You can invert the soup can and drill some air holes in the bottom in stead of using the wire mesh. You can use just about any 2 cans preferably about the same height, but one has to be smaller in diameter, so you have space for the air to flow between them.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOU HAVE MADE THE BEST DIY SOLO STOVE IVE SEEN OF ANY VIDEO! May I suggest the big chef boyardee can. Or wide big coffee cans. Yours is perfect! I love the way you did suits to slide other can in for tight squeeze. Others use fiberglass rope to seal that part...not a good idea. U don't want to inhale fiberglass! Note...u should raise the can with feet..off the ground. I bought cool steel cabinet knobs for feet.
Nice job, precise and to the point . I have a smaller version which I love , it fits in my bike bags. Yes, light from the top down , fatwood works well. Also consider putting the paint can lid back on, because you may suck in unwanted ground moisture, also helps heat retention. When stoking use small pieces, preferably split and very dry. I make my own at kindling at home, and carry it with me, it doesn't really weigh much. Mix some hardwood with white pine. works awesome. I totally want that type of potstand , on the to do list. Red Oak twigs unsplit burn awseomely.
Definitely one of the cleaner, more finished wood gas stove builds I've seen on TH-cam... Good Job! I have to agree with what Heath Putnam suggested. As far as having to "babysit wood gas stoves" go, one's 'babysitting-high-maintenance' fate is sealed by the initial chosen fuel loading technique; it's either the (1) 'batch-load / top-lit' method (as Heath recommended -- I agree) or the (2) 'bottom-lit / then-load' method. The method shown was somewhat 'unique' in that you sorta-kinda 'batch-loaded,' but seemingly placed ~10% tinder at the bottom 1st, ~60% kindling in the middle 2nd, ~30% large wood at the top 3rd, then you 'bottom-lit' your stove. I have to say I've never seen this method, but as the video has shown the result was still as I would have predicted -- quick fire, short actual flame/burn time; and as you found, one is forced into "babysitting" a wood gas stove -- true, if this method is chosen. By 'bottom-lit/then-load' loading, you're not only wasting the volume of available fuel space within the burn chamber by LOOSELY loading it from the bottom with tinder 1st, then kindling, and lastly large wood, but you're also delaying the 'heat cap' generation which is key to the pyrolytic/gasification process: quicker gasification = faster optimal operating temperatures = quicker boiling & LONGER cooking times. By design, wood gas stoves burn from the top via the secondary-air holes which is key to generate the necessary 'heat-cap' to trap the created wood gases, and as a result beginning the perpetuating cycle of the pyrolytic/gasification process. This is why wood gas stoves are also known by the acronym, TLUD - 'Top Lit Up-Draft' stoves; their design intent is to burn from the TOP down, not from the 'bottom' up. Consider the 'batch-load/top-lit' method (note wood density % pattern): load ~70% large processed wood 1st (stacked vertically, like straws in a restaurant container), then ~25% smaller wood/kindling 2nd (scatter horizontally, non-patterned), and last ~5% tinder/accelerant (spread completely across top); be sure to keep your fuel load stack-height BELOW the secondary-air holes at the top rim of the stove. Light it & leave it alone... If your stove is designed correctly, you should not have to add any wood for at least ~20+ minutes. Long story short, there really is no need to sit there and "babysit" a wood gas stove -- I say this is a positive.
+aztiger1 I know there are a lot of variables, but could you point us to the lightest, smallest, yet efficient, and simplest design for this type of stove in your opinion? for long distant backpacking... I am considering my soda can stove, but am thinking about one of these to negate carrying the weight of fuel. And having the added benefit of the extended campfire that can come with these. Also while finding the middle of the road, not having to baby sit the fire too much, at least in the time it take to boil two cups of water. Maybe your top 3 choices of stove to fit my criteria.. production video links would be greatly appreciated.... I will probably carry my soda stove and 3 ounces of fuel for a quick backup too. I was considering a little rocket stove, and many hours of searching for something to no avail, is tiresome.. maybe you are aware of one of these that would fit my bill.. Of course weight is going to be the main factor, cooking time not so much, but minimal wood used and ease of use plays a large factor... I am asking this favor of you because of your obvious understanding of these stoves. Thank you unknown fellow utuber and stove enthusiast.
Excellent analysis and instructions for loading/lighting a wood gas stove. Too many "bushcraft experts" on TH-cam don't know the first thing about them.
Thanks for the video 👍...those are good little camp stoves, but they do burn hot and burns fast.. especially when it's small and only takes twigs..but hey, it's a great idea, and it works great 🔥
Shouldn't have cut off the bottom of the inner can, just put some small holes in it. This will give better air flow control, make the fire hotter but burn more slowly. So, packed tight with sticks and lit from the top it will produce good heat for about an hour before needing more fuel. The flame should be blue, not yellow.
Wow, a whole hour?? At best, I've only ever gotten maybe 30 minutes out of one load of wood. I break the sticks into short one-inch chunks in order to fit the most in as possible.
Tony Gingrich Truth, it’s just a hobo stove in this video, the air freely flows from the bottom to the top, it defeats all the purpose of those holes he made , which were supposed to drag the hot air between the walls when the inner can bottom is intact.
I think you actually have a wood fire there. I haven't built one myself yet, so I'm no expert for sure, but I've recently become interested in various efficient wood fire technologies. Here is what I think I understand from blogs and videos I've seen: The inner can should be solid on the bottom with holes around near the bottom, to let the wood gas/smoke coming down from the top out . You should be filling the can with fuel and lighting it from the top, not lighting the bottom and feeding the top. The difference is the top lit fire has a down draft, and yours has an up draft. Your smoke cannot come up between the cans because it is coming out the top. This is why only a few jets are lighting near the end of your burn. I hope this is helpful. Good luck!
