When I was thirteen my sister made me one of these for Christmas. I didn’t want it but my sister had made it using a small ham can. I put it in my hunting coat and carried it. I got caught on the wrong side of a river in a freezing rain. There was no way to build a fire and my buddy and I crawled into an ice on snow covered brush pile to get out of the wind. Then I remembered that can. I pulled it out and lit it. We cleaned a rabbit and cooked over it. We were heavily dressed but the little stove made a surprisingly good heater too. It was a long time before it cleared up and we spent the night in that brush pile. I don’t know how long this thing burned but we survived in freezing temperatures until the next morning. We crossed the river..(nude holding our guns and clothing over our heads) and ran at a steady jog home. That ham can filled with cardboard and wax was the best present I had ever received ..
You know Black Cat, this video is more useful and vital than it was years ago, because things are far worse than they were when this video was made. I know that I will be making these for the perilous times ahead with Creepy Joe in charge of the WH..........
for all you people not knowing this: he puts cardboard in can and then pours wax overtop and allows it to fill the corrugation creating a new candle essentially. the cardboard is the wick and by capillary action the wax will run up the corrugation and burn off the top. the cardboard may last anywhere between 2-6 uses. i love the vid thank you c:
Thanks! : ) And my father (who has passed away) was a district leader in California for The Boy Scouts. In a family with 3 kids (2 girls, 1 boy) we ALL hiked, camped and played in the Sierras! Loved it, and love this quick, cheap heater/burner! Thanks again.
This is an old burner method from Greek times. Shepherds used to use something very similar. If you didn't know. What you didn't mention is that you should heat up the container with the cardboard to. So the wax would soak the cardboard to the bottom. In the old days people used small bits of just about any thing that would burn " like straw or even dry grass" and mix it with mutton tallow. This is a great thing. Thanks for sharing.
I've made alot of candles over the course of my life, and yes, I'm a woman. An easy way to melt candle wax is to use a pyrex glass measuring cup with a spout - 1, 2, 4, or 8 cup capacity. ( I would buy one just to use for melting wax ) and place the wax in it, being careful to not add too much wax. (You can add more later if you need more.) Then set it in an old pan with about 1/2 inch to one inch of water, depending on the size of the glass measuring cup you use. Heat slowly on about medium heat. You want it to be liquid, but you don't want it getting too hot. Watch the water level closely as the wax melts to make sure it doesn't go dry. If the water level gets too low, add some more water. This is an easy way to heat the wax, easily be able to pour the wax, and easily clean out the pyrex cup with minimal mess. To clean out the cup, simply wipe it out thoroughly with paper towels before the wax solidifies. If it has solidified in the glass cup, just set it back in the water in the pan to get it runny again. You will find that the wax comes out of the glass easily and it's easy to reach the inside of it to get all the wax out. You might also want to use a potholder or and old cloth to handle the glass. Just an easy tip. 😉
I've used an old candle jar after it's been spent, although the pyrex idea is a good one. The spout is an advantage, though. If you use the candle jar, you don't have to clean it. Putting the jar in gently boiling water won't ruin your pans, either.
@@JackHaveman52 Yeah, I've put the old candle jars in a pan of water many times and never busted them except one time and that was because i had the flame too hot... I wasnt paying attention and let the pan boil dry. Setting old candle jars, that have small amount of wax in the bottom, in a pan of boiling water is how i get the wax out of them. Then I pour the small amounts of melted leftover wax through a papertowel into another clean, used candle jar with a wick to make a new candle. The papertowel cleans out the soot from the first burn.
To everyone wondering how to get wax into cardboard: melt it, and pour onto cardboard coil in can. When I was in the scouts, we learned to make these; they called them 'hobo stoves'. To make them easier to light, before the wax hardens, stick a few wooden matches pointing tip up. Also, a good addition to this is a #10 can. Punch a few holes in the side of it on the open end. Place it over the burner, and you got yourself a small cooktop. Big enough for a small kettle, pot or pan.
