Coffee Can Heater - L2Survive with Thatnub
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- Опубліковано 1 січ 2025
- We are going to be playing with fire today so; I have my trusty fire extinguisher handy. I will be showing you how to make a coffee can heater. Let's start with some warnings.
I have seen videos of this heater being used in a car. Don't do this. It just sounds like a bad idea. There are plenty of other ways to heat your car or stay warm without an open flame in a can full of fuel that can spill.
Supplies you will need.
A small metal coffee can or a new, empty one-quart paint can with a lid from your local hardware store.
A roll of toilet paper
A bottle of 70% rubbing alcohol
A lighter
Fire extinguisher just in case
I chose the one-quart size because it is the same size as the roll of toilet paper. Some people keep a paint can opener and a lighter taped to the outside of the can so they have it when needed. I have a couple of knives and lighters as part of my EDC so I do not.
Open the can. Remove the cardboard tube from the toilet paper. Try to fold the roll of toilet paper in half then push it into your can. Pour in the rubbing alcohol until the toilet paper will not absorb any more. Some people will fill it to the top but I do not want the chance of the rubbing alcohol pouring out of the can gets tipped over.) Now light the toilet paper.
I use the 70% rubbing alcohol because the 90% has too big of a flame. There may be times where you do not want too many people to see where you are. I don't know if you can tell from where you are but there is no smell from this flame. Again, perfect for trying to go undetected. If you let the fire burn all of the alcohol the paper will start to smell when it burns. I suggest putting it out before this happens.
To put the flame out, replace the lid. You might hear the lid being sucked down. This is from the vacuum being created by the lack of oxygen.
Some of you will want to see how long this thing will last so we are going to let this burn until it starts to put itself out. I have done a dry run with this and it should be one and a half to two hours depending on how much rubbing alcohol you put in.
Well, there you have it. Just tell yourself, "If Thatnub can do this then so can I." I hope you enjoyed this video. Please leave me any comments or suggestions, rate this video, and subscribe.
This is one of the first things I learned to have trucking 20 yrs ago. You kept the toilet paper dry in the can - in case of "emergencies" (aka no rest stop) & a bottle of alcohol & lighter with it - in case you were broke down somewhere in the snow/cold. Thanks for sharing!
This works really well. My heater just went, and decided to get some cheapy cheap TP and alcohol, and a large can. And my house was at 62 F, it's now at 70. The TP barely burned at all and the bottom stays cool. But do not leave it unattended of course. You should also use 91% rubbing alcohol if you want heat from it. The 70% is ok, but the 91% is a lot better and burns longer.
Thank you so much for simple and clear video instructions on how to make a low-cost, relatively safe way to have heat after the power goes out. My daughter told me about this and I think it's a great idea. I'm buying what we need tomorrow so we'll be ready this winter. I've read the other comments and will be sure to pack the toilet paper tightly or use cotton strips, saturate completely and refill with 70% alcohol. I'll even be able to heat up food and drink by using 2 cans with a metal rack placed across the top!
I like to use this setup for citronella it works great and stays lit for a long long time
You can buy a clay flower pot, that the can heater will set inside, so that the can heater can be moved without anyone getting a burn.
helpful hint ,, make sure you fill the can no air gaps along the side or middle of the tp fill this area tight with TP then fill the can. The tp should never burn ,, only the Alcohol .. this will burn longer once you get the can properly filled with tp , if you have any gaps the tp will start to burn .. I use these all the time in ice fishing tournaments and they last me hours!
I have been experimenting with different materials, but I haven't tried tp yet. From your video it looks like a good idea. I will give it a try. Thanks.
It does work but, it uses too many resources for the times it works. Still, if the people in Texas last winter would have known about this, maybe they wouldn't have been trying to use candles and clay pots. This thing puts out some heat and set up right, can cook some food.
Great idea I will try this
It's been a month, how did it work for you?
You could always just pour the Alcohol on right when you intend on using the heater. That way you get no waste.
