Homemade Mini Kerosene Camping Stove

A precaution :

Before we begin it must be cautioned that this project involves flammable liquids and should only be attempted by an adult or with adult supervision. Also certain precautions should be followed such as having a fire extinguisher nearby and use the stove outside only.

So lets begin:

This Instructable describes how i built a mini kerosene camping stove small enough to fit in a backpack to take along on your next camping trip. If you are the outdoorsy type and would rather not use wood from the forest to make a camp fire, then this mini tin can stove may be just what you need. Its very easy and cheap to build , if you have a couple of tin cans laying around then you are ready to build.

Materials :

1 tin can about 3 1/2" diameter x 7 1/2" high ( i used a 680mL sauce can in this project )

1 tin can about 3" diameter x 4 3/8" high ( i used a standard 354mL milk can )

1 stainless steel pencil holder 3 1/2" diameter x 4" high ( or just use another 680mL can and drill out the holes )

1 piece of carbon felt ( about 10" x 4" )

...and of course some kerosene , i had a bottle of it laying around in the shed for years.

2" woodscrew.

Tools:

Can opener

A pair of pliers ( needle nose is best )

Assuming you already have the two right size tin cans, start by removing the labels and top lid of each can ( if they are not already ). The smaller can should fit inside the larger one with about a 1/4" gap around the inside , this gap is needed to accommodate the wick ( carbon felt ). Next using a pair of pliers crimp the edges of the larger can ( as shown above ) so that the stainless steel pencil holder can fit tightly down over it for about 3/4".

Wrap the carbon felt pad around the outside of the smaller can ( 354mL ) exposing about a 1/4" of felt above the top edge and place it inside the larger one , it should be a snug fit.

It may take some adjusting and more crimping to the edges of the larger can to get the fitment of the pencil holder top just right, but patience and brute force should work . With this final step to the build the mini stove is ready for its first use.

With the stove build completed , remove the stainless steel top ( pencil holder ) and remove the small can with the wick . Pour in about 2 inches of kerosene into the larger can, you can add more later this is just for a test. Place the can with the wick back inside the large can as before and wait a few minutes for the kerosene to soak up into the wick. Using a lighter ( I used a BBQ butane torch ) try lighting the wick around the edges. Flame should be small at first but should increase as more fuel wicks up, just give it time. With the flame going good place the stainless steel top back on ( best to wear gloves ).

There will usually be some black smoke as any residue burns off , the top part of mine had a coating on it which caused quite a bit of smoke at first, as can be seen in the pics above .

I later mounted a 2 inch woodscrew to the top center of the smaller can to make removal and adjustment a lot easier. This project is still experimental and i'm making some minor changes to it when i get the time.

That's all i have for now , thanks for taking the time to visit this Instructable, all the best.