with a sharpie, the item with date and what is in it. You don't have to get too anal about it, month and year would work. Good information in this video.
⭐⭐ *Examples of Products Used In This Video* ⭐⭐⠀ 🔷 Unlined Metal Paint Can Quart: amzn.to/3ZuthFB 🔷 Lowes: www.lowes.com/pd/Valspar-1-Quart-Paint-Bucket/1000380783 🔷 91% Isopropyl Alcohol: amzn.to/3LhHJg7 🔷 70% Isopropyl Alcohol: amzn.to/3KW7jad
@@GanderFlight hello and new subscriber right here. Can you please tell me if i should buy rubbing alcohol or isopropyl alcohol and what strength please?
hi, is there a benefit to using the tp as a wick? versus just burning the alcohol or vapors on it's own? if i have a half an aluminum can with alcohol, and burn it, then do the same with a wick, it gives the same size flame and same run time. same amount of fuel is being consumed. so is there a particular reason to use the tp other than for convenient storage? seeing as it's just a little easier managing a saturated ball of tp instead of a can of liquid. ya know?
I haven't tried it without the toilet paper wick so I can't speak to that, but if nothing else the price of a roll for the storage convenience is enough for me to use it :)
Great video. I spent months rough camping with a little napalm stove and I swear by them. (just like this but smaller, and with alcohol gel). You have to be careful about fire safety and ventilation, but they dont have parts to break or go wrong. I would love to see a test with these toilet paper heaters where you drop in an insert. Something like a metal can lid with big holes punched in it, to see if it reduces the rate of burn, trading heat for longevity. Subbed based on this video. Fuck knows I have enough toilet paper to burn .... just saying lol
Very cool! I’m buying a new house and it’s oil heat and I’m terrified I will run out. 350.00 is the least I need for new oil delivery. My question is can these be used indoors and can you use a paper towel roll cut in half? Thank you!
![Safe Indoor DIY Heater [ Cheap, Effective ]](/img/n.gif)
I made one of these this past week during the deep freeze here in Texas. Added a large disposable aluminium roasting pan as a reflector...essentially turned it into a mini fireplace. Out of all the makeshift heaters this has been by far the best. Yes we used it inside and before anyone goes of about safety...we are fully aware of the dangers and took every precaution necessary...including having a fire extinguisher on hand. My advice to anyone is to try these things out before an actual emergency. Learn what works, what doesn't and what not to do.
Try it before you need it is the best advice!
LOL I did the same with my cans for a Fireplace look, except I used Galvanized Tubs with rocks and sat some cans in large Terracotta pots for extra heat. We lost power here and Louisiana too. When my Big buddy ran out Propane, I improvised since the smell of my Kerosene heater makes me Nauseous.
@@chrissyg55 be careful with galvanized. I know heating it at higher temps let’s off a fume that’s bad for you. I don’t know if this would be in that range or not 🤷🏼♂️ but worth double checking the galvanized metal issue
Korina, just to clarify... I am assuming that you are referencing the power outages that affected Texas 2 weeks ago. I am wondering about the ability to use this in a home during an extended power outage in the winter. So my question is... really about the fumes. Is it safe to burn something like this indoors given the fact that I am utilizing every fire precaution that is available to me? AGAIN, The fumes are what I am primarily concerned about because I would utilize fire safety.
@@swimdad5146 Burning alcohol just gives off CO2 and water vapor, so you’d want to be careful in smaller spaces and sleeping on the ground next to it might not be advisable. Trying it out with an initial burn would cook off any coatings or solvents on the can, too
I was thaught this method back in the 70's. Back then we had hub caps on vehicles. Take a hub cap off, put it in your car, put the heater in the hub cap, and light it. Crack a window (back then we had cranks) and heat the car up. Put the fire out, roll up the window, and enjoy. We were taught to carry an extra bottle of alcohol. With 2 bottles and intermintent burning you'd have 24- 36 hours of heat. It could save a life! Oh back then we didn't have cell phones either.
Nice!
Wow!!!
Grandpa showed me that 50 years ago. In Minnesota you have a back-up, especially with the old cars. He used a metal coffee can and didn't add alcohol until needed to use. Burned for many hours if stranded. When no cell phones and on your own.
Love it!
My father told me of a similar trick they used in WWII while rolling across Europe. They would take a empty bean can (any can, really) fill it with dirt, then pour gasoline into it. They then lit the gasoline vapor and used them to cook. The additives in the gas mean you probably wouldn't want to use them to heat a small space, but if the power is out you could still make a hot meal and drinks, or heat rocks to bring inside.
@@ralphm6901 Be careful with rocks. Some of them might explode when super hot, esp if they have cracks in them.
@@ralphm6901 We did the same in the Corp. I was in Motor T, 3533.
We would take a C-Rations cracker can, full it with dirt and use diesel from our primary fuel filter drain plug to fuel it.
Worked great for a camp stove.
I’ve been doing just that here in Nebraska since the 1970s. Where do you get unused paint cans?
It's been around for over 50 years, good video to those who didn't know.
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What did they use it for?