Nicely done video
Glad you liked it
Anyone know anything about the paint can lining ? Will it burn and is it toxic ?
If you maintain the level of alcohol so it is completely full to the top of the paper, the candle will be far more efficient and it will not burn down halfway like it is shown here. Since alcohol is cheap it is easier and smarter just to fill the can, then when it starts charring the paper blow it out and refill it.
Can you use this indoors
Enough time to cook with maybe?
Thank you
You're welcome
Working outside, I can grab a roll, easily find diesel or kerosene. Hitting dollar stores is less practical. So, can this be done with kerosene? Kerosene heaters are too big, expensive to be practical. I own one and it is so clumsy I haven't used it since 1993.
I don't know. I like this because there is no smell and no smoke. If the can leaks, it just evaporates Since I will only use this in an emergency, I am okay with buying the stuff needed one time..
Kerosene will smell and smoke some, not good in this case.
Modern kerosene heater last far longer, consume far less and truly can heat up a room. Alcool has less combustion smell/fumes... but the heat amount is totally different.
Uses knife blade to open can, impressed.
I need this it's 62 degrees in my trailer with 3 young boys got the oven on and small space heater going
I wounder if the thickness of the TP would be a factor
What if you lite the alcohol alone in the can without the toilet paper ?
I've found that after prolonged storage, the alcohol eats through the paint can. I found several rust spots and small holes throughout the can.
Stankfinger1976 i wonder if lining the tin can with a thick wall of concrete help(baking brick)?
91% IPA is available from Walmart for about $0.50 more for 32 oz. The evaporation rate for the water and the alcohol means that 91% alcohol leaves no water behind.
I burn it in two tiki torches. Less heat, more duration.
Did you ever think oil not alcohol?
It burns much slower
I have not. What are you thinking, lamp oil? I wonder about the fumes from using oil.
can I use rolled up card board and camp fuel? camp fuel is like 8 bucks a gallon.
+Amin Jones I'm sure you could but, the point of this is to provide the heat without the smell. A lot of hunters use this when they are out in tree stands or blinds.
The trick is to find metal cans with metal lids.
Yeah, coffee doesn't come in metal cans anymore. You can find metal cans in paint department of home improvement stores. And food cans work, too.
My concern is, during an extended disaster situation, do you really want to sacrifice all that TP and alcohol?
Steve Gwilt I wouldn't. This is just something some hunters use and you could if you had quick heating need. You can keep it sealed and ready to go.
Well, its more an emergency heater for if your primaries fail not as a every day solution. For every day long term you're going to need some kind of wood stove. Outside some kind of rocket stove would be good. Inside you need something with venting of the smoke.
Steve, I do understand your concerns. I just survived the ICE STORM 2015 here in middle Tennessee. We have been without electricity for days and it may take up to 5-6 more before everyone has electric restored. We are under a state of emergency and have been for days as well. We have no heat source to begin with, no propane, gas or electric heat to begin with (and if we did, wouldn't be too good without electric to push the heat around anyway). We DO have a fireplace, with no insert and my fireplace kept us warm. I was able to cook over the open fire and made some amazing stew and more, plus had an old fashioned coffee pot, so had coffee to drink to warm us up. My suggestion here for preppers or non preppers is a Metal coffee can, large if possible, place sand or rocks in bottom and a candle centered in the middle of it. It WILL put out some heat which is Helpful! Of course, don't leave unattended, but it could save a life.
Elizabeth Deal As a candle would be good, they have a very minimum burn time to around 2 - 3 hours. However, if you cannot get to a store, like you've mentioned above to get the TP and alcohol, that would be a great way to put off heat. The larger the can, the more heat it will produce. Also if the metal is thicker will also make it hotter longer. But if you have a store within walking distance that sells these few things, even canned food is good to use as you can empty the food into a freezer bag and freeze it and use the can which is what I did because my heater quit on me earlier this morning so I am left without heat. This idea actually has kept my livingroom warm to around 70 F.