My Cub Scout Den made these 60 years ago. We called them Buddy-Burners and placed them under a large coffee can or a #10 size can for cooking. Instead of candle wax we used paraffin wax which is found in the grocery store near the canning jars and lids. (Paraffin in the U.K. is what we in the U.S. call Kerosene.) Wax should always be melted in a double boiler over water. Don't use the good sauce pans. Thanks for the video. Brought back many memories.
Hello, I saw this 3 years ago because I want to learn some cheap ways to have heat! 2 years later, I went to live in a house without electricity and water and I made that heater! I put that thing in a pot and stuck a grill on top. Then I lit it up and boiled me some soup, made coffee on it and even made me an omlette! Then I thought my friend to make the same, and she also sais is good to have it when you have no electricity!
Just made my poor man's heater and it works great!! Put a little too much wax in it so had to take a minute to melt off the top layer of wax, but once lit it puts out a great flame, for hours! Thanks for the DIY vid.
Most candle/paraffin waxes have a melt point around 130 - 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a double boiler to melt the wax, keep water below the boiling point. Remember the wax will 'expand' when heated, so filling the wax container 1/2 way is safer. A candle is basically two components. Fuel = wax, Pump = wicking/cardboard. Use of Crayolas/heavily dyed waxes and over scented waxes, will clog the 'pump' and produce more sooting. Cutting the cardboard strip at a slight angle, rolling the highest end to start the center ( eg: 2 1/4 inch - 2 inch ) will put more height to the center of the container and help control the flame. A safe way to extinguish, is placing a larger can over the lit 'stove', eliminating the supply of oxygen. Allow to cool down completely before moving and place on a fire-safe base. I hope this information helps....
When I make mine, I put a taller piece of cardboard in the center like you suggested here. I cut the rest about a 1/4 inch shorter than the lip of the can. The high center also makes for a good ignition point. I always char that point before storing.
Learned that back in the 70's. I was a Boy Scout. The buddy burner worked good. A one big can over the top made a great heater. Just have to get the ventilation right. The big can has to have holes to give air to the flame.
In elementary school from 3rd to 5th grade, we would make these along with a cooktop made from a coffee can. Our teachers took us camping for a week every spring and some of our meals we cooked ourselves using these buddy burners. My parents always made me pack a pie tin for an eating plate. It also doubled very well as a cook pan on the coffee can stove. I had the coolest teachers (and parents). Sadly, Capital School was closed and turned into offices for Alaska state government. I imagine it would be hard to do this nowadays anyway.
I'd keep the cardboard slightly below the edge of a cat food or similar can, pour in the wax from a double boiler (I bought an old aluminum one at a thift store for about $2), then after cooling while making and using, you can use a cat food keeper that snaps onto the can. They are plastic, so you have to wait until it cools to cap it, but a good reminder to be sure it's cool before putting in your pack too. My brothers made these in scouts. I know this is an old video, but a good one. TY for reminding me of these! Good stuff!
I used old citronella candles for mine. Heat, light, and no bugs. Also, I made mine with an old cat food tin. Save the lid for a snuffer and a cover to keep the burned material in place.
I love these. They burn just about forever and are refillable. Only issue I have is how much soot they leave on the bottom of your cookware, but that's easily taken care of when you get home. I wouldn't use one inside a tent, unless it was a wall tent with a stove - and then I'd just use the stove! Still, very handy and easy to make. Great demo.
it's 2am, I was bored. so I just made one of these! They are fantastic!! Cant wait for my little boy to wake up, he'll love making one of these.......... Thanks
This vid takes me back. We made them in scouts and called them buddy burners. They are great fun and practical for heat and cooking. Look at the comment below.... having the can submerged in 3cm of hot water while you pour in the wax sounds like a great idea to let it get to the bottom of the cardboard and can before becoming solid. Good times lol....
Dry, air-filled corrugated cardboard doesn't conduct heat very well, so I don't think having that on some hot water would do anything. It's better to just pour a sufficient amount of wax over top of it in the first place. Trust me, the wax will get to the bottom no problem.