@@danyelgarcia3689 Oh, you know, just about anything you need a fire for, like lightning a cigarette or drying your laundry
I recommend keeping small tent in vehicles at all times 🧐
Good recommendation.
I keep 2 small tarps in my trunk at all times. Change a tire in the rain, need to cover something, need to make a shelter.
So many uses.
And mylar blanket. They are tiny, but they reflect upto 95% of your body-heat.
For sleeping Purposes only. Rucking in the mud is fun as phuck
Mix both together for a 80%
Great video and survival concept. Thank you for sharing. I would only add the following... Store the sealed smaller can in a larger paint can. When used, place the larger can over the smaller, with an air gap at the bottom (use some small rocks or sticks). The larger can provides four key advantages... 1.) thermal mass, thus providing radiant heat that is more controllable and efficient, 2.) a means by which to regulate the speed of the burn (decrease or increase the size of the air gap), 3.) protection from dangers of an open flame, a hot can will not ignite anything, while a flame will ignite just about everything, and 4.) a way to extinguish the flame by simply closing the air gap.
Great points, thanks for sharing Trip!
Your not daft Trip😉👍
Great, thank you :)
Absolutely love the extra tip, Trip.
Quick question. I've been scratching my head how to heat my small greenhouse, 10x10'. Do you think this can be used in a greenhouse, safety wise?
Thanks in advance.
Think of a large chafing dish with a control to raise or lower the flame on a sterno can by lowering and raising a little cap over the sterno can.
"The candle that burns twice as bright , burns for half as long" was taught that when i was young
All other things being equal, yes. But that was the test right? Does a higher alcohol percentage make a difference.
@@GanderFlight id use 70 pecent for longer burn but 91 would be good for intense cold 🧐
That wise teaching was about drugs maaan.
@@y0uCantHandle bladerunner 😎
sounds like Mark Twain!!
In 1988 I was working in my Oilfield job in a remote area of Northern Alberta .. it was Cold.. -43F cold… on a dark barely used section of old logging road, my engine blew.. the connecting rod hanging out the side of my pickup.. it was 8 pm… this was before Cellular.. before Aurora Telephones.. I was in a spot… I used a hammer and screwdriver to pop a hole in my Fuel tank, I filled 3 of the 81 Chevy hubcaps with gasoline.. I had a sealed water testing kit that was made out of aluminum and a rolled up rag in the bottom , added the gas and lit it.. the top and bottom on fire kept me alive until 7 am when a logging truck drove by and saw the steam coming from my back slider window ( the fumes were really hard on the eyes) opened to avoid getting asphyxiated… After that I started building almost the same heaters you have here.. and put them in every vehicles Safety Bag.. Saved my Live WITHOUT a doubt.
Wow! What a story! Glad it worked out for you. What type of fuel do you use in the ones you've built?
We used these during the big ice storm in Memphis is 1992. The fumes burned our eyes so that they were NOT useful as heaters indoors. We found that candles as heat to heat pans of water held the heat a little longer. Now we know that candles in a pan with a terra cotta planter over it upside down works better.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Absolutely this. A smaller flame feeding into a trap with more thermal mass and low conductivity will make the most use of the heat energy being released by the flame.
@@OddBallPerformance unfortunately, you need what approaches a prohibitively significant number of candles to output enough heat for a room in practice - not enough watts output by such a small flame so you need a dozen or even two dozen of them - those tea-light heater videos are a joke at best - the pilot light in the water heater doesnt meaningfully change the temperature of the water inside and the conditions there are more or less ideal
If you heat wather white candles, yo need heated it in a pressure bowl, in other waise you introduce humidity. Sorry for my bad englush.
Candle heaters are a JOKE. They do NOT work. Waste of time.
I have made these about 45 years ago, using the small coffee cans, back when they were all made of metal. I never thought of using a paint can.
Thanks for sharing this info.
The sealable lid of the paint can is awesome for transport and storage!
In Covid-land, that’s one mighty expensive source of heat right there using toilet paper. Lol 😂 might as well burn a gold bar or something. Just kidding, great idea video!! 👍🏼
Just take a roll from the hoard stash 😂
I was thinking the exact same thing. Lol
Do newspapers still exist? Im old so i still see them lol
Cheap 1$ store tp 4 rolls for a $ works just fine if uve prepared for things there really isn't a issue even with the way things are now also isopropyl alcohol is 1$ a bottle or cheaper depending where u get it an how much u buy at a time these work great in an emergency, heat is better than no heat when u need heat but always take precautions for for any senerio
@@GanderFlight al bundy used to roll up the phone book. Wait do they still exist...
Use one in my deer blind for warmth & making hot chocolate/ coffee. Works great. 🔥☕
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These also work great at getting rid of fleas. Was shown that years ago when had bad flea problem on back porch. Had one of these set up in middle of porch and walked away from it and the fleas would jump in it bc of attracted to the heat. We just put the liquid in the can and let it burn until went out.
Interesting
ha ha ha.
Made several as gifts over the years for friends and family, always use 70%. Also, keep one in my vehicle ... just in case. Great (supervised) project to do with young neices and nephews to gift their dad for father's day. Thanks for sharing!