Daniel Sharp If you’ve not had an answer to your question check out the YT channel “Simon, a bloke in the woods”. Simon has a tutorial on building a wood gasification stove, and shows how to light it and use it. He has a lot of other good stuff too. A brilliant fellow with no showing off or over-egotistical material. Les in UK
If you drill holes in the bottom of the inner can instead of using the cloth, you can control how much oxygen gets to the fire. This will help control how fast of a burn you have. Also, it looks like the tabs from the outer can are blocking the holes at the top of the inner can. Very nicely don all around though. Great vid!
Nice spin on the wood gas stove! remember that different types of wood will be better than others. I know a few guys that will carry a brickett or 2 just for giggles...LOL great tutorial David!
TomsBackwoods Thanks Tom! In this video I was using some hard maple from my backyard. I would try to stay away from conifers if possible and stick to hardwoods.
David's Passage Well thats sound advice David for people that have hard woods. We do not in Northern Idaho. That said its best to let the fire burn for awhile before cooking and to use a dab of dish washing liquid on the bottom of your pot if its handy. it makes for easier cleaning. I have cooked literally hundreds of times over a conifer fire with no ill taste or effect. the trick is to cook over coals and not the pitch burning at the beginning of the fire.
I'm just interested in a replacement for my Coleman Peak 1 which rusted and stopped working. This design uses natural fuel that you pick up off the ground (but be careful of local rules regarding use of wood for "fires") and has no moving parts to break or small parts to lose. The worst thing about these stoves is the soot.
If you want to make your pans easy to clean, wipe a light coat of any dishwashing liquid on the OUTSIDE of your pan BEFORE putting it on the fire. When you get ready to wash it, the soot will come right off. I learned this in boy scouts over 50 years ago.
At about 2:10 in the video the presenter talks about the wire being galvanized and burning the gal off. It is also worth noting that the cans are commonly zinc coated, plastic coated or some other treatment and that should be removed too before cooking with it.
I like watching the stove building videos. I like to go backpacking, so I'd like a stove that fits into a compact shape, without all the little nuts, pins, and extra cans that need assembling. You're right about the galvanizing. The Zinc coating can burn off, and you don't really want that stuff in your food or water. a plain steel mesh will eventually rust or fail, but they are cheap to replace, and by then, you might find a better stove! Wood gas & coal gas have been around since the late 1700s! they cooked wood or coal to make gas for gas lighting. Then somebody invented the arc lamp 🤨
an alternative to the possibly galvanised net, is to buy a cheap "splash guard" for frying pans, fine mesh stainless net in those.. great work on the stove btw
*Pro tip for lighting these kinds of stoves super easy, anywhere, even in wind* : Carry a few cotton balls, a bottle of hand sanitizer (the pure alcohol kind with no additives or fragrances) and matches. • load up your wood in the stove. • break apart a cotton ball or two into several pieces, and put those near the top of the wood in the stove. • blob a generous amount of hand sanitizer onto the broken up cotton ball fluff. • light a match and put it on the cotton ball/hand sanitizer mixture. You'll have a little roaring campfire in a couple minutes, every time! ☺
For more free fuel see your paper shredder; so many of these i see getting this and than for tinder when 99% of houses get free delivered daily with their mail - junk mail! Shed it and keep it in small bags, take a bag each time you go camping. If you use the cardboard tube inside your toilet tissue and stuff it with the shredded paper - with air gaps) you're good to go. Place your fire tube into the burner and ignite. You are guaranteed dry tinder on the wettest days like this. I have another can or piece of metal underneath to catch embers that could burn the ground - as you say a lot of places don't like fires for that reason, the Earth there gets burnt. That's what I thought you were going to use the mesh or tuna can for. Collect dry twigs on windy days - the wind dries it out ready to burn. Good video though, clear instructions, good sound and clear camera shots. Keep your phone clear of the fire! Some woods spit.
You need to take a can opener and remove the bottom of the paint can and put the progresso soup can lid side up inside. It should fit snug and grip it perfectly with the rubber seal lid from the paint can. Also I take and make like 16 small holes on the bottom of the progresso soup can for the ashes to fall through. I've had mine 4 yrs now and its still going strong. I either use 8 pieces of charcoal. Half a can of wood pellets 40lb bag $3 at Bi-Mart or 1 firestarter stick 12pk at Walmart $4 and some wood chips from Winco $2.08 3/4 full or just some pine cones or twigs 1/4 full. Works great no matter what you use.
My only complaint about this kind of stove is that they do not last very long, due to rust. I am reluctant to buy a heavy duty one made out of sturdier material for the same reason. So, if I plan on doing any cooking that may need one of these I will take along a few sized cans or cans of beans that I can make one of these stoves out of. It does not have to be fancy , just work. Thank you for the video.
I think you would be better off inserting the inside can from the bottom and leave a slightly smaller hole at the top so the secondary combustion air would be forced farther into the fire centre so it would mix and burn more evenly. Nice straight forward video - thanks
David, very good DIY project! You do a great job demonstrating how to build the stove. I am wondering if a small battery powered fan could force more air into an air hole on the bottom to increase the burn. I must give it a try.
Other builders cut the hole for the inner can the same size as the inner can! By cutting the hole slightly smaller and slotting it, you make a tighter fit to almost any size inner can.
I wonder how fatwood would work, in lieu of normal twigs? Perhaps thinly cut hardwoods like oak to prolong fuel duration? I came here to learn about replacing my butane stove and have many more experiments on the list now Good video, thanks 👍
Would a left or right hand pair of aircraft snips work fine for cutting as opposed to a dremel? I like my dremel, but I am not as handy using a cutoff tool as I am with the snips, haha.
