Fire in the beer can

Fire in the beer can

In my search on the Internet for alternative cooking appliances, I happened to stumble on this little gem made from two aluminium drink cans. It appears to be doing the rounds and there are many variations out there.
I have adapted what I think is the best version, taking into consideration the raw materials available in New Zealand. I have also converted all measurements to metric. I first tried it out because I was honestly skeptical that it would work as efficiently as some claim it does. It took about 20 minutes to make and yes, it does work very, very well. I am extremely impressed with the results. Once it was alight, I managed to boil 400mls of cold water in two and a half minutes. When you see the price of camping stoves in the shops, you realise what a huge saving this could be. You need two empty aluminium cans. Either soft drink or beer cans will do. The narrow ones that some energy drinks come in are a tad on the small side for this project. Scribe a line completely around each can 30 mm up from the base. Cut along this line with an ordinary pair of scissors. The idea is that the bottom section of one can forms the base of your stove. From the other can use the bottom section (because the top has a hole in it) and simply push it over the first base, forming a container. The base can needs to be crimped slightly to enable the top can to slide snugly over. I found that the tips of a pair of side cutters did this crimping nicely but make sure you do not actually cut the metal. On the base of one can, mark 16 equally spaced points with a pencil around the rim. Gently press the scriber point into the metal at each of these marks to make a locating point for your hole-forming “tool”.

Scribe the bottom of the can around 30mm up. A matchbox comes in handy

The finished "stove" — The finished “stove”

Using a darning needle in a pin chuck
or suitable holder, carefully make 16
holes. These holes want to be about
0.5mm in diameter, but consistency
is more important than actual dimensions.
In the recessed surface of
this can, drill a 6mm hole slightly off
centre. This will form the filling hole.
It is off-centre to allow for a small
amount of fuel to remain in the central
depression for initial lighting. Press the drilled top unit over the base unit and squeeze them together. This can be a bit tricky but it is worth spending time to get it right. I placed them in a wood vice and wound it in gently to get things even. Take care not to go too far.
To contain the stove safely it is advisable to place it in another suitable container. A small tuna can or similar is ideal.
Fill the stove with methylated spirits until it is about three-quarters full. You will have to judge this by weight until you get used to it. The stove will hold around 60mls of meths. Place a ten-cent coin over the filling hole then pour a small amount of fuel in the top depression.
Light the meths and wait for the heat from the burning fuel to pressurise the meths inside the stove. When it does, the jets of flame will start to come out of the small holes made with the needle.
Support a cooking pot about 50 mm above the top of the stove by making a stable frame for it such as a trivet. I formed 5mm mild steel rods into U shapes hinged by 15m copper tubing. I held the legs in a vice to crimp the copper on. Bricks would do as a pot support and a windbreak feature would be an ingenious addition. Now sit back and wait until it boils. It really is that simple and truly one of the most efficient heating devices I have ever seen.
This is a great little project for a wet winter day and one you could do with the kids, though remember you are dealing with fire and it is NOT a toy. Give it a whirl…you’ll enjoy it. It is also a great addition to the household emergency kit that Civil Defence is always urging us to have. Last but not least, there is the warm glow you will acquire knowing that you are both recycling cans AND saving the planet from yet another disposable butane cylinder.

A life in harmony

12 February 2026

There is such a thing as serendipity. When Paul Downie was 11 years old a chance meeting at his grandmother’s house was to eventually set him on a course that would define his career.
“I was learning the piano at the time and her friend had a harpsichord that he invited me over to see. I thought it was marvellous,” he recalls. “He told me I should build one and although it sounded like a ridiculous idea, it never went away.”
When he was 22, Paul embarked on the project, researching how to build a harpsichord, scouring junk shops for old tools, sawing bits of wood, and gluing them up until he had constructed the instrument.
“I enjoyed the whole process so much that when I was 23 I decided to build another one. I discovered that overseas museums had very detailed technical drawings of old instruments which you could buy – when they are restored everything about the instrument and the mechanisms are recorded.
“I went on to build two more harpsichords. The first one did work but it wasn’t up to the same standard so I ended up pulling it apart and my sister burnt it as fire wood,” he says laughing. “The others have survived and are owned by very good musicians.”

Create your own parrot-beaked pliers

30 January 2026

A specialist tool we made in that Hatton Garden workshop where I served my time was parrot-beaked pliers. These are used by the ring-maker for hand-made gem settings. They present the setting in a ring at just the right angle so the jeweller can pierce and file the design of the setting.
The best pliers for this are a pair of heavy, flat-pointed pliers, known in the trade as snipe pliers. Good jeweller’s pliers can cost up to $50, so I save my students money by most often using second-hand electrician’s snipe pliers. You can pick these up at any market for used tools and they do just as well. I am still using the pair I made during my apprenticeship 50 years ago.

The Shed magazine February/March 2026 issue 125 on sale now

24 January 2026

Going solar
Solar power seems like a great idea; who doesn’t want free power, right? But, what to choose, and what are the pitfalls of solar?
Regular The Shed writer, Andrew Broxholme, has just completed a large solar installation on his property and shares all the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of his solar power journey.
I’m environmentally aware, but am not an environmentalist, so I’ve gone solar for only one reason, because it makes good financial sense to do so, that said it isn’t necessarily going to be right for everyone and its impact on your power bills will depend on where you are in New Zealand and the orientation and design of your house relative to where the sun rises and sets.
I’ve been interested in renewables for many years. I first looked at it while living in the UK. The early systems had promise, but really didn’t make financial sense as the cost of installation and ongoing maintenance wasn’t offset by big enough reductions in power bills. They wouldn’t repay that investment during their service life, which at the time was 15–20 years (maximum).
That’s no longer true, with higher volume, the equipment has got a lot cheaper, it is more efficient, but we have also seen huge increases in energy costs; this, in particular, changes the economics dramatically. That doesn’t, however, mean that you can buy the first solar system presented or recommended to you. Read on to find out why.

Fire in the beer can