Love it!
@@GanderFlight Hey question: How much alcohol did you pour into the cans? I have some 4 liter jugs, just wondering/ trying figure out the burn times I'd get for that much. Thnx.
@@dizcret I don't recall specifically - just filled them until they were saturated and full. Sorry I can't be more specific but I don't want to make up an answer. Less than a quart of liquid for a quart can ;)
I learned of this from a colleague who had done his medical residency at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. During the first week, they gathered all the newbies and told them of a list of emergency supplies to keep in their cars for the winter in case they get stuck overnight in the snow.. The coffee can, the isopropyl alcohol, and the matches. My memory tells me they said you could use this in your car, just crack a few windows and have a base to use. Much easier to heat the inside of a car than outside.
Interesting - yeah just gotta watch the flames inside - car seat fabric burning will get you a little hotter than you wanted to be.
That was very interesting. I have used this for a cooking source. It worked well. I will make one for my car. When I made one for cooking I used denatured alcohol. It lasted a long time. I appreciate all your time it took for you to do this. Thank you
I think I will try putting a quarts sized heater like this one inside of a gallon can that will hold other stuff as well, like the matches, or a space blanket.
Survival kit in a can!
😂✌.
Great idea!
you'd have space for hundreds of space blankets
Excellent presentation. Very informative and thorough. Particularly helpful is the burn time info. Thinking of a winter night situation, 2.5 hours is likely not enough time in a remote location. Would definitely invest in a few more bottles of alcohol in that kit. What a lifesaver! Thank you.
You’re welcome!
Actually, it would provide a lot more heat time if you used it to heat something like a clay pot or a large rock. Once that absorbs all the heat it can and the burner runs out, whatever you heated would give off its heat for some time, perhaps an extra 1/2 hour or so.
I have something similar but done with small round tuna tins. Cutting long stripes of cardboard, slightly shorter than the tin height. Roll the cardboard stripes into a roll ant introduce it in the tuna tin. Later pour some old used cooking oil and it will be ready to use as a candle or a cooking stove with some sort grill on top. And of course, it is working as a heater while being used for other porpouses.
I will try to find the video and share it here.
C'mon Christina get it shared 😉😁
Look up buddy burner on TH-cam.
I saw a TH-cam video of homeless dudes pouring candle wax in them and its last forever
I made little diy "camp stove," like that as a kid. A tuna tin with strips of cardboard inside and covered with paraffin. Then a coffee can turned over on top of it with vent holes punched with a can opener. I think I learned it in scouts.
Altoid can carboard and wax
Old tobacco cans fit a toilet roll nicely. We used this method for heating ice fishing shacks. As soon as the toilet paper starts burning we put it out and refilled the can. In a car carry candles.
Nice!
more fun to refill it while its still lit
Watching from Texas right now. They say that we are expecting even more snow this year. Funny they know that. They also say that our grids DEFINITELY won't be able to take it. Looks like another year with no power. Thanks for the video. They will all come in handy.
I live in MN and we've lost power in the dead of winter when it was -25 for about 5 hours during a blizzard.. no fun. We luckily had one of those big kerosene heaters which helped a lot but we also bought a gas generator as well as a portable heater that runs on those coleman gas cylinders that's relatively ok indoors since that incident. There are always options like this one in the video though that are a help in a pinch. If you're a homeowner obviously you have more flexibility than those who rent in these matters. One thing I noticed quite a bit from the news down there.. if it gets so cold that your pipes can freeze leave a slight trickle going. Good luck this winter!
Nothing "funny" about it. It's called meteorology
Make sure to use something like this in a place with proper ventilation.
Tl;dr: work great but they leave black soot on the ceiling...
..Great video, I can vouch for these. I moved out at 17 and found a farm that would let me stay in an old barn that had a drywalled room and outhouse. Did odd jobs in return for living area. All thru the winter i used these since there was no electricity - besides a single extension cord. Also they double as lighting. But - be warned itll leave black soot on the ceiling above where you burn it. This was only 8 years ago. Never feel trapped make the best of every living situation
Yes they'll definitely leave soot - thanks for sharing your experience!
My dad and I had a similar setup we brought duck hunting oh so many years ago. Kept our hands pretty warm when we needed it.
Nice!
Thank you. THE Best video I've seen personally on these.
Short. Very informative & educational. Very clearly produced and camera work angles zoom etc & covered lots of points.
Perfect .
Thank you.
from UK.
Wow, thank you and you're welcome! Lots of different fuel options out there too that folks have recommended in the comments.
if you use the large can, what about putting a smaller can inside and some sort of insulator between the two cans, sand, rock, litter, ect... this might help keep outer can cooler..just a thought have not tried it. Great video..thanks.
I bet that would work really well- insulate the bottom too before putting in the small can.
What exactly would that achieve? If you're not handling the can why would it matter if the outside of the larger can is cooler? If anything, the heat coming off a warm can is extra heat to warm you.
@@urwholefamilydied And maybe set light to what its standing on ?
Sand works good as an insulator and makes the ‘weight’ of the can sturdier.
@@roseanneward657 exactly... an insulator.. meaning less heat comes off the can. You could probably even add more sand to where almost no heat is generated.