That was a nice job on that little stove, David. I was thinking of making one of those same stoves, but possibly A set of legs under it. When you take it camping, do you have a little sack in which to carry it to keep everything else from getting sooty?
You spent $3.00 on the paint can then missed the neat trick of fitting the soup can into the paint can's top rim !! You built it "upsidown" basically. Your "tuna can" pot-stand needs bigger holes, but you got a great tutorial here !
It's in someone else's video, and yes it does, he described it as machine shop tight. I only built 2 and put around 80 cuts for the hole for the can to push thru, so no air leaks, but I have really good metal shears.
@@TIMEtoRIDE900 that was my video, I know because of the "machine shop" fit. I'll find the link and post it. It was on my friend's channel around 7 years ago before I had my own channel. BRB with that link
@@TIMEtoRIDE900 th-cam.com/video/rTPTenSPqs4/w-d-xo.html This took around 10 minutes to build but almost a week of carrying a paint can into grocery stores to figure out what soup can to use
@@survivorjohnny44 That's a great tutorial - I'll have to build one, ... I built 2 a few years ago from various soup cans, they are now too rusty to use.
+David's Passage What he is saying when you bent those pieces down in paint can to make for a tight fit, the tabs blocked the holes you drilled in your soup can..
How about making the container on the top airtight with a screw-on removable lid filled with wood bits and allowing the bottom container more room at the bottom for adding fuel wood fuel and stroking it up - little tiny holes on the top container would emit gas and burn like a kitchen stove hotter and cleaner and longer???
Great tutorial! Have you tried to load the stove up, pretty tightly packed, then light from the top? That may give you less smoke and more heat:) Keep up the good work!
So I'm curious as to why you chose such a complicated method of construction? I've built tons of these, using the exact same paint can and Progresso soup can. Drill the intake holes at the bottom of the paint can instead of the top. Then use a simple can-opener to cut out the bottom. The soup can will fit snugly onto the embossed orifice where the paint can lid normally goes. No need for cutting a crimp fold. I like your idea of completely removing the bottom of the soup can and fitting chicken wire in its place. I'll have to try that next, as I typically just drill many small quarter-inch holes into the bottom. I think your idea will get better gas flow and ash removal.
It appears that David left the lid (now the bottom) off of the quart can and it might be better if it were left on during the burn so that hot embers and ashes don't fall to the ground. You can remove the lid to empty the ashes, later. The holes near the bottom are sufficient air supply, without the lid being removed. It won't harm the efficiency, either way, on or off.
@@nevadie133 It is true. If you light it from the top, the heat causes the lower fuel-wood to release its gas up through the fire, thereby making this gassification stove most efficient. However, after a few minutes it is a moot point since all of the additional fuel is added from the top. So, nevermind! Also, it appears that David left the lid (now the bottom) off of the quart can and it would be better if it were left on during the burn so that hot embers and ashes don't fall to the ground. You can remove the lid to empty the ashes, later. The holes near the bottom are sufficient air supply, without the lid being removed. It won't harm the efficiency, either way, on or off.
You´ve got to PREVENT the combustion of the wood, and there´s two ways for that: Hold a véry tight control on the oxygen input, or indeed: Light it from the top I guess.
What if rather than doing either of those methods what if you make the inner can smaller with no holes. Filler the inner can with fire wood keep the top feed ability. Fill the gap in between the small and large cans drilling holes as close to the inner can as you can as the inner can heats up it will start the outer cans fule to release it's gas!! Wich will then light light from the inner cans flame. Might use a little more wood but 1ce going will last anywhere from 20 to 30 miniutes longer the more space and fule load you have. Just a thought!
It's true. Lighting from the bottom is easier, but much less efficient because the wood mass is combusted before maximum pyrolysis can be reached. Lighting from the top takes a lot more patience. But once it gets going and the can reaches temperature, the heat gets vacuumed down to the bottom, pyroxylizing the wood along the way. The broken down gases then leave the bottom, mix with oxygen, and get drawn back up through the walls to be combusted immediately upon exiting the top. When this design is properly burning, the flames will form a vortex and appear to be "fighting' a tug-of-war between rising away from the can and being drawn back down with the heat which perpetuates the process. To be fair, though...after the first fire and things are hot and normal temperature, the wood is consumed about as rapidly as burning from the bottom.
With this king of stove you're best to load it up full then set it alight, they don't like to be fed all the time they go out more often than not. Good effort though!
What you have is an overcomplicated hobo stove , not a gasifier A simple tin can with holes in the sides at top and bottom would produce the same results as you show .
these wood gas stoves work well, BUT...if you see flames...feed them! Once you no longer see the flame, it has run out of (wood) gas. It burns the GAS, after heating the wood to expel the gas (pyrolysis) so it can be re-taken up through the double wall, to the jets, to burn. Feeding these things can be a real pain if you don't have the wood standing by and ready to be placed into the burn chamber. Once you get a good layer of coals (now charcoal), and the flame has gone out, the stove will cook eggs well. To get a fairly long burn, fill the stove up to the jets with finger-sized, densely packed wood, and light it from the top. Once it starts to gasify, and you see flames emanating from the jets -- place your cookware on top and start to cook. I have gotten a 45 minute burn in this way; others have reported longer burns than that, using wood pellets, lighting from the top. Very dry wood throughout the burn works best.
Saw a guy use wood pellets (for cats) in his stove, burned for an hour and a half with 1lb of pellets and had boil in 5'. Wanna try them and let us know how it burns in your stove?
I made one of these things, wish i wouldve seen this video first. the paint can looks better than the 40oz soup can i used. mine still works great and cost like 3$. i just cant bring myself to spend 100$ or so on some "special" can in a can with someones emblem on it. I mean why? good video though. Thank you.