Your right if you look close to the end of the video you’ll see when he tips it over there is no wax you have to put more on it to have another round of heat pretty cool when times are tuff you can come up with ways to get through almost anything
When in Cubs many moons ago did same thing as the Girl Scouts but we used to just cook on the top of the can. Also used to make a fire starter from that old paper bulletin boards soaked in wax, burned for 15 minutes and would cook egg and bacon. Put a coat hanger onto a broom handle and poke a hole on either side and you have a torch you can walk around with, works quite well just need to watch the wind. Excellent video
My Dad was doing these decades ago when I was a kid. I remember using them on our camping trips. Good advice on not doing the wax melting in the kitchen and NOT using the wife's good pots...oh yeah! Me, I do it on the Coleman Stove in the shop and use a double boiler to melt the wax. Two old tin cans, one bigger than the other. Water in the big one. Smaller can, drop inside the partially water filled can. Add the wax into the inner can and you get a nice melt. Good video, thanks for sharing.
I just used an old milk pan for melting down old tea light remains. It has a small pouring spout on the rim, so it's perfect for the job. I've used these camping and hiking, they're great!
I have used candles before, but only as candles. Thank you for sharing this. I am always looking for free heat. I will defiantly give it a try. Thank you.
Cant wait to try this..and Thanks for the safety info!! ANY Thrift shop sell the remains of what were ONCE beautiful candles...now 25-50 cents at best !! Maybe $1.00 but would be super usable for this purpose!!
Hey thanks for the tip... I recently made some long burning Crisco candles and realized that Crisco could be used for this heater as well or any vegetable shortening if you don't have any spent candles... Pete
Janoh de Groot omg seriously? There’s plenty of videos on YT to check it yourself, it is a common sense thing...roll cardboard-place in can-melt wax-pour wax over cardboard-reuse as many times as the can will last.
Not only for the poor, for the rich in nature, for camping, for survival in emergency situations. Always working and efficient .. Safe, good for lighting, heating, cooking, it is worth preparing a few, very small and large and save in several places, in the car and bags .. It is best to add a candle in the center of the installation at the height of the box before the wax is clotted and then the burning will be easier. Thanks
Reeses Pieces Heat the wax to liquid form and have enough to fill between the perforations in one pour then pour in and fill near top. If you stop the wax will harden and it will be harder to complete then. If you or someone you know has a wax heater like for dipping hands in or making candles it makes it easier than heating other ways..
Heat it up and dump it in. Additionally when you are getting done cooking you can drop chunks of wax on top and it will quickly melt, drip and penetrate back into the cardboard roll. Make sense?
Great stuff, I will make this using coconut oil, I have experience using this and it will burn for 3 hrs in a tea candle with wick with metal in it. Coconut oil burns clean smoke. Coconut oil will melt in the hands so will have to figure out lid. Will put wick with wire in it in middle, can't wait to try this with the coconut oil. Thanks!
brenab1000 You are saying you just pour coconut oil in a little tea light aluminum container and put a wick in it. I don't understand the wick and wire part. Would love to try this. Please elaborate a little more for dummy me! Thanks.
I learned early on that using an old crock pot to melt wax is safe and effective. Also less mess. And you can get them at most thrift stores for very cheap. That way when you are done, any left over wax just stays in that crock pot. And it just goes on the shelf. I do the same for petroleum jelly, to dip cotton balls in for fire starters.
Love the concept.I have kicked it up a notch by adding some citronela oil to the wax and this mix will make your meals and keep the skeeters away.Job well done
Cardboard can be replaced with natural plant material too if youre out and you have an empty can but no cardboard. You need to find something dry and fibrous. I use the dry outer "skin" that's found on bamboo plants, fold it and pack it up tightly in the can making sure the fibers are vertical and it works just as well as cardboard. I guess very small sticks packed vertically could also work
Scouting I remember making these for cooking a hamburgers. Then we got a coffee can and made vents on the top and cooked paddies on them... thanks for the memories....
we call it a Buddy Burner.. we made these with my Scout troop last year. The kids had a blast making them and a bigger blast cooking on them at winter camp.
It should last two hours. Perhaps longer if you cover a portion and lessen the flame. Helps to add a windblock when cooking. I use a portion cut out of a throw away aluminum turkey roaster after Thanksgiving. Very light weight. Don't worry about a perfect cut of cardboard or even that it is tightly packed.
good vid. Seeing the process of pouring the wax over the cardboard would have helped me understand how much wax to pour on. Keep pouring until it reaches the top? etc. But very good information, thank you for posting.