You can prep for that, I think. Already have about ten of these heaters made up with the alcohol in them and sealed ready to use. .........have toilet paper for bathroom use separate.. WORST CASE SCENARIO- I can wipe my butt with leaves, dirt, or whatever..... I'd rather stay warm.
Question, doesn't the toilet paper burning create carbon monoxide? Is this why you did your test outside? I have also seen, people extinguish the flame and add more alcohol to keep the toilet paper from burning. Then relight of course. Have you tried this method to preserve the toilet paper?
You have to consider space as well. The 70% had more space in the can to allow more oxyen
Ok how long did the 70% burn?
I'd really like to see this done with a true alcohol fuel such as HEET, or even 91% isopropyl alcohol. Same size can and toilet roll. I'd also like to see how long it would take this stove to heat a quart of water or a can of Beenie Weenie.
So, you saw it on youtube, and you re-do it... Purpose? You preferably use the 90% because being very volatile, while burning, it will come up virtually completely feeding the flame. The less percentage it has, the more water in it. Anyway 2 hours for the whole bottle does not look like a bargain (plus a roll of paper).
That was my very first video on UA-cam. The purpose was, I thought it was a cool idea but, wanted to try it out with a paint can. I have learned a lot in the last 10 years since this was made and have better stuff to keep me warm. Still, a few people in texas last year could have used this information.
Note to self use shirt to because the center roll comes out easy
can you safely do this in a house for heat.good vid
Good question.😁
Will it work without the tissue to burn effectively ?
mangreat71 I do not think so. The tissue acts like a wick.
Yeah cause i tried it last night.It only made fire with the tissue, thanks.
And i watched other youtube videos how they just use Rubbing Alcohol and fire to create a fire but for some reason it didn't work for me.
Instead of a lighter, inside a Ziplock sandwich baggy, insert a package of waterproof matches inside a small, empty tin (or even a lip balm tube), as well as the can lid opener, to tape along the outside for future use. Lighters are just too prone to environmental changes (i.e. exposure to humidity, water, etc) and damage (i.e being crushed, cracked, etc), and can fail when attempting to use.
Does two-ply paper work better than single ply?
If you use 90% then you can recharge it a lot. If you don't, you will have water to get rid of. I'm sure you could put a lid with holes on it but, there really isn't that much of a flame to worry about as it is.
keep it full to the rim with alcohol and the paper can never Burn..... just half to keep filling as it goes down
Will antifreeze work?
I've seen fires made with antifreeze and other chemicals but, for this, I would not try it.
I was just thinking that it might be what you're left with if the shtf.
I tried this with a folgers coffee can but the plastic can kept melting Lol. to new school I guess.
can i use zippo fluid?
Addustmen The Herbalist I don't think so. The point of this is to have clean odorless heat. My Zippos smell. While I love the smell of a Zippo, they might scare the deer away if you use it in a deer blind. The cost of Zippo fluid verses the cost of rubbing alcohol is huge.
Yes you can but alcohol is a lot cheaper. I tried kerosene since it is even cheaper but that made too much smoke for indoor use.
wow first thing I noticed was the tissue...better work better than the cotton balls
Recently I saw someone use sand. I might have to try that out.
1:30 smiley face :-)
I don't know where you folks live, or what you consider cold...but i can tell you, simple math will tell you there are not enough BTU's here to "heat a house ", or to make it "warm and toasty"
There just aren't.
In mid-Michigan, I have a well-insulated, 2 room cabin, with a small, 25,000 btu woodstove that burns 24/7 in the winter...and some days it works hard to keep-up.
Other times, I have attempted to rely on an 18,000 btu Little-Buddy heater, and stayed pretty cold for those days.