The cadmium in the galvanization when in fumes causes fever-like symptoms IIRC. I've welded on galvanized (no choice) before and got really sick. It sucks and I don't recommend it.
Omfg chicken little....get real. The amount of zinc on that mesh will burn off in under a minute and can be easily avoided by standing back so you're not breathing it. Stop making a mountain out of a fecken mole hill like some drama queen Californian dumbass.
Using this CAN Method, How long will it Last ? Or How many times will it Boil a Half Pint of water ? Or How many Individual sessions will it Last. Before it totally warps or burns Through. ? Say 4 Half Pint Mugs of Coffee per day X ? how many days ? 2 Large coffee's on a cold morning camping + a half pint of water to make a breakfast product. Then Heat a Tin of Soup at lunchtime + a coffee . + 2 more Coffee's & 1 more can of soup to eat for a full day. ( OK Soup could be Beans or Spaghetti etc. ) Based on My Above, How many Days or Meals would it cook ? 2 Days ? Half a week, ? a full week 28 meals ? How many of these CAN Stoves would 1 person need for a full week of coffee & simple canned foods. I Fully see that they work for boiling water for 1 coffee / 1 can of soup on many videos, Would i need 7 CAN Stoves for 1 week camping ? I don't doubt them, But How Long they will Last. This is not a question On the NEGATIVE Side. or to Fault your Amazing skills. Would i Need 1 per meal, 1 per Day, Week or a new can stove every 10 days /40 meals & coffee's etc ? Almost anything will boil water for a single coffee in the garden, But what about longer camping, or longer Zero Mains power Supply Situations etc ? Anyone ?
If you dont load first and light from the top the advantages of this kind of stove are lost and it acts in the same way as any other small wood stove.When wood is heated anywhere it gives off gas which burns as the flame.It is not wood gas coming out of the top holes but heated air and it is the oxygen in it that mixes with the wood gas to give the double or cleaner burn .In a single wall wood stove once the fire is hot enough the wood gas is burnt completely if no smoke is seen The wood gas stove needs the air from the double wall as charcoal and ash prevent a lot of air getting to the fire from below where as the single wall stoves have air available from all four the sides.The advantage of the double wall stove is that less heat is wasted as all the heat is directed to the bottom of the pot but in practical terms this is not really relevant as a shortage of fuel is never the problem considering how little wood they use.
I don't think you understand the principle of the wood gas stove: The fire at the bottom draws air through the bigger primary holes and heats the wood above, releasing the trapped gases inside (mostly methane) and the heated air in the outer jacket comes back in through the upper secondary holes and mixes with the wood gas, making a hot, efficient fire. optimally, the flames should be blue, like the Bunsen burners you used in Chemistry class. Since your flames are yellow, your design could use some changes to increase the airflow to the top holes, possibly from bigger holes. Most people don't care, as long as they get hot water to make supper on the trail. The alcohol penny stoves are obviously a more efficient design.
You can invert the soup can and drill some air holes in the bottom in stead of using the wire mesh.
You can use just about any 2 cans preferably about the same height, but one has to be smaller in diameter, so you have space for the air to flow between them.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOU HAVE MADE THE BEST DIY SOLO STOVE IVE SEEN OF ANY VIDEO! May I suggest the big chef boyardee can. Or wide big coffee cans. Yours is perfect! I love the way you did suits to slide other can in for tight squeeze. Others use fiberglass rope to seal that part...not a good idea. U don't want to inhale fiberglass! Note...u should raise the can with feet..off the ground. I bought cool steel cabinet knobs for feet.
Nice job, precise and to the point . I have a smaller version which I love , it fits in my bike bags. Yes, light from the top down , fatwood works well. Also consider putting the paint can lid back on, because you may suck in unwanted ground moisture, also helps heat retention. When stoking use small pieces, preferably split and very dry. I make my own at kindling at home, and carry it with me, it doesn't really weigh much. Mix some hardwood with white pine. works awesome. I totally want that type of potstand , on the to do list. Red Oak twigs unsplit burn awseomely.
Great job warning people about the galvanized metal. Keep it up.
Definitely one of the cleaner, more finished wood gas stove builds I've seen on TH-cam... Good Job!
I have to agree with what Heath Putnam suggested. As far as having to "babysit wood gas stoves" go, one's 'babysitting-high-maintenance' fate is sealed by the initial chosen fuel loading technique; it's either the (1) 'batch-load / top-lit' method (as Heath recommended -- I agree) or the (2) 'bottom-lit / then-load' method.
The method shown was somewhat 'unique' in that you sorta-kinda 'batch-loaded,' but seemingly placed ~10% tinder at the bottom 1st, ~60% kindling in the middle 2nd, ~30% large wood at the top 3rd, then you 'bottom-lit' your stove. I have to say I've never seen this method, but as the video has shown the result was still as I would have predicted -- quick fire, short actual flame/burn time; and as you found, one is forced into "babysitting" a wood gas stove -- true, if this method is chosen.
By 'bottom-lit/then-load' loading, you're not only wasting the volume of available fuel space within the burn chamber by LOOSELY loading it from the bottom with tinder 1st, then kindling, and lastly large wood, but you're also delaying the 'heat cap' generation which is key to the pyrolytic/gasification process: quicker gasification = faster optimal operating temperatures = quicker boiling & LONGER cooking times.
By design, wood gas stoves burn from the top via the secondary-air holes which is key to generate the necessary 'heat-cap' to trap the created wood gases, and as a result beginning the perpetuating cycle of the pyrolytic/gasification process. This is why wood gas stoves are also known by the acronym, TLUD - 'Top Lit Up-Draft' stoves; their design intent is to burn from the TOP down, not from the 'bottom' up.
