Using ordinary empty aluminum cans of beer, juice, cocoa and other drinks, you can make an alcohol burner with your own hands. Moreover, it will be very compact, light, and therefore you can take it with you on any hike, trip, or just at the dacha to quickly cook something or make yourself tea.
To make an alcohol burner with your own hands, first of all, we will need:
— Two aluminum cans of beer, Coca-Cola (or other drinks);
— Stationery knife, scalpel or scissors;
- Sandpaper;
- Super glue;
- Coin.
We wash the jars, dry them, then clean them with sandpaper bottom part paint cans. This is necessary so that when the finished alcohol burner burns, the can does not smoke, as the paint will burn out.
There are 2 options: the first is to take a scalpel or a stationery knife, clamp it in a vice at the required height (this is necessary so that the cut is at the same level on all sides of the can) and begin to turn the can around without lifting its bottom from the table, thus the can will be cut smoothly and beautifully.
The second option is to place a marker on something, the same level as half the height of our future alcohol burner should be, for example, on a book or cork, and again turn the jar around without lifting it from the table and thus draw a line along which we will cut off the bottom of the aluminum banks. Next, take a scalpel, a utility knife or scissors and cut off the bottom. Sandpaper We clean the edges to get rid of burrs.
Now we have two identical aluminum cups to create a beer can burner, they need to be inserted into each other. To make this easier, you need to stretch one such cup; this can be done by placing it on another similar aluminum can, preferably a full, closed one. After this, it will stretch a lot, this will be enough for the second cup to be inserted inside.
But before combining the halves, you need to put cotton wool or 2-3 layers of absorbent sponge cellulose napkin on the bottom of the half that will be the bottom. So that the alcohol does not spill out of our alcohol burner and does not evaporate so quickly. Next, we insert the other half inside and for greater connection strength, you can apply superglue along the edges.
Using an awl, we make 5 holes in the center of the future burner; if the awl is thick, then even two will be enough; through these holes we will pour alcohol. It will also act as an overpressure valve and prevent damage to the burner. Next, you need to make holes along the edges - 20 of them at equal distances, through which ignited alcohol vapor will escape. It will be better if you mark out the placement of these holes in advance. And it will be even better if you make the holes not with an awl, but with a Dremel or a drill with thin drill somewhere 1 mm. Then the holes will turn out more beautiful and not concave inward as is the case with an awl.
Mini alcohol burner made from an aluminum can is ready:
Using an alcohol burner
Pour 30 ml of alcohol through the central holes. To refuel the burner, you can use any alcohol of at least 85% (for example, methyl technical). Then we close the central holes with a coin. If excess pressure forms inside, it will flip the coin and the burner will not explode.
Before you light our alcohol burner, you need to warm it up first; to do this, take the burner and heat it from below using a lighter so that the gas begins to evaporate. Try to warm it up as much as possible, then ignition will happen faster.
30 ml of alcohol is enough for about 20 minutes of burning, this is quite enough to boil a kettle or fry scrambled eggs. Using our homemade mini-burner, you can boil half a liter of water from a jar in 7-10 minutes. In order to extinguish the burner, you just need to cover it with a cup, pan or something else, or when all the alcohol has burned out, it will go out on its own. You will also need a stand for a saucepan or kettle; it can be bent from wire.
An alcohol burner can be useful on a camping trip, at the dacha, or at home if the gas and electricity suddenly go out.
For production we will need:
1. Aluminum can for beer or other drinks.
2. Coin or round metal plate, diameter - 25-35 mm, thickness - 1-3 mm.
3. Saucer (plate, lid, tin can with a low side) made of ceramics, glass or metal.
4. Alcohol - 80%.
Tools:
1. Knife with a sharp point on the blade (I used a Swiss knife, the handle added 1.2cm height, can be replaced with a utility knife blade, increasing the thickness of the lining)
2. Shilo
3. Wood lining, thickness - 2 cm
4. Rubber lining, thickness - 0.8 cm
Manufacturing:
1. The lower part of the burner is made from the bottom of the jar.
Place the jar and linings on one flat plane and make a cut with the edge of a knife on the bottom of the jar, height - 4 cm. After piercing the wall of the jar at the place of the cut, press off most of the jar with your fingers. Knead the upper part of the edge of the resulting workpiece, 0.8 - 1 cm high, inward with uniform folds around the circumference.
2. Top part The burner is made from a part with a lid.
Turn the jar upside down and make a 3.2 cm high cut and press the rest of the jar down with your fingers.
3. Connect the upper and lower parts so that their planes are parallel. Along the outer circumference of the lid, at a distance of 5-6 mm from the edge, evenly pierce small holes with a diameter of 2-3 mm with an awl. The distance between the holes is 7-8 mm.
