Building a better POPCAN Stove

Here are some newly-revised plans/instructions to build an alcohol burning POPCAN stove!

By following the directions carefully, you should be able to create one of these in less than an hour!

I apologize in advance for the few blurry pictures.

I took an old set of needle nose pliers and ground the jaws into a crimping tool of sorts. This isn't a necessity, but I've found that crimped parts go together a LOT easier!
Your stove should be tall enough so that the tips of the flames are within 1/4" of the bottom of your vessel. If you require a stove that is 2 inches tall, then the cans should be cut to a height of 1 3/4 inches. Using whatever method works best for you, cut two IDENTICAL cans to the height required, then trim ONE of the cans about 1/8" shorter than the other. This will ensure proper alignment when completed, and save the trouble of trimming the excess. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you use two SIMILAR cans...!
Mark the taller of the two as the bottom - I labelled it "B"
Using the needle-nose crimpers, I crimp the entire edge of the bottom half.
Then, I pack some fiberglass insulation into the bottom half. Notice that it is a small quantity, meant to absorb the fuel and to slow its burn rate. No need to pack in too much. Now, I will place this half into the DEEP FREEZER. This will make the can shrink somewhat, to aid in assembing!
Now, I can work on the burner section - the TOP half of the stove! This is the drill bit I use for making the burner ports.
It is a 1/32" bit and in order for it to be held in the chuck of my cordless drill, it was necessary for me to wrap some #22 (telephone) wire around the shank.
As you can see, it is a fairly small bit. It breaks easily...but I've found that THIS DESIGN works best with this size of bit.
For sealing the filler port, I use this type of screw. It is used in working with metal studs - we call it a TECK screw, but it may go by some other Trade name - and should be available at most Building Supply stores. Basically, any large-headed screw will do. The important thing is that you NOT overtighten the screw. It needs to be a snug, tight seal at the filler port, but the metal is very thin and will strip easily if the screw is over-torqued!
Instead of measuring or using templates, I simply drill the burner ports about 5mm apart. This gives between 20 and 24 holes - depending on your interpretation of what 5mm is! I will first drill one set of holes at the base of the small ridge, then another set about halfway to the outer edge of the can, as shown. For the filler port, a small awl or nail can be used to start the hole. Any burrs should be removed or turned inwards, so that they don't interfere with the seal.
Although it isn't apparent in this picture, I have smeared a small quantity of synthetic lubricant along the inner surface. This will allow the two halves to slide together without binding or pleating.
Working quickly now, I retrieve the bottom (B) portion from the DEEP FREEZER and fit the two parts together. This is where the benefits of CRIMPED parts becomes obvious, they go together with no effort at all! Press firmly and evenly until the bottom half "bottoms-out" against the top half. If need be, you can warm the top section with a hair-dryer, to expand it slightly.
If you measured and cut your two halves accurately, the bottom edge of the TOP half should end where the BOTTOM can just starts to round off, as shown.
You may need to file or sand the bottom edge, just to make it perfectly safe. There you go! A well-built, tight stove without any messy and expensive adhesives! If desired, you can sand off the manufacturer's label and apply some high-temperature spray paint to give it a personal touch!
Top view, showing the burner ports and filler hole.
Can't call this COMPLETE until we give this thing a TEST DRIVE! I place a small piece of tin foil beneath it, to reflect the heat back into the stove and towards the cooking vessel.
I pour in about 1 ounce of Methyl Hydrate and reseal the filler port. DO NOT try using this thing without resealing the filler port - it will explode and send flaming liquid everywhere! I will also "spill" a bit of fuel into the bowl and around the stove as well. Like most alcohol burners, this one needs to be "primed" for it to work.
Lighting the "spilled" fuel heats the stove and vapourizes the fuel within. These vapours are expelled from the burner ports and ignited by the flames. Eventually the "spilled" fuel is exhausted and the flames from the burner ports serve to heat the stove and surrounding area, and keeping the cycle going. This is where the where the use of fiberglass becomes apparent. Aside from helping to vapourize the fuel at a constant rate, it also holds the fuel like a blotter in case of accidental tipping of the stove.
Here, you can see the flame pattern, as the stove stabilizes and runs under its own power!
Have to make this legitimate...set up the windscreen and timer...
Eight ounces of cold tap water are placed in the vessel and the timer is started.
Under two minutes, and bubbles are forming already!
LESS THAN than three minutes to a full boil! Even I was impressed at the performance of this one!

This design of POPCAN Stove works VERY well.

Using this setup, with ONE OUNCE of Methyl Hydrate, I was able to boil a cup of tap water in LESS THAN three minutes.
The fuel continued to burn for almost eight minutes, although at the 7 minute mark (or so) the flames became quite small and not good for much.
Note that if ONE ounce of fuel will burn for 8 minutes, this does NOT necessarily mean that TWO ounces will burn for 16 minutes. Also realize that a larger stove may burn for longer, but because of the volume of fuel within, it will be harder to start.
During the first two or three burns, the stove may produce yellowish flames; this is quite normal. If the cans were not COMPLETELY cleaned before assembling, then any impurities will be burnt off during the first session or two.
After that, there should be nothing but blue flames...which are almost invisible in daylight, so be careful!

I hope you give this one a try. It really is easy to build!