Consider the 'batch-load/top-lit' method (note wood density % pattern): load ~70% large processed wood 1st (stacked vertically, like straws in a restaurant container), then ~25% smaller wood/kindling 2nd (scatter horizontally, non-patterned), and last ~5% tinder/accelerant (spread completely across top); be sure to keep your fuel load stack-height BELOW the secondary-air holes at the top rim of the stove. Light it & leave it alone... If your stove is designed correctly, you should not have to add any wood for at least ~20+ minutes.
Long story short, there really is no need to sit there and "babysit" a wood gas stove -- I say this is a positive.
+aztiger1 I know there are a lot of variables, but could you point us to the lightest, smallest, yet efficient, and simplest design for this type of stove in your opinion? for long distant backpacking... I am considering my soda can stove, but am thinking about one of these to negate carrying the weight of fuel. And having the added benefit of the extended campfire that can come with these. Also while finding the middle of the road, not having to baby sit the fire too much, at least in the time it take to boil two cups of water.
Maybe your top 3 choices of stove to fit my criteria.. production video links would be greatly appreciated....
I will probably carry my soda stove and 3 ounces of fuel for a quick backup too.
I was considering a little rocket stove, and many hours of searching for something to no avail, is tiresome.. maybe you are aware of one of these that would fit my bill..
Of course weight is going to be the main factor, cooking time not so much, but minimal wood used and ease of use plays a large factor...
I am asking this favor of you because of your obvious understanding of these stoves.
Thank you unknown fellow utuber and stove enthusiast.
Excellent analysis and instructions for loading/lighting a wood gas stove. Too many "bushcraft experts" on TH-cam don't know the first thing about them.
Thanks for the video 👍...those are good little camp stoves, but they do burn hot and burns fast.. especially when it's small and only takes twigs..but hey, it's a great idea, and it works great 🔥
You're doing a clean, tidy, precise workmanlike job...
Wood pellets work great in these, good video thanks for posting 👍
Funciona a la perfección..! Gasifica muy bien y en minutos hierve el agua.. Buen Video.. saludos desde Córdoba, Argentina. 👍
awesome. Loved that fact , not everyone has the tools you need. So you just use what you have around.
Thanks for the info. I am looking for alternate ways to cook and heat while camping, or for emergency use.
Shouldn't have cut off the bottom of the inner can, just put some small holes in it. This will give better air flow control, make the fire hotter but burn more slowly. So, packed tight with sticks and lit from the top it will produce good heat for about an hour before needing more fuel. The flame should be blue, not yellow.
Wow, a whole hour?? At best, I've only ever gotten maybe 30 minutes out of one load of wood. I break the sticks into short one-inch chunks in order to fit the most in as possible.
Tony Gingrich Truth, it’s just a hobo stove in this video, the air freely flows from the bottom to the top, it defeats all the purpose of those holes he made , which were supposed to drag the hot air between the walls when the inner can bottom is intact.
I think you actually have a wood fire there. I haven't built one myself yet, so I'm no expert for sure, but I've recently become interested in various efficient wood fire technologies. Here is what I think I understand from blogs and videos I've seen:
The inner can should be solid on the bottom with holes around near the bottom, to let the wood gas/smoke coming down from the top out .
You should be filling the can with fuel and lighting it from the top, not lighting the bottom and feeding the top. The difference is the top lit fire has a down draft, and yours has an up draft. Your smoke cannot come up between the cans because it is coming out the top. This is why only a few jets are lighting near the end of your burn.
I hope this is helpful. Good luck!
I have not seen an example of your described down draft technology. It sounds interesting. Do you have a good reference?
Daniel Sharp If you’ve not had an answer to your question check out the YT channel “Simon, a bloke in the woods”. Simon has a tutorial on building a wood gasification stove, and shows how to light it and use it. He has a lot of other good stuff too. A brilliant fellow with no showing off or over-egotistical material. Les in UK
If you drill holes in the bottom of the inner can instead of using the cloth, you can control how much oxygen gets to the fire. This will help control how fast of a burn you have. Also, it looks like the tabs from the outer can are blocking the holes at the top of the inner can. Very nicely don all around though. Great vid!
Nice spin on the wood gas stove! remember that different types of wood will be better than others. I know a few guys that will carry a brickett or 2 just for giggles...LOL great tutorial David!
TomsBackwoods Thanks Tom! In this video I was using some hard maple from my backyard. I would try to stay away from conifers if possible and stick to hardwoods.
David's Passage
Well thats sound advice David for people that have hard woods. We do not in Northern Idaho. That said its best to let the fire burn for awhile before cooking and to use a dab of dish washing liquid on the bottom of your pot if its handy. it makes for easier cleaning. I have cooked literally hundreds of times over a conifer fire with no ill taste or effect. the trick is to cook over coals and not the pitch burning at the beginning of the fire.
TomsBackwoods Great advice! I will definitely use that info on my trip as Isle Royale has more conifers available than hardwoods generally.
Glad you are doing some more videos again. I really enjoy your channel.
Thanks for watching :-)
Nicely done, loverly stuff. Many thanks from another stove junky. Cheers from Montreal QC
I'm just interested in a replacement for my Coleman Peak 1 which rusted and stopped working. This design uses natural fuel that you pick up off the ground (but be careful of local rules regarding use of wood for "fires") and has no moving parts to break or small parts to lose. The worst thing about these stoves is the soot.
If you want to make your pans easy to clean, wipe a light coat of any dishwashing liquid on the OUTSIDE of your pan BEFORE putting it on the fire. When you get ready to wash it, the soot will come right off. I learned this in boy scouts over 50 years ago.