Burner usage:
Place the burner in a saucer, pour 50 ml of alcohol into the burner and a little into the saucer. Cover the hole with a coin. Pour some alcohol onto the lid and set it on fire, also set fire to the alcohol in the saucer to heat up the alcohol vapor. When the burner starts working (this will be visible by the flames emerging from the pierced holes), place a container of water.
Video about the creation and use of an alcohol burner.
The idea of an alcohol burner made from a tin or aluminum can is not new. This device has long been used by hunters and fishermen in nature in order to warm up a mug of tea or cook food without starting a fire, and in living conditions An alcohol lamp for the same purposes often comes in handy during a power outage. An alcohol burner from a can is very simple to make, and if you experiment with its modification, you can adjust the height of the flames, the duration of combustion, and the amount of heat released during fuel combustion. You can learn more about how to make a burner with your own hands.
To make a simple alcohol lamp, you will need two aluminum cans of beer or any carbonated water. To prevent the beer can burner from smoking and melting when burning, you need to sand its surface with sandpaper to get rid of the paint. Then you need to cut off a part of each can, about 3 cm from the bottom, with a stationery knife. The cutting line should be straight, so you can use a marker attached to a 3 cm high board to draw this line, or secure a utility knife in a vice, while twisting the can, cutting off the desired part. The sharp edges of the cut part must be sanded.
The two identical parts of the cans thus obtained must be connected by inserting one into the other. Since they have the same diameter, the connection can be difficult because you need to insert one into the other so that there is no gap between them. Since aluminum is easily deformed, before cutting off the second blank, you can stretch the cut, finished part of the future alcohol lamp onto the bottom of the whole jar, thus expanding its edges to the desired diameter.
After both parts are connected, you need to make holes around the perimeter of the upper part of the alcohol lamp with an awl or a 1-2 mm drill. There can be 18-20 of them with the same distance between them. In order for the flames to rise upward, the edges of the holes need to be slightly bent upward. At the top of the burner you need to make several holes 3 mm in diameter to pour alcohol and adjust the internal pressure of the container.
You can simply pour alcohol inside the burner, or you can place a cotton pad there so that it is saturated with it.
A DIY beer can burner works very simply: 30 ml of alcohol is poured inside, the inlet holes in the center of the top are closed with a coin. The bottom of the alcohol lamp is heated with a match, the alcohol vapor ignites, forming flames emerging from holes made around the perimeter.
To make it convenient to heat water or food on the burner, you need to make a stand for dishes. To do this, you need to use the jar a little bigger size, for example, from canned food. You need to mark two lines on it: one at the height of the burner, the second at a height twice the length of the burner. The top of the jar is cut off, and its walls are divided into 12 vertical cuts. Of this number, you need to leave six pieces, cutting off the extra ones after one. In the center of the bottom you need to make a hole for heating, and bend the remaining strips inward towards the bottom. The stand is ready, all that remains is to place the alcohol burner inside it.
Can burner
In addition to using aluminum beer cans, a spirit lamp can be made from an ordinary tin can. A burner made from tin can from a coffee or brewed tea container with a tight-fitting lid.
The principle of making a burner from a can is similar to that described above:
- Several holes are made in the lid for pouring alcohol.
- Next, you need to make holes along the diameter of the top edge of the jar at a distance of 1-1.5 cm. They should have a diameter of about 1 mm and the edges bent upward at an angle. This is necessary so that the alcohol vapors are directed upward.
- The cans are lit in the same way as beer cans, with the holes in the top pre-closed using a coin.
In principle, you can make an open alcohol burner; a lid is not needed for this. To do this, you need to insert a tin plate into it, rolled into a circle with a diameter smaller than the walls of the tin can. Alcohol is poured into the resulting circle in the center and set on fire.
As with any flammable substance, handling alcohol requires caution. You cannot fill the jar to the top with it, otherwise it may explode. Apart from alcohol, it is not recommended to use other types of fuel. The burner cannot be placed on a table at home, as it may catch fire, and in general, when using an alcohol lamp at home, it is necessary to use a stand both for the burner itself and for the dishes. To put out an alcohol lamp, it is necessary to stop the access of oxygen to the burning alcohol vapor; to do this, you can cover it on top with a tin lid. The burner should not be used to heat small synthetic tents.
Surely many have already seen an alcohol burner made from an aluminum can. One author suggested how it could be improved to make it safer and more convenient. Now the burner will never explode when heated, as it has a special safety valve. In addition, the flame became more beautiful and even, which increased the efficiency of the burner. As a result, the burner now looks like a regular kitchen burner.
Materials and tools for assembly:
- an aluminum can for beer and other drinks (the author uses narrow cans from Mio, as he makes a small Primus stove);
- cotton pads, cotton cloth or sponge;
- jar larger diameter(used from olives);
- coin;
- raw food and a frying pan (you can fry an egg to check).
