Boilin' the billy

[troppo]

I don't mind having a cup-a-tea when I am out paddling and I know a few fellas like Dodge and Hairymick do the same. I started experimenting with lightweight home-made metho stoves as a way to ensure I can make the perfect hot cuppa when out in the estuaries or creeks.

Here is the url that started me going:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverage-can_stove

I experimented with a simple one and haven't had time to do more, but I share what I have done.

I got a small tin of tuna. Cut a small hole in the bottom. The top is ring-pull, but you don't take the lid off. Get the tuna out and eat it with mayo on grain bread. Some catfood tins are the same size, but if you use them, don't eat the contents.

Mark a circle, cut to the circle, fold over the edge to make a folded edge (hopefully not as sharp as a straight cut edge). Put marker for where you will drill.

Make a lid that goes on the centre hole but does not block the drilled air holes.

To operate, put several spoons of metho in the bottom and light it.

After warming up for 30 secs or so, put lid on to cover centre hole. Flame is now forced through the drilled holes.

You can make a windshield which supports the billy. And there you are. A great little cheap but effective billy boiler.

[troppo]

Take your new billy stove out yakking.

Set up your stove as much out of the wind as possible. I found it very sensitive to wind.

When the billy has boiled, make a fresh cuppa tea, relax, eat some fruitcake.

I was half way through my fruitcake when the rod in my yak buckled over and line started sizzling off. Even with my yak pulled out of the water, I still had a bait out just in case. Turned out to be a grunter.

The model I made is very simple. I want to do more experiments. And I reckon some of the stoves made out of Pepsi cans would be awesome but I haven't got around to trying to make one yet.

http://www.pcthiker.com/pages/gear/pepsiGstoveinstruct.shtml

What do you boil up with?

Anyone want to try making some stoves and post up the results?

[JimH]

Troppo

I have a little metho burner as you described, however there is abosluetly no way such a device would ever be fired up on my yak. The risk of a spill of burning metho into the cockpit of a 'plastic' yak sends shudders down my (yellow) spine. I'll stick to the old HtoOh (at what ever temp).

Jim H

[aleg75]

Nice work troppo! As Jim says, dont use it on the yak I am lazy and take my little camp pocket rocket, basically a gas powerd unit, but similar to yours.......does the job nice......But I sure do like your homework!

Ash

[FishinDan]

Troppo - If you have a yak that can be used for diving as well, you could replace the dive tanks with oxy acetelene tanks.... Your cuppa will never have boiled so fast!


Realistically, those little stoves are useful, but as mentioned, get hot, so wouldn't want to use them on the yak itself.

What about the $20 camp stoves you can get from kmart? They don't often get hot, and in their case can be stored in either the hatch or crate at the back. Plus big enough to use a frypan on to cook up that Grunter you caught

[PeterJ]

Excellent tute guys , one of the best ones for a while , well done

[Nodds]

Troppo I like the way you think.
I'm allways looking for ways to make uesfull things from otherwise uesless items and I like this idea of yours. Hot lunch on a cold day, you bet.

cheers nodds

[Dodge]

Joday brilliant little can stove mate.

Works on the same principle as the Simon metho stove I have when bushwalking, every thing I need is packed in a 2 litre billycan, also have a look at Nalgene [brand] Fuel Bottles which are great for your metho.

Always have a cuppa when out fishing and time ashore to stretch the legs and have a brew is all part of my day, but on day trips generally just carry a thermos of boiling water; all the gear will go though if I camp out in the yak and tent

[hairymick]

Hi Joday,

Good job mate, Well done! and a great idea too.

Like you and Richo, I love to pull up on a bank somewhere and have a cuppa. Often, By the end of my day, my thermos is starting to cool down and the coffe inside gets that old taste.

A fresh, hot brew on these winter days is a lovely thing.

Thank you for sharing.

[Peril]

Thanks troppo. That's a beauty. Will definitely be trying one

[Gatesy]

that is a top idea and it actually works too.............only a QLDer could come up with such a good idea

[ManjiMike]

Here is an excellent resource for stoves
http://wings.interfree.it/html/main.html

I have made several of the coke can types and they work well, But for all my hiking I use a Kovea titanium gas stove with the mid size (220gms) cylinder that will last me 10 or more days.

I also carry one of these just in case - I like my food
http://wings.interfree.it/html/nomad.html

I made mine from Ti and is again only less than 90gms - I can use it as a stand alone stove with twigs; I can put a metho stove in it and keep the heat away from the table; I can turn it upside down and use the hexamine tablets; or I can suspendit on my gas cylinder with a couple of Ti tent pegs to work as a backup windscreen for the Kovea.
Using the twigs and leaves I could pick up on the grass in front of my tent, I was able to keep a billy boiling for 25mins while cooking my damper

[rabbit]

Hi
I'm new to this forum
I've made alot of the different types of metho stoves out of coke and other types of cans
and the great thing is they cost hardly anything to make
here is a very useful site;
http://zenstoves.net/

[troppo]

Yah Rabbit, that site is a good one. I have been saving up a few cans and if I get time I'll do some more experiments with making stoves. However, it is a nicer passtime emptying cans of drink than trying to make something that takes some type of construction talent I do not possess.

[Biggera Yakker]

I've never seen them before, but I'm going to start experimenting!
Sounds like a great idea!