hobo stove

[incognito]

Working on one.

Had idea to use 4 inch aluminum elbow. Twisted it to form straight piece. All of its lines give it strength and character Shows it compared to heinekin pot. pot fits inside for storage, u shaped stainless piece inserted through upper row of holes holds pot while heating.

Secret to cleaner/less soot cooking is the use of completely dried, no bark twigs. Put pot of water on when fire is hot. Never restrict oxygen.

I use jute twine as tinder starter. Lights with a spark. I use ferrocerium rod and steel striker. I carry the flint and striker on my key chain. Always have them with me. Fire starting tinder can always be found in the woods, even in wet/drenched woods if you know where to look. Learn how, it may save your life someday. Hypothermia kills!!!

Stove drafts really nice, 3/8 inch space around pot when set into stove.

[Take-a-knee]

Dude, that is awesome! I must build one! Hypothermia does indeed kill.

[JAK]

Cool.
You may find the aluminum will melt and burn unless it has water in it.
But I think you know that and how to avoid having your stove eaten.

Thanks for the tip on the tinder and firestarter. Gotta get me one of those firestarters. The dead branches that snap off the bottom of Spruce trees are always dry here. They are the most common tree here. Birch bark is also great fuel of course. A little easier to start, but a little more sooty also. It took me awhile to learn that grass and leaves suck.

[Take-a-knee]

That is a good tip on stripping the bark off of your firewood, all bark is fire-resistant, therefore it smokes a lot when burned. There was an immigrant living on the really mean streets of Washington DC many years ago. He kept looking through this high fence at the lovely woods on the other side, it looked a lot nicer than where he was living. He figured out it was the National Zoo. He found an area with no dangerous animals and dug a perfect "hide-site" out of view. It gets cold in DC in the winter so he stripped the bark of his firewood. I think he lived there a couple of years without detection.

[Frolicking Dino]

I haven't seen one of these in years. That is sweet stove - brings back many happy memories.

[JAK]

Originally Posted by Take-a-knee

That is a good tip on stripping the bark off of your firewood, all bark is fire-resistant, therefore it smokes a lot when burned. There was an immigrant living on the really mean streets of Washington DC many years ago. He kept looking through this high fence at the lovely woods on the other side, it looked a lot nicer than where he was living. He figured out it was the National Zoo. He found an area with no dangerous animals and dug a perfect "hide-site" out of view. It gets cold in DC in the winter so he stripped the bark of his firewood. I think he lived there a couple of years without detection.

That's a neat story. I love stories like that. I'm not sure what it is about them. Something about freedom and simplicity and the best things in life being free.

[dropkick]

Long time ago I read about a man who had built a hidden dugout in Central Park. Lived in it for something like 15 years. Towards the end they knew he was living in the park and had the dugout but they couldn't find it.
I think I read about it in Readers Digest.

[incognito]

It would be nice if someone could find the articles you speak off and post them.

Fired up the stove tonight and got some photos.

They show how most of the heat goes up the center and not out the front where the fuel is fed in.

When you are hiking look around you, there is fuel without bark attached, no need to strip it off. Take your time, plan ahead, collect it as you move along to your destination.

Used a vegetable can as my pot(Hiny one won't fit because of cork insulation) Can holds almost 2 cups water. Rolling boil at 7 min. Boiled over the side and put the stove almost out.

Stoves are fun.







I'm on my way to recovery!!!!!!

[JAK]

That looks really great.

I've used a swiss corked flask stove as a wood stove and learned not to melt it. It's like a miniature of what you have built. It's a bit messy, but it works well in winter because you can carry water in the flask and if it freezes it doesn't explode and you can thaw it. I've learned to use more dry sticks and less bark as you suggest. I keep 3 or 4 sticks long and feed them in as they burn. Sometimes I drip some wax or feed a little birch bark to help keep it going. You know the spruce sticks are dry enough if they snap apart. Eastern white cedar works well also, even if its never quite as snappy.

http://west.loadup.com/military/surplus/12644.html

[incognito]

The swiss one is small, like you say. I'm a big guy, eat alot, need four cups of water per sitting

[JAK]

So like me you've got the economy of scale working for you eh.

[Turk]

well... fine... be that way. I was sworn off any more stove foolery. Been
back to wood again. ...

Seeing your micro-hobo pics ... is like heroine... must... have....
Now I just have to make one similar to yours.
that looks too awesome! I didnt know you could get little hobos to fire
properly. Thought they had to be around the 1 gallon size. Brilliant
material usage. Very Nice photos.

Some questions

Do you think I could get away with a very light 30g elbow?
or did you find it a bit flimsy and recommend a C-vent 90 (26g)?
What type did you use? I am guessing 28g by the pictures.
How about smaller diameter... 3" elbow? too small, any problems you
could forsee?
Also do you think I could use a swing damper as the base plate for
the fire instead of the mesh?

[JAK]

Originally Posted by Turk

I didnt know you could get little hobos to fire.

Better stick with wood Turk. The SPCA would have a fit.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ttlesthobo.jpg

[oops56]

Volcano stove now what is wrong withs this type all ready made. As far is i can see it needs new vent holes just below the cup about 3 burning dry ceder fresh cut off my tress in the dark time 1.30 a m

[JAK]

Originally Posted by oops56

Volcano stove now what is wrong withs this type all ready made. As far is i can see it needs new vent holes just below the cup about 3 burning dry ceder fresh cut off my tress in the dark time 1.30 a m

I think the correct term is "Swiss Corked Flask Canteen Stove Thingamajiggy", but I have heard 'volcano stove' used to refer to them as well as the 'Kelly Kettle' type, and others. Do the vent holes allow secondary air in, or smoke out?

I find you need to go easy on the aluminum, especially once the water gets hot, and the wood fuel has burned off its moisture. A little bit of deformation is OK, as you can bend it back, but it is easy to burn the aluminum at the top of the large vent, and where the little bit of steel poke through the aluminum at the back to hold up the flask or cup. Also helps if you always have either the flask or cup in it, with water of course. If the stove gets too hot I switch one with hot water for the other with cold water until it settles down. Or I just pull some sticks out, as I find that native trick of feedin sticks in as they burn works very well.

Some idea for improvements to this stove I haven't tried:
1. Replace outer aluminum stove with steel can if you can find right size.
2. Two stacked cans might work if you can't get the right size.
3. Keeping the aluminum, but lining it on the inside with muffler tape.
4. If you line it inside and outside the corrugation might act as insulation.
5. You might get away with a blue foam and muffler tape on outside.
6. Adding a really tall wind screen of aluminum foil and muffler tape.
7. One or two inverted tuna cans or round tins with the right vents and baffles might serve as a primary and secondary combustion chambers to increase combustion temperature and reduce smoke.
8.A little fireclay or muffler tape might make an even better combustion chamber, but ideally it should be removable of nestable so the stove can still be stored compactly.
9. A tin with lid might be used to produce and store charcoal for the stove.
10. All of this will add weight, but might reduce smoke, either by allowing a smaller fire and/or improved combustion.

p.s. Might be a good stove to modify for baking a potato.