Excellent! Only thing I would do differently is to use cotton balls instead of the very valuable and sometimes hard to find toilet paper. When I was growing up in the 60's our family camped a lot and we had an alcohol heater that used denatured alcohol (it burns cleaner with no soot) and had a lot of cotton in the fuel tank to prevent spills I think (Origo maybe?) It was very warm and we used it in our pop up tent trailer going across America in 1966. You could even cook on it. I like the way you made these into a nice little kit that has everything needed ready to go. Good thinking.
Cotton balls and petroleum jelly lasts longer.
Definitely Cotton Balls & Petroleum Jelly. I use a 1 quart can and an inverted gallon can with hole around the bottom. Inverted over the quart can makes a Very Hot Heater. I lived in a shack made from pallets over a homeless winter. Very efficient heater.
@@bradd1780 Yes, but petroleum jelly emits much higher levels of CO1. (Carbon monoxide) Denatured alcohol does not, also, in case of a spill, it can be extinguished with water and is much safer to use inside.
Nice! Denatured alcohol would be an awesome option as the soot is definitely an issue for sure - and cleaner burn means cleaner air too - but always prudent to use them in a space that has a fresh air supply readily available.
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I saw this decades ago in one of the outdoor magazines. I think they were using it for a duck blind or an ice fishing shanty.
If you are using it for an enclosed space, like a room in your house during a blackout or a small enclosed structure you might want to use some bricks to place around it and add some above, or maybe a clay flower pot as I saw used in another video. The heater will heat the bricks about the flame and radiate the heat around rather that loosing so much up to the ceiling.
BTW, for the most heat production go to a hardware store and by some denatured alcohol. It will burn better and isn't diluted with water like the rubbing alcohols.
Thanks for the fuel tip!
I think I would buy a bottle of grain alcohol and keep the toilet paper in the can dry in case i needed to use the paper for it's original purpose.
I could use the alcohol for several other things.
Make the heater if I and when I needed heat.
I agree. Why premix.
Thats a great option - very flexible.
I understand what you're saying, but it's designed as a compact, ready to go unit. You'd have to carry the alcohol in a separate container, then risk spilling it in an emergency situation. This way all you have to do is open the container and light it.
@@jim.h also true.
The reason the can was starting to rust from the inside is that you must have used the 70% isopropyl. The other 30% is water. Always use the 90% +
Thanks for the info 2 yrs ago my power went out. The whole apartment complex was without power for 8 hours.
Did you get yourself squared away afterwards to be prepared for a power outage in the future?
I've used this for years to heat my fishing shack. Works great. I keep a second one on deck. Be sure the let is cool off before refilling it.
Good warning!
If using it as a heat source during a power-outage, I recommend putting it on pan, baking sheet, or in a pot, and elevating off the floor with a sturdy wooden base.
Great advice
Would that be safe inside?
With proper ventilation and air exchange.
Kitchen sink or bathtub.
A couple bricks underneath
I put the quart inside in as it gallon and be sealed it. I used it in a 3 day emergency. I put some wire on the top so I could cook on it. I used 91% and it works great. Since I was at home we closed off the kitchen and stayed there . Did fine.
Thanks for the feedback! Don't forget to crack a window for fresh air supply!
Thank you for making this video and for the different comparisons! This could definitely be a life saver!
You're welcome!
I made up a few of these a number of years ago. I tested using a grate to rest a pot over it. It works well as a flame for cooking, although the smoke does darken the bottom of the pot. Cleans off easily. If you have a spare lid, you can cut triangles around the lid and extend the burn time and focus the flames. Great emergency stove if power goes out for extended time.
Nice! Thanks for watching.
That’s a great series of tests! Now I’m curious to know if we could take some regular cotton fabric, roll it tightly, and put that in the can as a wick. I did a test too, and I set the can into our wood stove. Worked nicely, and looked like a regular fire in the wood stove. If I were to use it more decoratively, I might camouflage the can within the wood stove. This truly is a great emergency heater.
Everyone KEEP IN MIND:
Never, ever, pour additional alcohol or any fuel into a lit (or potentially lit) can. That could be catastrophic.
Love this vid!
I use a wick made of rolled cotton tshirt strips cut to the size of the can. Works great and can be used multiple times.
Old tshirts would be perfect for this!
@@GanderFlight I saw a video of a guy who cut old denim jeans into strips the size of the tuna can he was using. Rolled them like to. You can burn all types of oils, alcohol or liquid paraffin in em. Your method has a lid to snuff out the flame and preserve unused fuel too. After a minute without air supply, it would be safe to add more fuel and extend the life of the 🧻 tp. Great presentation. 👍
@@jasonjohnson6344 Thanks Jason!
Thank you for the info.! I just went through The Texas Cold storm of February, 2021. This would have been great to have as a backup. Finally, after waiting 11 months, due to COVID-19, 91% alcohol is available at Walgreens.
Stock up on few bottles for backup!
I’m from Minnesota and this is brilliant!! Will be added this to the car!
I hope you never have to use it!