That's a great idea. There are many ways to heat/cook on the cheap or free. Used vegi oil from any restaurant in a can, with a cloth wick secured with any wire or hanger works well too. Any cooking oil including olive. Oil from the oil pan of a vehicle. The list is endless. For travelers though, as one person in the comments here states, your idea should give no problems with checkpoint Nazis at the airports. Thank you for your vid.
This reminds me of something some guys used to use as an emergency block heater in the winter. It was a roll or toilet-paper in a can + some sort of fuel.
I hope this isn't a stupid question, but I used this same idea for fire starters but I used cardboard egg cartons and dryer lint. So I'm wondering if I could pack dryer lint into the can and saturate it with wax....
As kids , we carried extra pieces of random wax from old candles and after each buddy burner use , we added some wax so it would melt and replace the wax we just burned and it would be just fine for next use . We left them with the burned wick in place and wrapped it in a plastic dry cleaner bag . Now we use old WalMart bags.. It's better to use small cat food cans for easier use and smaller ... more manageable flame.
Oh yes, the luxurious Sterno. Not anymore. I wonder if Crisco would work. Nice video. 👍 BTW, oxo makes a can opener that will take the top off with no sharp edges. The top can also be put back on with a rubber band or string to hold it in place. That's another way to keep your gear from getting sooty.
@MrB0TT Very good observation and point. If you have a fireplace then you could open the flue and use on the hearth. The heater should be used outdoors, but in a serious emergency you could crack a window for ventilation and use indoors if for some reason it’s not safe to venture out. But, yes, you’d need to use a good amount of discretion and caution when using indoors…for the most part it’s to be used outside. I’ve used mine in the garage with the door slightly open and it worked fine.
Thank You! Now I know why my friend has a carpet-sized 40 metre roll of corrugated cardboard "waiting for inspiration!" Meanwhile, as the dogs of survival continue to howl down the walls, we are, as ever, stacking tuna tins. HaHaHa!
Paraffin burner! Basically poor man's Sterno. My mom taught me how to make these when I was in 3rd grade. P.S. If you don't have any paraffin lying around, melting-down old crayons or some birthday candles works great for this.
vegetable oil works I know I was out of work no vehicle 3 miles from town 2 feet of snow on the ground and more coming I payed rent had propane but no propane stove and no electric just the heater ran out of candles but 3 bottles of vegetable oil I also cooked beans and rice in a two liter bottle hanging over the wall heater from a string took a day and a half but it was pretty good you do what you got to do
Just my approach, try different ways to cook so that the day comes and your propane kitchen and your Coleman stove aren't available you know how to cook elsewise and how long it will take.
I used to put mine in shoe polish tins, that way you can just smother the fire with the top when you are done. These poor man's stoves are dirtier, but much more stable, safe, inexpensive and compact than an alcohol stove. You can use an old tin can, fill it with wax then put the can in a pot of shallow water on the stove to melt the wax, that way you just throw away the can when done. You can buy paraffin wax at the hardware or craft store if you have no candles. These things last for a very very long time. I would not cook marshmallows or hot dogs over the open flame however as the wax soot is very carcinogenic (cancer causing). Only use it to heat a pot or pan of food.
If you're getting smoke from this, then you're getting incomplete combustion. Look at the air-fuel mixture that you have to work with. Longer-chain hydrocarbons need more airflow to completely break down.
The melted wax will pour in very easily; just pour in the center filling the tin to the brim. The cardboard will soak it up evenly so you don’t need to worry about spreading the wax across the top. In my video I used firesteel to start with a small amount of tender. I would suggest using a basic Bic lighter and that should do the trick.
I keep the tuna / cat food lid and with pliers or your multitool as a handle you can move the lid over to control the amount of flame / exposed area and use it to put it out.
Thanks for the video. Great project for my son and his friends. I was laughing my ass off when you advised us not to use the wife's pots. I might just buy a 2nd hand pot from the thrift shop. Thanks again.
The one i made lasted 30-45 minutes. Mine is much smaller and uses less wax so im sure the one he made will last much longer. I cooked rice, spaghetti, and some noodles in mine and they all turned out perfect.