I hace never seen someone turn a camp stove into such a big project
Greetings from Northern Ireland...subscribed
At about 2:10 in the video the presenter talks about the wire being galvanized and burning the gal off. It is also worth noting that the cans are commonly zinc coated, plastic coated or some other treatment and that should be removed too before cooking with it.
I like watching the stove building videos. I like to go backpacking, so I'd like a stove that fits into a compact shape, without all the little nuts, pins, and extra cans that need assembling.
You're right about the galvanizing. The Zinc coating can burn off, and you don't really want that stuff in your food or water. a plain steel mesh will eventually rust or fail, but they are cheap to replace, and by then, you might find a better stove!
Wood gas & coal gas have been around since the late 1700s! they cooked wood or coal to make gas for gas lighting. Then somebody invented the arc lamp 🤨
Even worse, breathing it in! When you burn the galvanized coating, it converts to fumes that are very toxic to living things.
Use those leaves! I like the Tuna Can and the holes being bigger than some videos I've seen, but this process is way more work than necessary.
Excellent Video!!! Custom craftsmanship and commentary too.
an alternative to the possibly galvanised net, is to buy a cheap "splash guard" for frying pans, fine mesh stainless net in those.. great work on the stove btw
YOu could invert the soup can, and drill holes in the bottom instead of using the mesh.
One word beautiful indeed within a scene..
This is really cool! Now I want to make one. Thanks for making this video! Awesome.
Les Mack You should totally make one! If only for the experience :-)(
Nicest vid I've seen on a small gasification stove. Thanks!
deadfish86 thanks :-)
*Pro tip for lighting these kinds of stoves super easy, anywhere, even in wind* :
Carry a few cotton balls, a bottle of hand sanitizer (the pure alcohol kind with no additives or fragrances) and matches.
• load up your wood in the stove.
• break apart a cotton ball or two into several pieces, and put those near the top of the wood in the stove.
• blob a generous amount of hand sanitizer onto the broken up cotton ball fluff.
• light a match and put it on the cotton ball/hand sanitizer mixture.
You'll have a little roaring campfire in a couple minutes, every time! ☺
best video yet thanks for sharing
For more free fuel see your paper shredder; so many of these i see getting this and than for tinder when 99% of houses get free delivered daily with their mail - junk mail! Shed it and keep it in small bags, take a bag each time you go camping. If you use the cardboard tube inside your toilet tissue and stuff it with the shredded paper - with air gaps) you're good to go. Place your fire tube into the burner and ignite. You are guaranteed dry tinder on the wettest days like this.
I have another can or piece of metal underneath to catch embers that could burn the ground - as you say a lot of places don't like fires for that reason, the Earth there gets burnt. That's what I thought you were going to use the mesh or tuna can for. Collect dry twigs on windy days - the wind dries it out ready to burn.
Good video though, clear instructions, good sound and clear camera shots. Keep your phone clear of the fire! Some woods spit.
You need to take a can opener and remove the bottom of the paint can and put the progresso soup can lid side up inside. It should fit snug and grip it perfectly with the rubber seal lid from the paint can. Also I take and make like 16 small holes on the bottom of the progresso soup can for the ashes to fall through. I've had mine 4 yrs now and its still going strong. I either use 8 pieces of charcoal. Half a can of wood pellets 40lb bag $3 at Bi-Mart or 1 firestarter stick 12pk at Walmart $4 and some wood chips from Winco $2.08 3/4 full or just some pine cones or twigs 1/4 full. Works great no matter what you use.
What about drilling holes in the bottom of the can, rather than using galvanized hardware cloth?
Perfect champ,
Congrats, good and simple explanation
i like your video, nice and clean on the construction, but what about the bottom? is there any way to make it so the bottom is not exposed?
Yes. Instead of cutting out the bottom, leave it there and put about 20-21 6mm holes in it.
Great job Dave 👍
My only complaint about this kind of stove is that they do not last very long, due to rust. I am reluctant to buy a heavy duty one made out of sturdier material for the same reason. So, if I plan on doing any cooking that may need one of these I will take along a few sized cans or cans of beans that I can make one of these stoves out of. It does not have to be fancy , just work. Thank you for the video.
I think you would be better off inserting the inside can from the bottom and leave a slightly smaller hole at the top so the secondary combustion air would be forced farther into the fire centre so it would mix and burn more evenly. Nice straight forward video - thanks
David, very good DIY project! You do a great job demonstrating how to build the stove. I am wondering if a small battery powered fan could force more air into an air hole on the bottom to increase the burn. I must give it a try.
Multi-Tool School It would! In fact there are a bunch of stoves designed that way. Check out the Zen Stoves website for more info. :-)
Other builders cut the hole for the inner can the same size as the inner can! By cutting the hole slightly smaller and slotting it, you make a tighter fit to almost any size inner can.
Most excellent stove.
I wonder how fatwood would work, in lieu of normal twigs?
Perhaps thinly cut hardwoods like oak to prolong fuel duration?
I came here to learn about replacing my butane stove and have many more experiments on the list now
Good video, thanks 👍
Nice build. well done
Mr l liked bout u explained bout efffect of cook on galvanized mesh. 😊👌
Would a left or right hand pair of aircraft snips work fine for cutting as opposed to a dremel? I like my dremel, but I am not as handy using a cutoff tool as I am with the snips, haha.
+StormLaker1975 It wouldn't hurt to try it. I know the metal is soft enough for tin snips. If you feel more confident with them, I say go for it! :-)
That was a nice job on that little stove, David. I was thinking of making one of those same stoves, but possibly A set of legs under it.
When you take it camping, do you have a little sack in which to carry it to keep everything else from getting sooty?