I think this is the same trick my friend from Kansas does, just uses a coffee can, good if you get stuck in a storm in your car. Thanks for testing this out for us!
Thanks for watching!
Please use candles in your car. This methods flame can get a bit high and can catch the interior of your vehicle on fire. He says this in the video. Be safe. ❤
Great video and quite inspirational. A couple of alternate takes on this idea that may have merit for someone out there is as follows. I, personally would only use pure Bio-ethanol that is designed for indoor vent-less fireplaces. Why? Simply because it gives of ZERO carbon monoxide. It doesn't shoot, and it burns super clean. Secondly, if you carried a couple of extra lids with this kit with various hole configurations drilled in them, you would be able to control the burn rate instead of the flame going full tilt and wild. A great idea, made a little better, with perhaps just a little tweaking.
Great ideas Barry, thanks for sharing!
I just made 2 out of green bean can 70% they work great! Thanks
👍
I still like the crisco burners. Lots n lots of hours of light and out your terra cotta pot over it for heat too.
Another great DIY option!
I have been playing with these for the better part of a year now, So far I love them. First as shown in the video the only thing that I would seriously suggest, skip the 70/90% isopropol and go with denatured. Denatured is cheaper and made for stoves. The second thing I recommend (not for use like in the video) I live in the Seattle area and like an occasional cigar during winter and I found that a second can, with holes drilled around the edges of both the top and bottom (6-8 dime size holes works well, more smaller would be fine) placed on top of the first after you light it will act as a radiator. The difference is really noticeable if you are sitting next to one. (and yes you can reuse the same can/paper many many times)
Nice! Those are good additions Claythargic.
Love your demonstration, very detail. I'll pick 70%. Thank you.
You’re welcome
You have the best little tips. We live in the mountains and of course get snow. This is going in my emergency box. I’m thinking the smaller cans and the 70% alcohol. But maybe I’ll do a couple of each. Thanks as always for sharing!
You’re very kind and very welcome!
I use a mainstays food insulation stainless steel jar for mine I use the 70% isopropyl alcohol and use it to cook with to
Interesting idea using an insulated jar. How hot does the outside get?
@@GanderFlight so far since I use only 70% isopropyl alcohol not very of course I have it in an IKEA "hobo" stove and I have it just in case I need to cook when lights go out
Cool video, neat walkthrough on it. Old timers used that exact same heater back in the day, definitely not a new idea, but easy to get lost over the years with newer fancy ($$$) heaters
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I'm glad you told people not to use these in a car.
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the 1 lb coffee can works very well. used one for years while hunting. just use a small piece of wood to kill the flame and save the plastic lid to reseal the can.
Nice!
Now that’s smart and normal can’t be wasting NO TOILET PAPER 🤣
@@theresaprice310 when you're hands are freezing, using one of these little heaters correctly is not wasting anything. The paper does not burn much. The alcohol vaporizes and burns mostly above the can untill it runs out of fuel.
Great idea. You could use any alcohol. Make a bourbon scented one. Made something similar years ago using corrugated cardboard and wax. Burns for hours, makes lots of smoke. Not for use indoors. Plus you have to deal with hot melted wax, be careful if you try.
Thanks for sharing!
For more efficient heat have a pot stand to go on top of the paint can heater and
two terracotta pots, one larger to leave an air gap between the pots, inverted over
the heater. Provides a surface to radiate heat and shield the open flame.
Lots of ways to adapt and improve this design depending on what your goal is - thanks for sharing the tip!
I'm curious in what ways you mean that it is more efficient. Conservation of energy and all that. As a heat sink, because of poor ventilation conditions, there are more compact and easier ways to accomplish that, such as the simple double-container sand-insulated idea given by others (but surely there is something more useful than sand, in an emergency situation, that can also act as a thermal mass.)
Oh, man! I thought you were going to show us how to heat up our toilet paper. Now THAT would be sweet!
It's not the toilet paper that needs heating, it's the toilet seat.
Grab a heating pad like you'd use on your back, set the toilet paper on there and viola - warm toilet paper! Total waste of energy though 😂
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VERY IMPORTANT. PLEASE READ: Gander Flight: I did not get your name, sorry; but this warning should be part of your tutorial.
This is an emergency heat application you would typically use in a car, stranded somewhere in the dead of winter. IT CAN save your life. But...IT CAN ALSO KILL YOU. You cannot light this inside a car without proper ventilation. You must crack some windows and generally monitor the quality of the air you're breathing. If your car won't start and the electric windows don't work, then you need to leave a door partially open, which, by the way, may defeat the whole point of such a small source of heat, but that is another comment.
This heater generates Carbon Monoxide, which quickly converts into CO2 when it finds oxygen. As the available oxygen level goes down (because of this heater and because of the people breathing it), more and more carbon remains as Carbon Monoxide, CO.
Carbon Monoxide is not smoke. You cannot see it. You cannot smell it. You cannot taste it. What happens with CO is that you get sleepy and then you NEVER WAKE UP.
And by the way, CO poisoning makes for a nice, pinkish face, healthy-looking corpse.
