Re: [pct-l] Nifty Stove

[ROYROBIN@aol.com]

Ron --  I checked out the stove website.  Nice job on the site and the stove. 
 The stove has some good features, mainly the flexibility of being able to 
use the solid fuel tabs as well as alcohol.  

You mentioned that the stove takes 8-10 minutes using alcohol fuel to bring a 
pint of water to the boil.   It should do a lot better than that.  The 
problem seems to be inadequate air flow.  Efficient combustion requires a LOT 
of air, combined with good wind screening.  I suggest doing away with the 
stovepipe (or cutting many more holes in it to improve air flow) and using a 
separate windscreen as necessary.  This might also improve the heating 
efficiency using fuel tabs.  

I also like your idea of replacing the burner with a candle to keep the pot 
simmering.  Sometimes you want to keep some water hot for the second "cuppa", 
and a candle or two should be in everyone's pack for a lot of good reasons.  

Regarding the fiberglass wicking material which originated (so far as I know) 
with Jim Mayer:  It seems to help get the stove up to speed a bit faster when 
it is first lit, but doesn't add much to the efficiency once the alcohol is 
hot.  What is more important is that any heat lost through the sides of the 
burner is returned to the burner by proper air flow.  

Most problems which people have with fiberglass are caused by small 
fiber-dust particles (maybe slivers is a better description) which are either 
breathed in or get on the skin.  After the stove is burned once, the 
fiberglass becomes very stable and should cause no allergy problems.  Anyone 
worried about this should certainly take precautions handling the fiberglass 
while making the stove, but shouldn't be overly concerned about using it. 

What caused the meltdown of your early-version alcohol stove, which you 
mentioned on your website?  Did you use a thin aluminum can, i.e., coke can, 
for the burner?  I haven't tried that but I know some have.  If that is a 
potential hazard, as I suspect from your description, people should know 
about it. 

Again, thanks for making your design available to PCT-listers.  -- Roy 
Robinson       
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