From the webz:
Damp Wood = 0-400 BTU/oz ( dirty, unreliable, value depends on how damp it is, but readily available )
Dry Wood = 500 BTU/oz ( example is dry sticks snapped off of spruce tries, reliable and readily available but only in some places)
Charcoal = 500-800 BTU/oz ( in theory could be made from wood, and carried to next campsite to start the next fire)
Beeswax = 1100 BTU/oz ( very slow, sooty when trying to heat something with it, but great for candle light and safer than vegetable oil )
Vegetable Oil = 1000 BTU/oz (burns very sooty, very slow, requires wick, very dangerous if spilled hot, but a good lamp fuel and doubles as food )
99% Isopropyl = 800 BTU/oz (burns sooty, and slow, but has potential given it heat value )
95% Ethanol = 690 BTU/oz (burns really well and is safest, and most useful for first aid, but not as cheap or readily available as 100% Methanol )
100% Methanol = 525 BTU/oz (burns best, most readily available, but lowest heating value by weight)
Combinations that work well...
1. Use whatever dry wood fuel is available as your primary fuel for cooking
2. Make charcoal or save some charred wood to carry for next camp in case things are damp
3. Soak charcoal or charred wood with in a little beeswax or vegetable oil, for a very efficient small cook fire
4. Use beeswax candles as fire starters and as candles and simmering stoves, and for waterproofing laces, boots, zippers
5. Use Vegetable oil and Jute Twine as a backup lamp and simmering stove when beeswax candles run out
6. Carry some high quality 95% alcohol primarily for first aid, but also for quick easy boiled water, like when stuck in out of rain or wet snow.
Depending on the rest of your kit, and if you can managing getting a little dirty, combinations can be fun to mess around with. Haven't found a lot of good uses for the 99% Isopropyl Alcohol, considering that 95% Ethanol burns better and is better for first aid, and stuff like vegetable oil is almost as clean and has a higher fuel content and is also food. Still might make sense to carry it as a hand and pot cleaner and sanitizer and use the used wipes as fire starters. Just an idea. Then the question is what to bring for wipes. Toilet paper or perhaps industrial brown paper towel might hold up better and be more environmentally friendly. Dried leaves in fall maybe. Or the jute twine which is also useful for lashing stuff, and wicks, and for scrubbing. Scrub with it first, soaked in alcohol, then burn it as your fire starter. Just some ideas to mess around with.
Thanks.
I didn't tell people or recommend anything. I simply posted a btu comparison. 😀
can we use kerosene or petrol
What if you put a clay terracotta pot a couple inches above the can, to produce more heat and protect your pets from the flame. Of course, you know not to put it near young children.
Maybe a couple of cinder blocks then, the pot resting on that .... maybe. I will be making a video or two soon about how to get warm when you are without power in the next week or so.
Lamp oil works best
Thank you for this comment
Is this indoorfriendly
Efren Munoz If by indoor you mean a duck blind, sure. If you mean for inside your house, I wouldn't unless you had to. Even then have a way to vent the air. There are a few people who have told me that they heat rooms in their house from this video but, I really wouldn't try it unless I had to.
Im heart is broken i jest wanted to try and see it works L2survive
Efren Munoz I think it would but you're going to have to have ventilation or carbon monoxide will build up and kill you. But, that's true of almost any open flame in an enclosed space.
If you were going to try it you could get a carbon monoxide detector and put it in the room to warm you if the levels were getting dangerous. And have some air intake and venting to let the gases out.
I use mine in my house, it has no carbon monoxide emissions as I have a Carbon monoxide detector in my house and it hasn't gone off. And I've had my can lit now for 2 hours. But, you have to keep an eye on it, once it starts to burn at the toilet paper, you either need to add more alcohol to it, or put it out as it will start to produce Carbon monoxide. DO NOT ADD alcohol to it while it is burning, make sure you put the lid on it first and put it out.
Well I ended up tried it and it worked great
build a mini brick stove and set two tin cans inside with alcohol fire... heats up the bricks for a long time
If you use cement bricks, do not let them get wet. The porous construction of the cement bricks a like water to soak in. When heated the bricks can explode. We careful.
So you stay warm but you don't have nothing to wipe with.
If you freeze to death, there will be no need to wipe.
