It is a small, easily made lightweight device, weighing about 300 grams, which has the advantages of simplicity and reliability.
It will burn a wide range of fuels such as twigs, scorched hakia fruits and banksia cones, charcoal from previous fires etc, to quickly boil a billy or heat a pan
It has the advantage of consuming a very small amount of fuel and leaving a minimum impact where it has been used.
It is very wind resistant.
It can also be used under difficult conditions to easily start a conventional camp fire. Start the fire in the stove and when fully lit, carefully lift off the ecostove (using a stick) leaving a fire on the ground which can then be further built up.
The picture shows it boiling a billy holding two pints - which would take typically only a few minutes.
Materials required:-
170 mm length of 150mm diameter stainless-steel (NOT GALVANISED) wood-fire flue pipe
2 off 170mm lengths of heavy gauge stainless steel (NOT GALVANISED) wire or bicycle spokes - to form the billy support cross wires.
The flue pipe may be cheaply obtained at a second-hand building materials yard.
Procedure:-
Cut six, 25 to 30 mm diameter holes equi-spaced around the perimeter on a centre line 40 mm up from the bottom of the stove.
These can be cut by drilling a ring of small holes and filing, or punching.
Cut 12 'V' notches (using tinsnips) each 20mm wide and 20 mm deep equi-spaced around the top of the stove - these are there to enable the use of billies, fry-pans or even a small BBQ plate etc. which have a diameter greater than that of the stove.
Drill 4 holes equi-spaced on a centre line 30 mm from the top of the stove of diameter to suit the billy support cross wires.
Insert the billy support cross wires and bend the ends down to prevent falling out.
This is best achieved by grasping the wire or spoke firmly in a pair of vice-gripes immediately on the stove inside and peening the outside down with a light hammer.
Method of use
The easiest way to start the stove is to turn it up-side-down and fill if full of fuel with last layer consisting of easily ignitable material - such as dry leaves.
Hold this all in the stove by running three sticks diametrically across the stove through the six bottom holes.
Place the stove on suitably cleared ground and light though one of the holes or underneath.
The ideal billy for use on this stove is one of 12 to 13 cm diameter, which gives adequate all-round clearance for the flames and will pack inside the stove for transport.
Gaskets are required, when in a backpack, to protect other items from the edges of the stove, I use lengths of the outer sheathing from electrical power wiring over the edges. Many other sorts of gasket strip could be suitable.
David Bowskill