Donut Wood Stove - Simple Blue Flame Wood Gas Stove

[joakim2407]

Have you ever tried using wood chips instead of pellets? I'm curious to see if it would work. =)

[jw934]

@joakim2407 I have not. But now that you mentioned it, I'll try it. I can get some chips from the flower bed or cut a stick into small chunks or just go buy a bag of hickory BBQ flavouring wood chips. Perhaps I'll cut up a stick as that is most likely what I would use in an emergency or for camping. I'll try it this weekend and post the video. Thanks for the suggestion. By the way, I'll use my new blue flame stove (/watch?v=lOrc5Ua3weQ) instead of the donut wood stove.

[jw934]

@joakim2407 If the wood chip is even very slightly damp, the stove does not work at all. Once the accelerant runs out the flame only lasts 2 minute. But after I dry the wood chips on top of a barbecue, the peanut magic stove works great. Got about 20 minutes burn with about just 8 pencil sized sticks. I guess if I was out camping somewhere other than in a desert, I would always carry some dry wood sticks or chips. I would use it to both cook and dry some more sticks afterwards.

[joakim2407]

@jw934 I've tried using wood chips from a fairly dry pine. I used my home made wood gasifier stove, based on the one BCoutdoorsurvival makes; see the related videos list. My first attempt was not that good, it burned quite bright for 5 minutes, but didn't really gasify properly. I then cut the chips into thinner pieces, about 3-4 millimeters in width, filled it up and lit it using some fine shavings on the top. It worked really well, had about a 15 min clean burn and almost no remaining coals =)

[jw934]

@joakim2407 I just checked out that video. Thanks for the suggestion. Even though it hasn't rained here for two days, I am still having trouble finding wood lying on the ground that is dry enough. I saw a patent for a stove for use in sub-zero conditions. It had three walls to maximize heat retention and pre-heats both primary and secondary air. Perhaps I will get around to build one of those one day.

[joakim2407]

@jw934 I'd love to see you try that out =)

Back to my stove; I've found that it works all right even with wood that's not completely dry. I used fine shavings in between pencil sized wood chips, all which I got from the inner wood of a dead standing pine, as it had rained the night before. I find pine and birch to be the best fuel for my stove, but every kind of three will do as long as it's dry enough.

Now that winter is coming, I'd love to see you experiment with a "sub-zero stove" =)

[jw934]

I finally figure out how to light a Donut Wood Stove and keep it burning reliably in the wind. The problem was that whenever there is wind, it is hard to light. If the fuel to one side of the tube blows out the flame on the other side would not be able to light it. This causes a large amount of smoke.

The solution consists of:

- redesign the stove with higher sides

- add a wind screen/pot skirt outside of the stove and pot

- light the stove by dumping a layer of burning pellets on top

[jw934]

I have stopped experimenting with the Donut Wood Stove. Tried different configurations, but could not achieve the rate of success required. The problem is that even with slight wind, only one section of the fuel would burn and the other part of the stove just produces smoke.

Just started to develop a "hammer stove" that so far seems to solve that problem. I will do some camping with it and try it many more times before posting a video. Minutes to build using two pop cans and reusable.

[jw934]

@jw934 Video on Hammer Stove posted.

[Jigaboo123456]

Here's the link to understanding CO toxicty In the army, (11 yearsm on exercises often, using hexamine stoves) we used hexamine stoves in tents, hides and covered trenches despite warning not to. I suffered no obvious ill effects at the time,but after reading this I am a little concerned about long term damage. Very sneaky, CO poisoning with insufficient research into it in tents ect.My flame was not very blue even after I put 2 holes in the side.. Maybe your kitchen extractor helped updraft?

[Jigaboo123456]

Treid this, got nothing like the results yopu mentioned, the only difference being I used well-dried wood cuttings about 15 x15 square x 25mm. and I had used a peice of steel pipe 40mm dia as the centre wick. It took forever to creat gasification, with much priming with twigs and meth, was awful. I then put twigs down the pipe which burned well and gave enough heat for gasification, but for a very short time. Any ideas? Here a good link to understanding CO problems--to follow

[jw934]

@Jigaboo123456 See my new method for starting gasification in the description for the Hammer Stove. It may solve the problem you described.

[tubetherube]

Hi again! You say this one is better for cooking than your "heat fin" one; why do you think that is? Also, do you know of anyone who actually uses a pyrolysing wood stove (as opposed to gasifying) for backpacking trips? From my so far experiments it seems that pyrolysis stoves have less power than gasification stoves of similar dimensions; they also are hard to relight if they get blown out, and so far I didn't manage to build one that accepts adding new fuel without smoking or going out... Matt

[jw934]

@tubetherube The donut wood stove does not blacken the bottom of the pot. The reason is because the air flow from the donut hole hits the bottom of the pot or pan and spreads out radially to fuel the smoke and flame. At the same time, the clean air flow at the bottom surface keeps the smoke from hitting the pot.

I can't relight any of the pyrolysis stoves either unless it is done within 30 seconds of flame out. Also could not add more fuel. Donut stove often leaves wood uncharred.

[Coaljet]

Very interesting concept - an inverse design compared to most (which tend to be double-walled). This seems to be quite easy to put together. Thanks for the idea!

[UnlimitedBushcraft]

That's a great stove, very simple design but with a very clean flame well done!

Keep us updated on how your stove turns out!

I'd recommend you test your stove with a TLUD type lid and adjust the height of the centre column to find the best air mixture and achieve the cleanest burn!

Also a flame spreader you help improve the efficiency of the burn would be fun to test with!!

[jw934]

Thanks for the compliment. Tried two designs of flame spreader so far - one with smooth convex bottom (like a magnifying glass) and one with finned funnel shaped bottom. I didn't measure the efficiency, but both seem to reduce heat output. Need more experiments and measurements.

[UnlimitedBushcraft]

@jw934 Sound cool hope your experiments go well!

[mbmurphy777]

Wow. Another home run. Basically turning an everything nice/bundle of joy inside out. Inspired. My only reservation with the BOJ was that it could not easily support a pot. This solves that issue. Reminds me a little of a Champion design also with separate and potentially controllable primary and secondary air...

[jw934]

Mr. Bill, MB, thank you.

For a simple flame control just sit the can above an aluminum foil with smaller hole patterns punched to reduce airflow.

[MrBillTroop73]

Very Cool!

[jw934]

I see the advantages as:

- It does not blacken pots (as severely) and does not make them smell like smoke.

- Pot is more stable since the pot stand or riser/connector can be shorter.

- #1 advantage is that it fits my need to go under my camping pot made from the inner and outer pieces of a Black&Decker 3 cup rice cooker. One of my videos shows that.

[BespokeGroupUK]

in your opinion, what are the davantages over a donut stove as opposed to a two walled TLUD gassifier stove? Do you think that you get better temperature or more flame?