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04/01/2017 12:22PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Yes and have used them on hikes. Just wanted to share a bit about the one I like best. Considered a "fancee feest", consisting of a cut down 6oz tomato paste can (i cut it to stand above the tuna can 1inch), a 3oz tuna can, and a piece of 1/4inch cabon fiber welding mat.

1.3oz on my scale. With 1oz alcohol it boiled 16oz cold tap water in 7 minutes, using a 600ml Ti mug. Total burn time on 1oz was 12.5 minutes. The pot stand is part of the stove.


Not something I like to really cook with, but heating water for coffee and soups or rehydrating dried meals it works fine. And it's hardly noticed in my daypack.

butthead
 
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Grandma L
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04/01/2017 12:26PM  
Careful!
 
04/01/2017 12:43PM  
quote Grandma L: "Careful!"


Ya posted before the photos were loaded GL! They are cheap and fun to putz with!

butthead
 
Grandma L
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04/01/2017 02:05PM  
quote butthead: "
quote Grandma L: "Careful!"


Ya posted before the photos were loaded GL! They are cheap and fun to putz with!
butthead"

Yeah, I would probably blow or burn myself up with one of those - Jet boil for me. You are so good at all that stuff. Give me a sewing machine any day. To each his own!
 
WonderMonkey
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04/01/2017 05:24PM  
I use various alcohol stoves about 80% of the time.
 
04/01/2017 05:55PM  
I just converted to this for my SHTy adventures on the Superior Hiking Trail.

I obviously watched WAY too many Shug videos because I now have a Fancee Feest stove exactly as you described, a foster (beer can) pot, and an imusa pot. They all nest together and weigh 181.7 grams total (all three, plus lids).

Its a hikers dream.
 
04/01/2017 06:27PM  
Where did you get that great looking windscreen? Also, what is the felt-looking ring for? Thanks.

Tomster
 
04/01/2017 06:42PM  
Hi Tom, the carbon fiber felt is the wick, goes between the outer tuna can and the inner tomato paste can. It is the wick for the alcohol flame.
Fiberglass wicking is often used but does not last as long.
Windscreen available in different sizes and colors.

butthead
 
04/01/2017 07:54PM  
Tons of youtube vids for DIY. Fun and they work great. I've probably made 20 different types. Always come back to a wick style.....seem to work the best for me. Fancee Feast models are handy little stoves

 
muddyfeet
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04/01/2017 10:14PM  
Converting units, that's pretty similar fuel efficiency to the pressed aluminum 'bud light' stove I made a few years ago:

Testing the BudLight alcohol stove:
1.8fl oz of fuel will bring 800mL of water to a boil. (800mL is enough for a hot meal and hot drink)
0.7fl oz will bring 300mL to the perfect temp for coffee/tea.

The silence of an alcohol stove can't be beat for coffee at first light or for evening tea at sunset.




 
Grizzlyman
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04/01/2017 10:42PM  
A couple of things:

1. We did full on cooking - fry fish / make pancakes on a stove like buttheads in the bwca last year- it actually works pretty well.

2. I tested a bud light stove last yr and found the boil time was significantly faster with the wick- type- like 7:15 to 8:30. In fact the bud light stove was the worst of the three I tested.

3. I made mine with slightly bigger cans than butthead -more stable that way.
A tomato can and a bean can. These are steel also instead of a fragile cat can. AND an oil filter is a perfect cover to snuff and protect this size stove.


 
dsk
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04/02/2017 12:36AM  
Great thread!

I have made some during the years, and the pepsi can stove is definitely one best for use when it is really cold, my version is slightly modified, to get longer cooking time, I made it higher, but when the internal height is greater than the with of the center hole, it will not work well in cold climate.

The distance to the bottom of the kettle is also of great importance, it should be 1 inch, or slightly more!

Wind protection may reduce the needed amount of fuel considerably!

dsk
 
dsk
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04/02/2017 01:04AM  
This was only projects, I have to admit, I went back to my Coleman stove.

The best and most simple alcohol stove I made, and I did not actually beleieve in it befor I tested it out, it was so simple. The chimny stove: http://zenstoves.net/ChimneyStove.htm

My version was a alu spray can, drilling a circle of 8 mm holes in a hight of 50 mm from bottom, and the leave a rim of 1.5 cm over the holes, and thats all. Superb!

dsk
 
pastorjsackett
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04/02/2017 05:35AM  
Thanks Muddyfeet for making one of these stoves and giving it to me! I use it each trip, especially fun to make a cup 'o java for myself while the whole camp is still snoozing!
 
bwcasolo
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04/02/2017 05:36AM  
love my fancee feest stoves.
 
04/02/2017 01:03PM  
I've made a bunch over the years, the "Pesi/beer can" jet stoves are kinda fussy and I only kept 1 to remind me of my failures. It's a double wall SS mug I still putz with but takes way too much fuel and time to work well. The wick pad stoves work very well with a pot stand, but the various " fancee feest" are easy to make and work with.

Still have not considered using on a multi day trip, but they do get used on day hikes.

butthead
 
muddyfeet
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04/02/2017 07:15PM  
This is fun to see all the different stoves.
I think it's great to see the variety of materials that go into these- some good creative garage engineering with mostly scrap materials.

I think 'alcohol stoving' could be considered an art form all its own.
 
pswith5
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04/03/2017 07:44AM  
quote butthead: "Hi Tom, the carbon fiber felt is the wick, goes between the outer tuna can and the inner tomato paste can. It is the wick for the alcohol flame.
Fiberglass wicking is often used but does not last as long.
Windscreen available in different sizes and colors.

butthead"
where can one get this carbon fiber wick/felt?
 