You spent $3.00 on the paint can then missed the neat trick of fitting the soup can into the paint can's top rim !! You built it "upsidown" basically.
Your "tuna can" pot-stand needs bigger holes, but you got a great tutorial here !
It's in someone else's video, and yes it does, he described it as machine shop tight.
I only built 2 and put around 80 cuts for the hole for the can to push thru, so no air leaks, but I have really good metal shears.
@@TIMEtoRIDE900 that was my video, I know because of the "machine shop" fit. I'll find the link and post it. It was on my friend's channel around 7 years ago before I had my own channel. BRB with that link
@@TIMEtoRIDE900 th-cam.com/video/rTPTenSPqs4/w-d-xo.html
This took around 10 minutes to build but almost a week of carrying a paint can into grocery stores to figure out what soup can to use
@@survivorjohnny44 That's a great tutorial - I'll have to build one, ... I built 2 a few years ago from various soup cans, they are now too rusty to use.
Curious, would it work without the inner can?
if you throw one of these soup cans in a campfire, after a couple of hours it will degrade and break down. How long will it last as a fire stove?
Tim James So far I have about 30 burns with it and have yet to replace things. I'm sure I will have to soon though.
If protected from rusting, a homemade gas stove like this will last for about two years of regular (weekly) use.
Another great video David, thanks for sharing.....
Aren't your flanges blocking the holes on the inside can?
+Michael Nishizawa What do you mean?
+David's Passage What he is saying when you bent those pieces down in paint can to make for a tight fit, the tabs blocked the holes you drilled in your soup can..
Won't those tabs block the soup can holes?
How about making the container on the top airtight with a screw-on removable lid filled with wood bits and allowing the bottom container more room at the bottom for adding fuel wood fuel and stroking it up - little tiny holes on the top container would emit gas and burn like a kitchen stove hotter and cleaner and longer???
Good job Dave
Thank you
Good job. Thanks for sharing
Would pre roast or sink into vinegar or so on help to be safe from galvanisation?
The best way is to just burn it off and stand upwind, away from the stove.
@@angelus_solus
Thanks a lot!👍
Great tutorial! Have you tried to load the stove up, pretty tightly packed, then light from the top? That may give you less smoke and more heat:) Keep up the good work!
Heath Putnam Yes I have, I was just a little impatient :-)
I like your work, Keep it up!
You're right tightly-packed allow more gasification
So I'm curious as to why you chose such a complicated method of construction? I've built tons of these, using the exact same paint can and Progresso soup can. Drill the intake holes at the bottom of the paint can instead of the top. Then use a simple can-opener to cut out the bottom. The soup can will fit snugly onto the embossed orifice where the paint can lid normally goes. No need for cutting a crimp fold.
I like your idea of completely removing the bottom of the soup can and fitting chicken wire in its place. I'll have to try that next, as I typically just drill many small quarter-inch holes into the bottom. I think your idea will get better gas flow and ash removal.
It appears that David left the lid (now the bottom) off of the quart can and it might be better if it were left on during the burn so that hot embers and ashes don't fall to the ground. You can remove the lid to empty the ashes, later. The holes near the bottom are sufficient air supply, without the lid being removed. It won't harm the efficiency, either way, on or off.
Great job
He bought a paint can for $53. A twig stove already made cost roughly 1/2 of that. An empty tin can is free.
Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
No - he bought it 'for three dollars'.
great video
ben terwellen Thanks!
You are supposed to light the wood from the top! It burns from the top down! That is why your wood burns too fast.
Is that true? I knkw this comment is old, but that's the first I've ever heard of that
@@nevadie133 It is true. If you light it from the top, the heat causes the lower fuel-wood to release its gas up through the fire, thereby making this gassification stove most efficient. However, after a few minutes it is a moot point since all of the additional fuel is added from the top. So, nevermind! Also, it appears that David left the lid (now the bottom) off of the quart can and it would be better if it were left on during the burn so that hot embers and ashes don't fall to the ground. You can remove the lid to empty the ashes, later. The holes near the bottom are sufficient air supply, without the lid being removed. It won't harm the efficiency, either way, on or off.
You´ve got to PREVENT the combustion of the wood, and there´s two ways for that: Hold a véry tight control on the oxygen input, or indeed: Light it from the top I guess.
What if rather than doing either of those methods what if you make the inner can smaller with no holes. Filler the inner can with fire wood keep the top feed ability. Fill the gap in between the small and large cans drilling holes as close to the inner can as you can as the inner can heats up it will start the outer cans fule to release it's gas!! Wich will then light light from the inner cans flame. Might use a little more wood but 1ce going will last anywhere from 20 to 30 miniutes longer the more space and fule load you have. Just a thought!
It's true. Lighting from the bottom is easier, but much less efficient because the wood mass is combusted before maximum pyrolysis can be reached. Lighting from the top takes a lot more patience. But once it gets going and the can reaches temperature, the heat gets vacuumed down to the bottom, pyroxylizing the wood along the way. The broken down gases then leave the bottom, mix with oxygen, and get drawn back up through the walls to be combusted immediately upon exiting the top. When this design is properly burning, the flames will form a vortex and appear to be "fighting' a tug-of-war between rising away from the can and being drawn back down with the heat which perpetuates the process.
To be fair, though...after the first fire and things are hot and normal temperature, the wood is consumed about as rapidly as burning from the bottom.
have you tryed useing bbq charcoal in this stove
610ericma1 I haven't, but I'm sure it would work fine.
With this king of stove you're best to load it up full then set it alight, they don't like to be fed all the time they go out more often than not. Good effort though!
Very informative video.
Nice video!
Damon Fleming Thanks! :)
Great and easy...
