DIY breakdown "backpacking" wood stove

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Inspired by another thread on a bought stove and with too much time on my hands this past weekend I built a wood burning breakdown stove. Made out of 20ga. stainless sheet (I have saved bigger scrap off jobs for the past couple years). It's 4.5" at its widest point, 6" H, and weighs 15 oz. After giving it a burn today I need to add some more vent holes for air so it will get slightly lighter. It will break down to 4.5"x6"x.75" thick. From empty stove to loading the stove to boiling water was about 13 mins.

I I learned a few things along the way so I might build another and give this one away. Questions? Comments? Critiques?

image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg
 
I cut cut out the rough pieces with a plasma cutter then just a couple different grinders and different size cut-off wheels. Mostly just a 4.5" battey pack Milwaukee grinder and the really thin 1mm wheels. They cut a lot faster than the thicker ones so less heat to distort the metal and they are perfect for the interlocking parts. Enough room to slide together but tight enough it has some rigidity. The floor fits semi tight so it squares it up one the preasure hold it all together.

Post burn and a little closer.

image.jpg

- - - Updated - - -

I was adding another. How bout now?
 
I cut cut out the rough pieces with a plasma cutter then just a couple different grinders and different size cut-off wheels. Mostly just a 4.5" battey pack Milwaukee grinder and the really thin 1mm wheels. They cut a lot faster than the thicker ones so less heat to distort the metal and they are perfect for the interlocking parts. Enough room to slide together but tight enough it has some rigidity. The floor fits semi tight so it squares it up one the preasure hold it all together.

Post burn and a little closer.

View attachment 155157

- - - Updated - - -

I was adding another. How bout now?
I was thinking you had a CNC water jet. Beautiful work with simple tools. [bow]
 
I cut cut out the rough pieces with a plasma cutter then just a couple different grinders and different size cut-off wheels. Mostly just a 4.5" battey pack Milwaukee grinder and the really thin 1mm wheels. They cut a lot faster than the thicker ones so less heat to distort the metal and they are perfect for the interlocking parts. Enough room to slide together but tight enough it has some rigidity. The floor fits semi tight so it squares it up one the preasure hold it all together.

Post burn and a little closer.

View attachment 155157

- - - Updated - - -

I was adding another. How bout now?

got it...had to get out of Chrome to see it
 
nice.

I miss having a job where I'd get all sorts of expensive scrap

The crap I see getting trashed every day makes me sick. I wish I could keep it all but have too much now. I have used some but 4x4 and 2x8 half sheets of stainless I couldn't let go in the dumpster. Scrap is so low no one is bothering to take it for that. I used to keep stuff to scrap but now it's more of a headache and eye sore... Unless it's stuff I can re use or large copper.
 
It burns pretty good. With the smaller stainless "cup" in the picture you loose a lot of flame around the cup but most of my cooking stuff is more pot like. Bigger around and shorter, the results with something like that would probably be better. Gonna give it a try tomorrow to try to fine tune things and maybe build another.
 
Looks great!! I hacked one out of tie plates with a dremel but it is ugly. I love the little door and crosspieces. Very cool
 
Very nice work.

You keep a plasma cutter in your kitchen?

That went right over my head, not sure what you mean?

I started marking out pieces for another one this afternoon but am gonna try actually cooking something on it tomorrow before I get too far in case I want to make more changes.
 
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Nice work!

I've got some scrapped stainless that might work, but it is thin enough it came on a roll. Might need some edges bent over for strength. And no plasma cutter, so I better start reading up on field expedient sheet metal work. Hmm....

Great project, though. Wish I still had access to the same tools as my previous career. It'd be a lot easier.
 
Inspired by another thread on a bought stove and with too much time on my hands this past weekend I built a wood burning breakdown stove. Made out of 20ga. stainless sheet (I have saved bigger scrap off jobs for the past couple years). It's 4.5" at its widest point, 6" H, and weighs 15 oz. After giving it a burn today I need to add some more vent holes for air so it will get slightly lighter. It will break down to 4.5"x6"x.75" thick. From empty stove to loading the stove to boiling water was about 13 mins.

I I learned a few things along the way so I might build another and give this one away. Questions? Comments? Critiques?

View attachment 155152View attachment 155153View attachment 155154

I like the stove making. It's looking good. Your hardware place is also looking nice.
 
I am sure most of you guys have one or have seen them but I decided the wood stove is too heavy. I usually carry a BRS 3000T canister stove but decided to try making an alcohol “penny” stove for winter use. The canister stove can be used down to about 20 with a couple tricks but much colder than that and they don’t work so great as I am sure you know. I have a MSR Whisperlite International and it’s a great stove for winter use but is a little heavy so if I can make a reliable alcohol stove that’s probably 1/10th the weight that’s what I plan on carrying.

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I used 2 standard sized cans. Will hold about 4oz of fuel max, full to the bottom of the fill hole. I didn’t take any pics of it not running but I drilled a 3/8” hole to fill it and put a 3/8” grommet in it for a more finished look. I filled the lower half with Roxul fiberglass insulation, put a small square of fiberglass cloth on top of that, and a small piece of stainless steel screen ontop of that. Then put the 2 halves together. I crimped the bottom edge of the top can just enough to fit it inside the bottom. No epoxy was used, I had to use a block of wood and mallet to seat it fully so it’s definitely not coming apart. I drilled 11 holes around the outside and 4 on the inside of the rim. Holes are a little smaller than 1/16 (they are a letter size but don’t remember which). I made the pot stand out of the same 20g stainless I used for the wood stove. It burned for about a half hour with 3oz of fuel in it. Boiled 20oz of water in a titanium pot in about 8 mins. I might play with hole size/ location to see what that does to the burn time/ boiling time. Also going to try different fuels, I used denatured alcohol for this burn.
 
Looks similar in function and design to one that I picked up on Kickstarter a couple of months back.
I decided to go the checkbook route, since my metalworking skills top out at "turning raw stock into scrap".

Took delivery in late August, and am happy with results.

If Brian5582 decides to build and sell, I'd support local. Otherwise, see The Ultimate Portable Camping and Survival Stoves - NEW UNIVERSAL SIEGE STOVES!
 
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