Cheap (nearly free) small stove
 

I know many of you know about these super-cheap home made stoves but I thought I would post a link because its winter.
And many of us have to much time on our hands!
http://www.wimp.com/coolstove/

Personally I prefer this one.

http://www.csun.edu/~mjurey/penny.html

Thats really cool, but where do I get some fiber glass, also I might try it with something other than fiberglass I don't really like that stuff, especially if it could catch on fire. Trying different fuels would also be interesting.

I like the Super Cat stove

There are hundreds of variations on the cat food or soda can stove. I used a soda can stove for a while
and it worked fine and was light. But in the end I went over to a Trangia as it has a simmer ring and is pretty
much indestructible. It's a bit heavier, but really solid and I like the ability to control the heat when cooling things like eggs

Yep, I'm back to the trangia too.

www.zenstoves.net has a good collection.

-- edit
Hey, they have new sections on cannister and petrol stoves!

http://images.mec.ca/media/Images/Pr...9830535668.jpg

The Mini-Trangia is great! You can take it on a plane, buy fuel anywhere (or if your stuck, burn vodka). It boils water in about 5 minutes depending on the fuel and is light and super compact because the stove, a fry pan, a saucepan and a handle all fit together for storage.

BTW Ricohman, I used to sell those cameras. The rangefinder cameras were the best Ricoh made. Optics were good too, but not quite as good as my Konica Auto S2

I started a Ricoh collection when my father-in-law gave me one of his old rangefinders. I now have over 20 of them including one in an original wooden display box. I like the fact they are Japanese clones of Leica.
You wouldn't happen to know what type of Japanese wood the box is made from would you?
It smells very much like cedar.
My favorite rangefinder is the Yashica GSN series. Beautiful sharp lens. I have quite a few of these as well.

Another version of the cat stove

Semi related- I know that Heet is available at any gas station or auto parts store in my area, but I never really paid any attention in warmer climates. Do they have it everywhere? Also, it`s my understanding that these stoves don`t have any on/off mechanism- you just experiment to figure out how much of whatever fuel you need and then let it burn itself out. Once you get your fuel quantity figured out, is it a big deal to switch fuels in case you can`t find the one you`re used to?

Oh yeah, I hope it isn`t a requirement to be a RF fan- I`m sticking with my Olympus SLRs!

Thats right, after a little practice it's easy to judge how much fuel to use. I scribed a fill line on the inside of my stove that I know is right for 2 cups, then I just judge if I need a little more or less depending on what's for dinner. Also, most people use these stoves with a pot cozy, an insulated cover for the pot. Bring your meal up to a boil and then slip the whole pot (lid covered) into the cozy to complete the cooking time. My basic one pot wonder consists of 1/4 cup rice, some vegetables, and a piece of meat or fish. Water, rice, vegetables next and meat on top, bring to a boil (about 1oz fuel) and slid into the cozy. 15 min. later, it's dinner time.

I made this for this past hunting season, & it worked very well!

To keep it really simple, try a soup can & a church key. No need for building a pot holder the can will hold it. Otherwise shop for a wider soup/ tuna/ bean can. As you can see, I put some small holes near the bottom to facilitate a hotter burn. Just a small splash of alcohol will boil a cup of water for ramin noodles. Doesn't get simpler than that.

Sorry it's slightly blurry, but you'll get the idea.

~Roger

The fiberglass is not strictly necessary. But fiberglass is specifically used as a flame ******ant, so I wouldn't worry about it catching on fire. You can get it at Home Depot, or pull a bit out of your attic if you have one.

These type of stoves work with denatured alcohol only. In a pinch you could use rubbing alcohol but it works poorly and soots your pot. Gasoline or Coleman fuel (white gas) would be very dangerous.

Thanks, Gregw. Also,

????

I've used a few different fuels over the years, different quart cans from the paint store, sold as paint thinner / cleaner, and HEET (yellow container, not the red one) and each of these seems to be pretty equal. I'm sure there are some differences but we're not talking rocket science here. If you unsure, just add a little more, let the pot boil until the fuel is gone and then into the pot cozy it goes.

Also Heet is available through out the country, it's used to get water out of your gas tank. Alcohol attracts and combines with water, which allows it to get burned with the rest of the gas.