I gotta say, that's probably a waste of a valuable resources, both the roll of TP and large amount of disinfectant/firestarter/cooking fuel. Would be better to make a small hobo stove out of the coffee can and burn whatever paper/wood fuel you can find.
Not if you're trying not to be detected or don't want to be creating carbon monoxide.
can at least use this as emergency heat if trapped in car during snow storm as there is no CO released.
That would be great outside. But the 91% alcohol and 70% alcohol can be used indoors.
90+% will work better because it burns more efficiently. But it is a little more expensive of course.
holly crap. I dont think you should let it burn down to nothing lol
Why alcohol
Ezekiel Seekola It burns clean.
It's 2021... You already know.
This was my very first video on UA-cam. Almost 10 years have passed and I still have that paint can full and ready to go. I wonder if it will still burn.
The alcohol/tissue heater ONLY lasts for 2 hours (MAX) in a 1-quart can. I tried it tonight. So disappointed - And you can smell the metal burning. I coughed-up mucus in my throat, and it was gray, which showed me that I had been breathing in the metal. :(
Oh my Goodness!! Thanks for sharing.
Ha ha ha... I doubt you had been breathing metal, since it is physically impossible. Perhaps the heat caused some earlier mucus to come up... atmospheric pollution if far worse than you realize and can visibly see.
Note... a yellow flame is a sign of poor combustion and dangerous fumes. Blue, almost invisible is hottest.. be safe. PS, this is a lot of crap for a lousy heater.
And What scenario here could you ever be in that you don't want to be seen
I have heard that hunters use this sometimes in duck blinds.
@@L2Survive well that may be online highly doubt there's going to be any apocalyptic event in which we're going to have to keep ourselves concealed
Why not do what I do when you lite it , soak a twig in meths lite stops you burning your fingers
Thanks for how to put it out . Now for eBay for the can
Use metal coffee can
Pull some of the paper out so you will have better wicking.
use denatured alcohol. it burns much hotter
Simple & cheap enough for about two hours of burn time. Nice!
"As you can see there, in the middle, owe!"
LOL!
Probably a dumb question but can you safely roast marshmallows and stuff on it? Haha
I've seen other "heaters" similar to this (one using 3 tea lights that burn for a couple hours - cheaper than rubbing alcohol) and they put a terra cotta / clay pot over the flames to help radiate the heat. Plenty if inexpensive ways to make heat.
Those ones are bullshit.. It takes soo long to heat the clay pot up to do anything and a lot of the heat is absorbed in the pot and doesn't radiate for crap.. This method is basically like a little fire pit. Those tea candle heater videos are bullshit and don't work for fuck all.. Excuse my French. For camping purpose check out "swedish torch" Now that looks cool if you're camping out or in your backyard with a log to split up.
mixwell1983 Maybe using a tuna fish "survival can candle" would work better. (tuna can with cardboard rolled up and covered with wax) They put out quite a bit of flame and heat, so it would heat the pots a lot faster. (and it would keep the flame from burning flickering around if there was a draft) Another idea is to use an old aluminum pots with holes hammered in the top. The aluminum would heat up fast and radiate pretty well. (just kicking ideas around)
***** Yah I've seen the tuna can candle.. Maybe it would work better. Don't know if that would your house smell like cat food but hell I love tuna so I'm all for it !!!
mixwell1983 LOL! Well, all that I can say to that is I have some made from Vienna Sausage cans and the fire doesn't smell like Vienna or sausages as far as I can tell ;)
Kind of expensive for 1 hour & 20 minutes worth of heat.
+A B I guess it depends on how cold you are.
+L2Survive You'd get ~62% more heat for a bit less $ if you burned Crisco shortening.
Does it smell like french fries ? hehe
who uses 50%? I thought Rubbing Alcohal was only used for fire.
A tiki torch filled with 91% IPA will burn for more than 8 hours.
Bad cut on his finger, ouch.
gasoline would blow up in your face lol, never use gas only alcohol. come to my channel and check out a few of my prepping vids :P
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