Great stove. Is the camera fashioned from a lawnmower?
What you have is an overcomplicated hobo stove , not a gasifier A simple tin can with holes in the sides at top and bottom would produce the same results as you show .
nice job making it
Raul R Rodriguez Thanks. You should give it a try! :-)
Good Job
Great video thanks for sharing.
Does the holes need to be round or can they be squared?
You have a drill bit that makes square holes?
Super nice hack.
these wood gas stoves work well, BUT...if you see flames...feed them! Once you no longer see the flame, it has run out of (wood) gas. It burns the GAS, after heating the wood to expel the gas (pyrolysis) so it can be re-taken up through the double wall, to the jets, to burn. Feeding these things can be a real pain if you don't have the wood standing by and ready to be placed into the burn chamber. Once you get a good layer of coals (now charcoal), and the flame has gone out, the stove will cook eggs well.
To get a fairly long burn, fill the stove up to the jets with finger-sized, densely packed wood, and light it from the top. Once it starts to gasify, and you see flames emanating from the jets -- place your cookware on top and start to cook. I have gotten a 45 minute burn in this way; others have reported longer burns than that, using wood pellets, lighting from the top. Very dry wood throughout the burn works best.
Saw a guy use wood pellets (for cats) in his stove, burned for an hour and a half with 1lb of pellets and had boil in 5'. Wanna try them and let us know how it burns in your stove?
I like it!
Thanks for the video, great little project,
I think you will find that if you had made your gas holes inside a lot smaller you would have got a better burn, just my opinion!!
I made one of these things, wish i wouldve seen this video first. the paint can looks better than the 40oz soup can i used. mine still works great and cost like 3$. i just cant bring myself to spend 100$ or so on some "special" can in a can with someones emblem on it. I mean why? good video though. Thank you.
Great looking stove
GARYMANDIEVAN Thanks!
Are you Michael Douglas? because you sure sound like him.
You did a verry nice job on this one,
keep up the good work!
The soup can you have will fit in through the top of your paint can.
Perfectionist builds homemade rocket stove.
and the i phone get toast... by the way nice and very informative video..
Put a piece of masking tape on the step drill, so you know where to stop!
Can you fit the pot stand inside so it's compact and fit's in a small bag?
The cadmium in the galvanization when in fumes causes fever-like symptoms IIRC. I've welded on galvanized (no choice) before and got really sick. It sucks and I don't recommend it.
Omfg chicken little....get real. The amount of zinc on that mesh will burn off in under a minute and can be easily avoided by standing back so you're not breathing it. Stop making a mountain out of a fecken mole hill like some drama queen Californian dumbass.
How does it work with gas
try holes around the center of the outer can, small.
I have never seen someone turn making a camping (hobo stove) into that much work
Dandy video !
Дякую за відео. Все дуже цивільно і правильно....
Виталий Прокопив Дякуємо за перегляд :-)
Can I use a Campbell’s soup can?
I know this is late, but any pair of cans will work if they are different sizes
Using this CAN Method, How long will it Last ?
Or How many times will it Boil a Half Pint of water ? Or How many Individual sessions will it Last. Before it totally warps or burns Through. ?
Say 4 Half Pint Mugs of Coffee per day X ? how many days ?
2 Large coffee's on a cold morning camping + a half pint of water to make a breakfast product. Then Heat a Tin of Soup at lunchtime + a coffee .
+ 2 more Coffee's & 1 more can of soup to eat for a full day. ( OK Soup could be Beans or Spaghetti etc. )
Based on My Above, How many Days or Meals would it cook ?
2 Days ? Half a week, ? a full week 28 meals ?
How many of these CAN Stoves would 1 person need for a full week of coffee & simple canned foods.
I Fully see that they work for boiling water for 1 coffee / 1 can of soup on many videos,
Would i need 7 CAN Stoves for 1 week camping ?
I don't doubt them, But How Long they will Last.
This is not a question On the NEGATIVE Side. or to Fault your Amazing skills.
Would i Need 1 per meal, 1 per Day, Week or a new can stove every 10 days /40 meals & coffee's etc ?
Almost anything will boil water for a single coffee in the garden, But what about longer camping, or longer Zero Mains power Supply Situations etc ?
Anyone ?
Pick up a can of black fireplace paint at your local hardware. Paint the damn' thing with it.
👍👍🇧🇷 Parabéns
Nice
If you dont load first and light from the top the advantages of this kind of stove are lost and it acts in the same way as any other small wood stove.When wood is heated anywhere it gives off gas which burns as the flame.It is not wood gas coming out of the top holes but heated air and it is the oxygen in it that mixes with the wood gas to give the double or cleaner burn .In a single wall wood stove once the fire is hot enough the wood gas is burnt completely if no smoke is seen The wood gas stove needs the air from the double wall as charcoal and ash prevent a lot of air getting to the fire from below where as the single wall stoves have air available from all four the sides.The advantage of the double wall stove is that less heat is wasted as all the heat is directed to the bottom of the pot but in practical terms this is not really relevant as a shortage of fuel is never the problem considering how little wood they use.
NICE
Thanks :-)
good video.... thanks. I subscribed btw.
I don't think you understand the principle of the wood gas stove:
The fire at the bottom draws air through the bigger primary holes and heats the wood above, releasing the trapped gases inside (mostly methane) and the heated air in the outer jacket comes back in through the upper secondary holes and mixes with the wood gas, making a hot, efficient fire. optimally, the flames should be blue, like the Bunsen burners you used in Chemistry class.
Since your flames are yellow, your design could use some changes to increase the airflow to the top holes, possibly from bigger holes. Most people don't care, as long as they get hot water to make supper on the trail.
The alcohol penny stoves are obviously a more efficient design.