The Evolution of a Winter Stove – Part 2

A 4oz external feed canister stove is a great idea! (I've been out hiking for a couple weeks…just catching up.) Skittering can be a problem, but, mostly when setting the stove up. I never found it to be a major problem once things were going.

While no help with the "skittering," the legs could be made much stiffer by adding a corrugation or bend to the material. Or simply adding a 2-4mm bend in the edges, or, simply cupping the parts with a press. CNC milling of the legs might be the downfall here, since a stamped leg system would supply the necessary bends (about 1mm) along the entire perimiter of the leg piece, both sides. I agree that Al is probably a better choice, provided you don't let it sit near the flame. As an alternative, I would suggest a simple conical section as a stand, though this would increase the size.

The vortex burners look real good, but not easily made in a home shop. Again, the burner could use the bottom of the pan (as with the Fire Maple) lightening the entire burner assembly.

Anyway, this is some good work. I appreciate the amount of effort you put into these. Thanks, Roger!

Hi James

> a simple conical section as a stand, though this would increase the size.
It does increase the packed size, hugely. I had to give that one away early.

> The vortex burners look real good, but not easily made in a home shop.
All true!
Forming Ti tubing for the burner chamber is hard work: it is best done hot. That becomes a one-by-one job – slow.
The hardest bit to make was actually the splash plate – the arms on the plate in particular. I tried spot welding wire arms on a disk, but the long-term reliability was just not good enough. A wire EDM to make a die and a fast press might have been a solution, but I have neither. A pity, as the design does have merit.

Cheers

"The hardest bit to make was actually the splash plate – the arms on the plate in particular."

That sounds very tricky. As I recall, the splash plate has some sort of big dimple in the center to get the fuel mixture splashing correctly. Also, it needs to be a critical distance from the fuel jet. If you had wobbly arms on it, it would be a mess. However, if you get it tuned just right, the roar tells you that it is just right.

–B.G.–