Alcohol burner

We've seen this a couple of times now, and have wanted to try them.  They look really cool once done.  We just needed to get past a couple bumps in the road. 

Things your gonna need.

Soda cans w/soda
fine grit sand paper (120 or higher, the higher the number the finer the sand paper.)
sharp utility blade
phone book or thick book you aren't worried about damaging.
insulation fluff
fuel/ Isopropyl alcohol or Heet
and a thumb tack

Be thinking about what you have that will work for a pot stand.  There are some suggestions later in the article.

This is is going to be done in a series of pictures with explanations for each picture.

With a 120 grit sand paper, we were able to sand off the label of the can.

Step 1:  Sand the bottom couple of inches of the soda can.   (Note: leave the contents in the container, this will give you a more solid surface to sand against.)

Step 2:  Using a new, straight edge utility knife wedged in the binding of a book, you have now created a template to cut both of your cans at exactly the same height.  (Measure 1 inch up the biding with a ruler and then place the blade.  (Note: I prefer a phone book, who cares if that ends up a little dog eared and damaged.)

Step 3:  Carefully spin the can against the blade.  You don't want to create any dents.  This is why you need a new utility knife.  Once you get through both cans, sand the new edge. 

Before emptying the contents of the second can, use it's bottom to help stretch out the new open edge of the first can bottom.  (This is the one that you want to make the bottom of your burner.)  This does seem to help stretch out the rim of the first bottom.

Now use your thumb tack to put 5 holes in the center of one of the bottoms.  This will become the top of the burner.  Then you'll put in a golf ball sized wad of insulation fluff into the other can bottom and begin to put the two pieces together.  (Note: It takes time to get the two halves together.  Be patient.  Try using a shim made out of the remainders of the other cans.  This will help to slide the two edges together.)  {Bump in the road #1.  We had to learn patient.  We tore a couple bottoms trying to get this done.}  The top edge will fit inside the bottom edge.  Once these are together, we found it helpful to give them one more sanding to help clean up the edges.  Next your going to add more holes to the bottom.

Around the outside rim, your going to make more holes.  These will be your "burners".  Use your push pin to evenly place holes around the rim.  The easiest way to keep them fairly even is to start one hole, and then make the new hole opposite of the first.  The third hole is then placed on one side half way between the first two holes, with the fourth straight across from the third.  Repeat this Until you have 16 holes. 

The five holes you punched into the top of the burner in the center are for filling your burner with fuel.  In the example I saw a fuel called "Heet" was used.  It is a product you can buy at automotive stores. It is a gas-line antifreeze. 

{Bump in the road # 2.  We didn't have "heet" and needed to find an alternative.  Luckily, one of the things we always have on hand is Isopropyl alcohol.}  We used Isypropyl alcohol in our burner.  Before you light your burner, your going to need to heat the bottom of it for a minute or two.  This turns the some of the liquid into vapors.  Then you can light your burner from the top.  This is true for both Heet and Isypropyl alcohol.  We filled the burner with 4 Tablespoons alcohol.  Once we got it going it took 18 minutes to boil 4 cups water in a pot with a lid.  Our "grill" is a cookie cooling rack with the legs bent just a little to give a little more room between the burner and the rack.  There are several other options for racks, including, a wire coat hanger, a manufactured stand, maybe even a couple bricks placed around the burner that would support a pot.