To work you will need the following tools: scissors, a lighter, a needle with an awl (a sharp nail will do instead of an awl), pliers, a bolt with nuts or a self-tapping screw.
Let's start assembling the alcohol burner:
Step one. Cut out the first burner element
The first element of the burner needs to be cut out of the can; to do this, you need to move 17 mm away from the bottom. After this, a circular line is drawn with a marker. To keep the line even, the marker can be fixed at the desired height, and then rotate the can.
Now this part needs to be carefully cut out along the drawn line. A total of two such spare parts are needed, one should be 17 mm high, and the second 25 mm.
Next, you need to make holes in the cut bottom, maintaining a distance of 4-5 mm between them. It is important that the distances in diameter are approximately the same. For these purposes, you can use an awl or a nail. It is most convenient to punch holes on a board.
In the end, everything should be as seen in the photo. If you make larger holes, the flame will be higher.
You also need to do one thing in the center of the bottom big hole. It should be smaller in size than a coin.
Step two. Connecting two elements together
You need to put cotton fabric in the bottom, which is 25 mm. This could be cotton wool or cotton pads. Next, the bottom with holes needs to be put on top of the bottom with cotton wool. They need to be connected so that there is no distortion. The edges can be filled with a piece from the same jar.
Step three. Burner testing
Through the large hole you need to pour alcohol or other liquid fuel, such as gasoline, into the burner. Next, the hole is closed at the top with a coin. The coin is needed to prevent the burner from exploding under excess pressure. If there is excess pressure in the burner, the coin will simply move and excess gases will escape from the burner without bursting it.
To start, you need to heat the bottom of the burner with a lighter or matches, and then ignite the vapors that will come out of it. Well, then the burner will heat itself and burn as long as there is fuel in it.
Step four. Making a cover for extinguishing the burner
In addition to extinguishing the burner, the cap also prevents fuel from evaporating from the burner when it is not burning. To make the lid, you will need another jar, the bottom of which needs to be cut off.
You then need to drill a small hole in the center of the bottom and screw in a self-tapping screw.
Step five. How to make a coaster
To turn the burner into a primus, you need to make a stand for dishes. For these purposes, you will need a jar with a slightly larger diameter. To determine the height of the stand, you first need to make a mark on the can at the height of the burner. Next, you need to double this length and add the desired centimeters at which the cookware will be located from the burner.
Then the jar needs to be divided into 12 parts with a marker, the excess is cut off along the circular line. Each line must be cut to the bottom ring. Then the resulting strips are cut off one at a time, resulting in a design like the one in the photo.
You need to cut a hole in the stand; it is needed to heat the burner when starting. The strips need to be bent so that they rest against the bottom, thereby increasing the rigidity of the stand. That's all, then the burner is inserted into the stand and you can start cooking.
From just two aluminum cans you can make a simple and reliable burner that will help out both tourists and hunters. Unlike store-bought burners, it is small in size and light in weight. In addition, it can be made from available materials.
In order to make a burner from a beer can we will need:
- Two half-liter aluminum beer cans;
- Stationery knife or scissors;
- Awl;
- Sandpaper;
First you need to clean the bottom of the cans of paint using sandpaper. If the paint is not cleaned off, it will continue to smoke and melt.
It should look something like this:
Now you need to cut off the bottom of the cans, about 3 centimeters high. You can do this using a utility knife (after securing it in a vice so that the cutting level is at the same height) or scissors. We clean the edges with sandpaper to get rid of burrs.
We ended up with two identical aluminum cups. Now we will need to insert these cups into each other.
This may be a little difficult. The fact is that they are the same diameter, and although aluminum is a soft material and can be deformed, you need to try. The easiest way to do this is to put one cut bottom on a whole beer can, causing it to expand a little, and then insert the second part.
In the center of our burner from beer cans we will need to make several holes through which we will pour alcohol (you can get by with one large one - about 3 mm). It will also act as an overpressure valve and prevent damage to the burner. We make about 20 holes around the perimeter, at an equal distance, through which ignited alcohol vapor will escape.
The beer can burner is ready:
Starting the burner
Pour about 30 ml of alcohol inside and close the central holes with a coin. If excess pressure forms inside, it will flip the coin and the burner will not explode.
After briefly holding the burner over a lit match (this is necessary so that the alcohol begins to evaporate), we light it and enjoy the result.
Here short video:
Important:
- Alcohol is a flammable liquid, be careful and follow safety precautions.
- The burner body heats up.
- Do not put any flammable substances other than alcohol into the burner.
- Do not fill the burner completely with alcohol - it may explode.
With this burner you can easily boil half a liter of water in 7-10 minutes. 30 ml of alcohol burns for about 20 minutes. Ideal for a tourist or hunter to make tea or pour boiling water over noodles.