I’ve heard of multiple versions of this concept. You can theoretically make it out of any cans. Soda cans, beer cans, soup cans, etc. I went with beer cans because they have thicker metal than soda cans and are the approximate size I wanted. The 12 oz Heineken can is appealing because of the bands around the can.
Making and assembling the stove is very simple and quick.
Take three cans.
Cut in half.
First can – Burner, cut approximately half an inch from the bottom.
Second can – Cover, cut to the bottom of the lower band (0.75 inch).
Third can – Fuel holder, cut to the top of the lower band (1.25 inch).
It is recommended to mark your holes with a Sharpie prior to drilling, but you can eyeball it and probably be fine.
Take the first section (0.50 inch). If your Heineken 12 oz can has stamped numbers on the bottom, try to sand it out as much as possible. Take a penny and put it in the center of the section (it should be acting as a bowl to center the penny). Hit it with any hard object. It should leave a slight indentation. Mark three or four holes within the indentation (ie covered by the penny), and drill them out with a 1/16th drill bit.
Drill six equally distanced holes just outside the ring at the very bottom of the can. The drill holes should be touching the outside base of the ring. Again, use a 1/16th inch drill bit. Once you complete the drilling, remove the bit and insert it into each hole. Bent towards the center of the can section.
Make 12 crimps on upper part of the first section (where you made your cut to section the can). Make them roughly equal, approximately three quarters the depth of the section. Drill a 1/16th hole in each crimp. Placement does not need to be exact.
Now sandpaper all locations that you made cuts. You want smooth edges. You want to avoid being cut, and you also want crisp fitting.
Insert the first section (the burner) into the third section (fuel holder). See picture if you can’t figure out the proper orientation.
How to test:
Pour denatured alcohol into center of the interior ring. Let completely drain. Cover intake holes with penny. Refill the interior ring until it reaches the very top of the ring. If some spills over, this is fine. Ignite carefully.
Watch the flames. After the initial burn, the flame should seperate into the six individual jets. If they don’t and it is one giant fire, you don’t have a tight fit between the burner and fuel holder sections. You can try removing the burner and bending into a better shape. You can also leave the burner in place and use epoxy along the edge.
I'll be dorking around with the design and probably posting the modifications at
http://revdisk.org/blog/?p=115I want to play around with the jet locations/sizes and overall size, verses time/temperature charts. Need to make a digital thermometer that outputs temperature readings. Time to fire up the soldering iron.