04/03/2017 07:50AM  
Welding shops, Amazon, Ebay. Look for carbon fiber welding blankets. I ues 1/4 inch thick, have some 14mm. Wear gloves when handling (carbon fiber).

butthead
 
BuckFlicks
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04/05/2017 02:05PM  
What sort of fuel do these stoves use? Alcohol gel? Isopropyl? What percentage?
 
04/05/2017 03:09PM  
quote BuckFlicks: "What sort of fuel do these stoves use? Alcohol gel? Isopropyl? What percentage? "


Denatured alcohol available at hardware stores is the best bet, but HEET gas line anti freeze is often used.
 
04/05/2017 06:18PM  
 
mr.barley
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04/05/2017 09:53PM  
I think I may be doing some tinkering.
 
Grizzlyman
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04/06/2017 05:05AM  
quote butthead: "Welding shops, Amazon, Ebay. Look for carbon fiber welding blankets. I ues 1/4 inch thick, have some 14mm. Wear gloves when handling (carbon fiber).


butthead"


Hey butthead- do you find the carbon blanket is that much better than just pink insulation?
 
04/06/2017 06:35AM  
quote Grizzlyman: Hey butthead- do you find the carbon blanket is that much better than just pink insulation? "


Yes for wick. Higer heat threshold, longer lasting, not quite as nasty to handle. But not for cozy cup or pot insulation, as it will shed very tiny bits that can itch or get air-born by handling (contaminating the food you just prepped).

Far as fuel, alcohol is made from many things and some research on the types and hazards should be done by anyone using alcohol fuel.
Methanol-wood alcohol
Ethanol-alcohol
Isopropyl-rubbing alcohol

You should also know what denatured alcohol is.

I use locally available methylated spirits. Klean-Strip - Denatured Alcohol Solvent, or Sunnyside Denatured Alcohol Solvent (shown by Cowdoc).
Yellow bottle HEET is methanol/ethanol mix that works well (a bit more expensive), Red bottle HEET is an isopropyl that has much less heat potential and is smoky.
Alcohols big disadvantage is that it takes 2 to 3 times as much to cook/heat the same either canister of liquid gas/kerosene.

butthead

 
mr.barley
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04/06/2017 04:01PM  
quote butthead: "
quote Grizzlyman: Hey butthead- do you find the carbon blanket is that much better than just pink insulation? "




Far as fuel, alcohol is made from many things and some research on the types and hazards should be done by anyone using alcohol fuel.
Methanol-wood alcohol
Ethanol-alcohol
Isopropyl-rubbing alcohol


You should also know what denatured alcohol is.



butthead


"
Have you tried everclear yet, Ken?
 
04/06/2017 04:39PM  
"Have you tried everclear yet, Ken?"

Burns great and clean, but too expensive. Before using Everclear I'd just have a stiff drink and forget about cooking!

butthead
 
MrBadExample
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04/06/2017 07:03PM  
It's the silence that I enjoy with the alcohol burners. Especially early morning. I use a fancee feast that I bought right from zelph. I've built a bunch of different types. They're normally and easy, fun diy projects.

I have a bunch of materials laying around for making fancee feasts. If anyone would be interested in making some let me know.

 
ECpizza
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04/07/2017 07:25PM  
I made about 15-20 stoves last winter. I wanted to understand better how they worked. In the end I bought a fancee feast and love it. The advantages for a backpacking trip are obvious. For our group BWCA trip, the alcohol stove was great for a quick hot beverage while on the move. It is a nice addition to my stove collection.
 
FLATLINER
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04/08/2017 06:27AM  
My buddy is obsessed with stoves. I think he has built every version you can find and created a couple of his own. In my book, the Fancy Feast is the ultimate morning coffee stove and is so small I created a separate coffee kit that I pack in my day bag.

For those who are interested in the screen mentioned earlier in the thread, I noticed that the link on Amazon is sold out. Here is another option but the free shipping is a slow boat from China so plan accordingly:

AliExpress WindScreen
 
04/08/2017 08:01AM  
How to link
Easy and simple courtesy to members.

The "slow boats" are often a thing of the past. Most is warehoused in the USA now. I often get small parts within days of ordering even with China as point of origin.
Those screens are pretty good. I look for the cheapest and sized for my application, I have 2 different hights. You can take them apart and add pannels if needed. I still go with MSR style al. screens when packing though.

butthead
 
FLATLINER
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04/08/2017 06:41PM  
I agree you can often find items that are shipping from a US holding center but not always. I currently have 4 things on order from that site, need to read the add though. The two chairs I ordered shipped from the US, one arrived today after about a week, the DIY supplies ship from mainland China and seriously, 3-12 weeks, I order a lot of stuff and it really can take that long. My worst recently was 16 weeks. 3-4 weeks is more the norm this time of year.

PS, thank you for the info on Link etiquette.
 
Grizzlyman
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04/10/2017 03:11PM  


FYI- if anyone interested in boil times-

I posted this on some old thread I couldn't find- but I did some testing last year on a tomcat (fanceefeast), bud light bottle stove, and the *best reviewed* popcan pennystove I could find

Boil times for 2 cups of water were:

Bud light bottle: 8:46
Popcan/penny: 7:58
Tomcat (fanceefeast): 7:17

 
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