DIY Hobo Stove

A hobo stove is an easy and efficient way of burning wood for cooking and warmth. It's generally small and because of that doesn't use a lot of wood. As one might expect there are a lot of different variations of the hobo stove. This is just one of the variations possible, feel free to change or adapt on this any way you like.

Find a large coffee, soup or paint can. Make sure it does not have a plastic liner around the inside. Open it up and take everything that's inside out, in the case of coffee you can put it in a plastic zip lock bag and store it for later use.

Other equipment includes:

A can opener,

A Dremel,

Some sanding discs,

A sharpie or permanent marker,

Any safety equipment like: gloves, glasses and noise cancelling headphones.

If your can has a metal liner around the inside of the can, start by using your can opener to cut out the edge that is sticking out. Then, again using your can opener, take off the bottom as well. What you're left with should be a metal tube and disc.

Using your permanent marker draw four straight lines through the centre of the disc. So that it is in eight equal segments. Draw as circle of ~2 cm in diameter around the center (or connect the segment lines close to the centre with straight lines, creating a hexagon around it). Using your Dremel cut along these lines, leaving a hole in the middle. Now draw two short lines (1.5 cm) parallel to each other (~2 cm apart) and perpendicular to the segment lines as shown on the drawing. Cut along these lines and the line separating the two lines, so that you have cut out a U shape. Now bend the metal so that these U's create flaps that are at a 45 degree angle downwards. These are going to be the air vents. Because they are at a 45 degree angle and going around, they will create an upwards air flow.

Using your marker, draw a line at 3.5 - 5 cm above the bottom of the tube. You can do this by putting your marker onto a book that is your preferred height, place the tube so that it touches the marker and rotate the tube. This should create a straight line going all the way around the tube, let's call it: The horizon line (the purple line in the picture above. Draw one rectangle going up from the horizon line, split into three segments as shown above, cut out along these lines with your Dremel but do not cut on the horizon line. This is going to be where you light your fire. Draw 3 sets of 2 triangles spaced equal lengths apart, going up from the horizon line. Cut these out with your Dremel as well, but again, be careful not to cut onto the horizon line. Then draw 3 sets of 2 more triangles going up from the bottom of the tube, under the horizon line, spaced roughly equal lengths apart. As shown in the picture above. Use you Dremel to cut these out too. This leaves vents for air to come up the hobo stove. Finally cut out one large rectangle around the top of the tube, this is to leave an exit for the air and smoke if you place a pan on top of the stove.

Now bend one of every set of two triangles going up from the horizon so that they are at a 90 degree angle. Fold two of the 3 segments of the rectangle as well. Now drop your disc onto the metal sticking out from the top, so that it's placed onto the metal parts that are sticking out of (or into) the tube. Now fold the other triangles and rectangle segment onto the disc so that it is secured in place.

You've done it, You've made your hobo stove! Now light a fire and enjoy.

Thanks for reading, I hope you liked my first instructable. Let's see if you have as much fun using and making the hobo stove as I had, happy camping and / or survivaling. Feel free to comment and please vote for me in the competition.