I’m not sure with the size of the flames I would ever light this inside a vehicle anyway - but you are absolutely correct- if you decide to light this in an enclosed space absolutely positively have a source of fresh air!
Yes I agree safety is a must
Thank you for saying this! I was worrying about this currently in Texas with all this bullshit right now and my house is freezing
Burning alcohol does not produce Carbon Monoxide. It only produces H2O vapor and Carbon Dioxide. So maybe cracking open a window slightly or burning alcohol in an big open area.
@@Kungfu1Kenny Carbon Dioxide can suffocate you too. You need more fresh air than what you would get from "cracking open a window".
Great video. I used to carry one when I lived in South Dakota as I worked on the road year round. Then I moved to Texas and forgot about it. However, after last year and this year in Texas I've decided to revive it.
Right on!
Yes...here in south Dakota we ALL carry our winter survival kit!!!
Thank you for doing the research and demo.
You're welcome :)
1 Gallon New Paint can works fine for me. Great video
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Great vid never saw this one before. Going to do Qt cans for all vehicle and going to do gallon paint can as well. Will check it out as community heat source and for self-contained cooking. Thinking about sinkings 4 to 5 pieces of rebar inside the can. To see if if it will give a big enough gap to put a pot on to and not kill the flame 🤞
Let me know how the rebar works!
You can use 2 bigger (taller) cans, like # 10 cans to put on either side of the paint can to hold a pan several inches above the paint can...
Woooow simple, cheap and fast. Thanks for your time.
👍 Reminder to use items like this in a place that is properly ventilated.
I’m putting this on my project list for this weekend.
Nice! Which alcohol are you going to use?
Lower %
Could you potentially add oil, Crisco or wax to keep the toilet paper burning slowly
Haven't tried it -would be a great experiment!
For the undecided, mix 70% and 91% and avoid all that decision uncertainty. Good idea and video. Thanks. Jess
Thats one way to solve the dilemma!
Wow that's cool got to try it someday thanks
You're welcome
There's an amazing big blue paper towel roll in the background. Please try that, it would be awesome!
As compared to the toilet paper? I’m not sure there would be a difference in performance as if done correctly theyre just acting as a wick for the alcohol and not burning themselves.
Yes agree that might work really good
Shop towels are more dense so they may burn longerv
@@GanderFlight shop towels could absorb more alcohol 🤔
@@Bucky1836 since it's in a container, I don't think the absorption would be a limiting factor because anything not absorbed is still in the can. In fact, the thicker shop towels would leave less room in the can for alcohol, so higher quality might actually lead to lower yield.
Thank you been watching all-sorts of ideas for heat this has been the simplest and best thanks..........
You're welcome!
If you used something like paraffin wax instead of alcohol you could probably get a much more 'stable' version. No need to worry about spilling or evaporating. On top of that paraffin is denser so you can fit more in the same area AND it has about 30% more energy per unit than isopropyl. The only real downside is the harder prep and lighting may not be quite as easy
How would you light that? I'd like to give it a shot.
@@abou824 We've used liquid paraffin and paraffin wax in paint cans for shows and Christmas light trails for decades. For liquid paraffin toilet roll works best but for wax you want a central wick around 30mm diameter made from either glass or paper rope but for an improvised burner tightly wound toilet paper or other paper might work. You really need a blow torch to light them but you could probably use alcohol as a starter fuel and a match.
@@mfx1 Thanks for the reply, I really appreciate it. I'll try it next weekend!
Yeah thats called a candle
@@ghin780 what a roll of toilette paper is used as the wick, no it is not called a candle, and the principles are closer to that of oil lamps than that of candles
Beer can candle version on my to do list
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I’m sorta thinking that, what you thought was corrosion in the cans, was actually the effects on the inner coating being broken down by four years of being soaking in the alcohol. Most modern paint cans have a protective coating inside, to keep the tin from rusting from the water in latex paint. Great video, I’ve heard of doing this but you’re the first person I’ve seen that showed the method and in use. Four years of storage and still useful…? Interesting comparison between the percentages of alcohol too. Great to know. Thanks for sharing. 👍
You may be correct on the corrosion. Lots to learn with this experiment and many more questions presented. Changing the fuel type, the toilet paper type etc. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave your thoughts Jason.
@@GanderFlight Yep, we all learn by sharing knowledge and experience here. I like the experiment you showed in this video. 👍👍
We bought clearance hand sanitizer and it is 70% alcohol.
$0.59 a half gallon.
Burns really well and this sanitizer had no bad smells.
Also tried gel hand sanitizer and it works but takes awhile to saturate toilet paper
Thanks for sharing your experience Carri, good alternative!
Well done! I enjoyed your research and sharing. Thank you.
You’re welcome, glad you enjoyed it!
Amen 🙏🏻 Thnks so helpful in these times
Awesome explanation! What's ironic "was" the use of toilet paper because it was hard to get. I paid through the nose for TP on eBay, which doesn't have the paper tube and is solid. So it will work just fine.
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One quart paint can, one gallon coffee can with holes drilled through on the top a around the top of the sides. Invert the coffee can over the paint can.
Now you have a good heater and a stove top for a pot or frying pan.
Just insulate the bottom.
