Adjustable wick for alcohol stoves

On one of the ultralight backpacking forums, someone was looking for an adjustable wick. Here is an idea that might work out for them.

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Entertainment

Tags:

• Adjustable
• wick
• alcohol
• stove
• backpack
• lite
• light
• stovie
• pepsi
• can
• ultralight
• Appalachian
• Trai
• john
• muir

[TheBeebopper]

It's a good un. But such a small wick cannot really put ot a lot of heat can it?

[jonfong57]

OK, so I did a burn and here are the numbers. I boiled 2 cups of 54 F water with 15.3 ml of S-L-X. It took 22 minutes to boil. Not bad for the little stove that could. The flame spot size on the pot was about 1" diameter.  Nothing has been optimized. With some work, this looks like it could be an efficient stove.

[TheBeebopper]

It might be more interesting to develop this for a 12floz or less mug. I think it is not a practical size for larger capacities.

[jonfong57]

Going from the 1/8 IP to the 1/4 IP should have a significant impact on boil time. Hopefully, the efficiency will stay high. I guess its back to Home Depot.........

[TheBeebopper]

Hey, 12oz mugs are wonderfully useful. In fact the little collars you have identified being so useful themselves in providing a well aerated controlled wick flame, it may be wise to base your stove designs around what this is, a simple lamp. I used to get meat and fish paste in shallow pots with steel caps between 1 and 2oz capacity which would have been ideal for this application. Not seen them for years though.

[jonfong57]

OK so here is food for thought. Do you base the stove design as a fill and use with limited volume (1 to 2 oz) or should we think of it as an integrated stove/fuel bottle (say 8 ounces). The wicks can easily be blown out and capped. You eliminate one piece of equipment from your pack. Let me know what you think.

[heli400]

Hey I first posted an idea like this on tinny's you tube channel so he could make one.(except i had the idea like the old kerosene lamps that moves the wick up/down) I'm glad someone did some inventing & but I don't think I'd be so picky with finer adjustments as opposed to speed of adjustments. good work. keep it up thx

[RJBURG]

if you put some holes around in the tread part like 3 rows flames come out them holes also the up and down will control it the top of wick can be shorty

[FreeTalkLive]

Tinny (minibulldesign) already perfected the carbon fiber wick system long ago.

[TheBeebopper]

I dont think that a burner should ever be refilled to finish a boil or cooking process even if that period is split to allow absorption of fluid into dry goods.

If you consider the projecting wick as the burner and leave the fuel tank outside the stove and combustion chamber, the design can be optimised for any fuel tank size. This means it is easy to swap to a smaller wick for prolonged simmering (suspicions are that the adjustable collar takes the simmer right down even on a larger wick).

[TheBeebopper]

I think with 22 minutes for 15ml that 2oz or a little more capacity is enough for a day for one man. Refilling once each day makes it easier to calculate how many days fuel you have left if you mark your bottle as you use it. But an easy fill system which involves spring loaded valves and a rigid filling tube to eliminate spillage seems beneficial (elimination of frustration probably more important). That's not to say that a larger capacity burner tank would not be beneficial for weekends.