Soda Can Stove Aka Penny Stove

This is an instructable on how to make a simple yet effective small and portable alcohol stove. Its great for camping, emergencies, or just for fun.

You will need scissors, a sharpie or other permanent marker, two aluminum cans, a tack or small nail, and a hammer.

For the stove you will only use the bottoms of the cans. To make sure the cuts are even and equal, you will need to use something flat and level to place the sharpie on as you mark the can. The can is twisted around while the sharpie stays in plays insuring an even line. The line is made for both cans.

Use a knife to poke an initial hole in the can and cut about 1/4 inch above the line so the cut is smooth. Once its been cut away then carefully cut on line, the straighter it is the easier later steps will be.

IMPORTANT: this step is only for ONE of the can bottoms. Use the sharpie again and draw 16 dots on the outside of the ridge of the can. make sure the dots are equally spaced. 

Carefully poke out holes where you made the points with a tack or nail. These will be the flame jets for the stove.

Draw five holes in the middle of the can for the fuel to be filled in the can.

This is the hard part. Fit the top half (the one with the holes) over the bottom half. This will be difficult and you might tear the can, it takes practice to do it right. Once you got the top over the bottom, use something flat to evenly hammer the top down on the bottom don't do it to you or you might hit it too far down or tear the can.

Now you have your very own Penny stove. Now you may wonder why is it called a penny stove? That because when you fill it with fuel, you cover the middle with a penny to prevent fuel from leaking out the filling holes. To use the stove, fill with denatured or isopropyl alcohol. Drizzel some fuel on the side and on the holes as well to help it light faster. Next cover the holes with a penny as mentioned. Then take a soup can lid and pour some fuel on it. Light the fuel then put the stove on top of the lid. The heat from the fuel burning on the bottom vaporizes it inside the stove and it burns with a hot blue flame,