It'll burn anything. Out of alcohol, use gas, oil or just wood. Although gas & oil do smell.
30+ yrs in the Canadian north and it cost practically nothing, but has kept me reasonably comfortable at may -30c° nights.
Just extinguish it before you go to sleep.
Great idea with the coffee can and easily nestable!
used to make these way back for heaters when out hunting . used coffee cans back then . only down side was the plastic lid they started using in the late 70s . i miss metal coffee cans , had lots of uses .
Yupp - not a new idea here - oldie but a goodie!
How safe is that to carry in your trunk through all the temperature changes of the year?
Only my experience but I haven't had any issues leaving them in all year here in the south.
The autoignition temperature of 70% isopropyl is 750°F. It is quite safe to leave in the trunk of your car.
Thanks!!! GREAT idea for the car!!!.. 😘😇... I also carry a bucket of pellets, and gravel, and salt... hmmm.. another diy?? 🙄.. wonder if you could.. put some pellets in can, from the beginning... would it make it.. hotter?.. or last longer??.. 🤔.. I appreciate these projects.. I wrote English papers, for people to get me through science and math... 🤣.. so, I love your.. simplistic explanations!!.. stay creative, and WARM! 🙏🌡🌞🌟
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Good project. Wondering: what if you took another can large enough to nest the heater in, perforated it and cut some fold-in tabs on the sides so that you could invert it over the heater? Could that effectively reduce the open flame a bit and act as a radiant surface? Or perhaps multilayered stainless steel mesh?
Interesting idea - yes I think there are tons of ways to modify this design - all depends on what you want to do and how much you want to spend :)
I would think that using 100 percent anhydrous isopropyl alcohol would take care of the corrosion problem. Sometimes you can get old cans that are brass lined would help. Just some ideas to address the corrosion problem.
Thanks for the suggestions!
@@GanderFlight Just hope you can find what you are seeking. These days everything is such a joke finding what one needs. Good day fella and peace too.
I used those in a hunting ground blind, they work great for heat, you have to be very careful, if they get knocked over, the alcohol is thin and spills and can easily ignite the inside of you car.
Agreed, I don't recommend using them inside of a vehicle.
The heater in my car broke so this in my lap has been my car heater for almost a month now and it works great 👍
Hardy har har har - good joke! Cheers! 👍
They work very very well hello I would use the gallon paint can just me living here in Montana in a tent for more than 4 years I've been through negative 40s good warm sleeping bags great however getting out of the sleeping bag sucks in the cold but with a good tall tent in one of these heaters you wake up open the can flip a match HID lights take a 5-minute snooze and the entire tent is warm enough to get sorry for the mental picture naked cleaned up dressed and ready for day's work put the lid on and it will go up. Word of note if there is a fabric or plastic floor in your tent find a Flat Rock Brick worst case scenario get you a pile of sand to put it on.
Good call insulating the bottom - a tent on fire or melted is a bad day...
That is pretty but I have one of the little buddy and if I use one can of 1 lb fuel it lasts about or so and I wonder which creates more heat that would be a great thing to watch but thank you for the video
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Question - what kind of plastic liner was inside the quart sized paint cans?
Answer - the kind you don't want to inhale when they're burning, melting or even hot (I strongly suggest you use unlined cans).
Thanks for the suggestion!
Thank you so much for doing this experiment & sharing the results! Awesome video!😃
You're welcome.
Great info, thanks very much❣️ I’ll go with quart cans, 70% alcohol and put them in my bedroom fireplace during winter power outages.
Please open a window - these should be used in places with proper ventilation.
Fantastic! I know how im heating the house this winter! But Ill have a ABC fire extinguisher near by. A thought. Don't keep/store the fire extinguisher near the fire. If the can spill you dont want to run into the burning alcohol to put the fire out.
This definitely isn't a good way to heat a house, please don't do it. Way too sooty and you definitely need to keep it properly ventilated with fresh air.
Extra points for the quarter taped to the top for an opener. )) They stop burning due to lack of oxygen. Candles in glass jars fail the same way. Supporting hurricane glass over a plain candle will let air get under the flame so the candle burn till gone. A couple of toothpicks for clearance works well. Wax candles need a drip container like a saucer. If there is enough wick left, the spills will burn too. Alcohol in the can will not allow a hole in the bottom, so when the air runs out, yer done. Cigarette lighters don't light when its cold. Matches need striker grit to light so keep the match box strip with the matches. Pill bottle is good to keep them dry. Wet/damp matches are a dissappointment. Your system works well enough for me to make this set up for my car and for my tent. This could be worth the trouble of a big lantern container when used just for light not cooking. Thanks for making this video. ))
All great points. Definitely don't use this inside your tent though!
Having seen many of the soda can penny stoves I am wondering how much burn time would you get from the quart cans if you drilled holes in a separate lid so you could still keep it in the car but replace the sealed lid with the holed lid and used it as a stove. Just something to try I guess.
That would be an interesting test - I would imagine in could increase run time considerably.
I used to do this in my deer stand using the 70%. It would get so hot that you had to open the window and shed the coveralls. I keep some in my house incase the power goes out.
Awesome! Yes its a good backup
Did the smell of the heater keep the deer away
@@stevegermain1222 my brother also uses this in his deer stand. The alcohol burns without any odor.
@@stevegermain1222 no, but then again, my feeder was 200 yards away.
Please may I ask if it is all right to use methylated spirits instead of Isopropyl Alcohol?
It cost half the price here in Australia.
You might find this helpful: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denatured_alcohol
These would make good emergency cook stoves, as long as you could shield it from the breeze. I think the coffee can would throw off more radiant heat.
You might even be able to restrict the top and get a more concentrated heat for cooking.
I would love to have seen the heat generated off the coffee can.
I did the same thing but I use cotton balls and the alcohol and it worked just as well or Crisco in a can with a candle in the middle works just as well also and it's cheap
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Hobo candle 🕯 is another approach. Coil up corrugated cardboard in a can and melt candle wax in there to fill all the empty spaces (doesn’t have to be completely filled in , don’t have to worry about corrosion or the thing exploding from vapors building up and it gives a nice heat that lasts hours
Yes that's a great idea!
We used these frequently in my youth. They work well as a candle or a heater. 💯 Vodka burns better & Cleaner. It’s also a hand sanitizer & wound cleanser without the toxic side effects of isopropyl which is wood alcohol. We get wood alcohol from paper mills as a by product of paper making along with the residues of some very harsh chemicals. After chipping the wood the wood then goes into chemical vats to be cooked down. Wood alcohol is toxic. It prunes your cells like raisins. It’s bad, yet they use it all the time in sanitizing food packages for store bought foods. Vodka don’t poison us on a micro scale. That is, unless you abuse it. These work really well. This video took me back some yrs. thanks.
Ps: we use to use white gas. The same stuff that is used in the old Colman lanterns & camp stoves. You can use most any file that burns, but don’t explode. I bet lantern oil would work. I’ve not tried that, but you have to be in a ventilated area or the fumes may kill you.
Yes there are lots of different fuels that would work with this project. Vodka would definitely have more uses compared to isopropyl.
That's why I only drink rainwater and grain alcohol.
What I do with a lot of my stuff is to label, say with a sharpie, the item with date and what is in it. You don't have to get too anal about it, month and year would work. Good information in this video.
Good call, I should do that more often.
It’s a great idea!
Secondly, It’s a great tool to cook with.
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You can use the 70% to heat and the 91% to use to cook with.
Theres an option!
Is it a Paint tin how did you get paint out so silver looking looking wow great job
I purchased it empty- unused at the hardware store.
I save my vegetable oil when it turns rancid, to use as fuel in an emergency. Crisco lard burns a lot lot longer, and it stores forever!!
Yes, but it needs a wick.
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Really Appreciate this DIY. i will be using paint cans 70% alcohol
Sounds good!
⭐⭐ *Examples of Products Used In This Video* ⭐⭐⠀
🔷 Unlined Metal Paint Can Quart: amzn.to/3ZuthFB
🔷 Lowes: www.lowes.com/pd/Valspar-1-Quart-Paint-Bucket/1000380783
🔷 91% Isopropyl Alcohol: amzn.to/3LhHJg7
🔷 70% Isopropyl Alcohol: amzn.to/3KW7jad
Can you use coffee cans???
@@shellyfilippi Yes a coffee can will work - might bump up to a paper towel roll for such a big container.
Whats better , isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol for this project? Thank you
@@GanderFlight hello and new subscriber right here. Can you please tell me if i should buy rubbing alcohol or isopropyl alcohol and what strength please?
@@GanderFlight Thank you
hi, is there a benefit to using the tp as a wick? versus just burning the alcohol or vapors on it's own? if i have a half an aluminum can with alcohol, and burn it, then do the same with a wick, it gives the same size flame and same run time. same amount of fuel is being consumed. so is there a particular reason to use the tp other than for convenient storage? seeing as it's just a little easier managing a saturated ball of tp instead of a can of liquid. ya know?
I haven't tried it without the toilet paper wick so I can't speak to that, but if nothing else the price of a roll for the storage convenience is enough for me to use it :)
The TP greatly reduces the accidental fire hazard if the can is tipped over.
@@buggsy5 you're right. There would be a lot less spillage with the TP inside the can. Without it you would basically have a Molotov cocktail.
Great video. I spent months rough camping with a little napalm stove and I swear by them. (just like this but smaller, and with alcohol gel). You have to be careful about fire safety and ventilation, but they dont have parts to break or go wrong. I would love to see a test with these toilet paper heaters where you drop in an insert. Something like a metal can lid with big holes punched in it, to see if it reduces the rate of burn, trading heat for longevity.
Subbed based on this video. Fuck knows I have enough toilet paper to burn .... just saying lol
I imagine you could definitely rig something to restrict the burn and make a stove of sorts.
Very cool! I’m buying a new house and it’s oil heat and I’m terrified I will run out. 350.00 is the least I need for new oil delivery. My question is can these be used indoors and can you use a paper towel roll cut in half? Thank you!
Always have proper ventilation. And I wouldn’t use this as a regular source of hear.