I use a pyrex 2 cup measuring cup and a candle warmer, perfect pour spout and when you're done just let the cup cool and place in freezer for a couple of hours or more. The leftover wax will shrink away from the glass and just pop out.
Will watch when he's out of the dog house, tell the woman of the house thanks anyway it's a good video. I'll give it a try I need some thing for a back up in the summer when I get up for coffee.
Ha ha, the woman of the house comment got me laughing. I was a candle maker once long ago, The supply of candle bits and peices never seems slack. I was always in charge of the Kitchen, and most of the cooking, as a trained Chef, it was almost a given. Be careful hot wax wicks up the sides of a metal can inside the pots on the stove, There are electric wax melters you can get for this project if you are making more than a few of these.
okay you guys who are so rude , to get the wax into can - we used to take a bigger clean tin can break the old candles into it and then put the large tin into another pan with water, making a double boiler. Heat that. and then you guys who need help, use a hotpad to lift tin w/ wax & pour it over the cardboard which is in the smaller can. I'm not going to go over this and punctuate. you can call me names and go cross eyed & slam you fists. idontcare
Thanks, that's cool, being able to watch the process done by someone who had done it before would have been even better, you know; the whole "watching a video" thing, rather than reading about it. At least you didn't send it out in smoke signal form, I can't read those anymore.
I've always cut the cardboard strip slightly thinner than the can height, leaving a lip to retain the wax when pouring it into the can over the cardboard.
Can use a common induction burner (no flame, has a timer, temp setting).. Set it to lowest heat, 140, & melt your wax safely in a cheap ANY free or cheap 2nd hand pots, that have a bottom a magnet can stick to, work fine with induction cooker. Nothing costly or complicated needed. Can use this to evaporate flammable solvents for reducing volume of liquid, for other things, too. Just do it with really good air ventilation.
In Girl Scouts we put an inverted coffee can with tons of holes punched in so you could set a pan on top. We don;t use coffee cans, but a Provident Pantry #10 can is perfect!
Super idea for the back yard or trail.I'm going to make one butim going to kick it up a notch with some citronella as skeeters tend to be bothersome on the trail
Rub wet soap over the outside of a pot or tin and let it dry. It will be easy to rinse off after you have cooked your food. Or a can this size would be easy to wrap with tin foil.
When I was thirteen my sister made me one of these for Christmas.
I didn’t want it but my sister had made it using a small ham can. I put it in my hunting coat and carried it.
I got caught on the wrong side of a river in a freezing rain. There was no way to build a fire and my buddy and I crawled into an ice on snow covered brush pile to get out of the wind.
Then I remembered that can. I pulled it out and lit it. We cleaned a rabbit and cooked over it.
We were heavily dressed but the little stove made a surprisingly good heater too.
It was a long time before it cleared up and we spent the night in that brush pile.
I don’t know how long this thing burned but we survived in freezing temperatures until the next morning.
We crossed the river..(nude holding our guns and clothing over our heads) and ran at a steady jog home.
That ham can filled with cardboard and wax was the best present I had ever received ..
Hooray for Sisters !!!!
God bless your sister !
She gave you the gift of life.
Yeah…sure you did.
It's nice to see folks still finding this video useful after all these years. :-)
You know Black Cat, this video is more useful and vital than it was years ago, because things are far worse than they were when this video was made. I know that I will be making these for the perilous times ahead with Creepy Joe in charge of the WH..........
for all you people not knowing this: he puts cardboard in can and then pours wax overtop and allows it to fill the corrugation creating a new candle essentially. the cardboard is the wick and by capillary action the wax will run up the corrugation and burn off the top. the cardboard may last anywhere between 2-6 uses. i love the vid
thank you c:
Thanks! : ) And my father (who has passed away) was a district leader in California for The Boy Scouts. In a family with 3 kids (2 girls, 1 boy) we ALL hiked, camped and played in the Sierras! Loved it, and love this quick, cheap heater/burner! Thanks again.
This is an old burner method from Greek times. Shepherds used to use something very similar. If you didn't know. What you didn't mention is that you should heat up the container with the cardboard to. So the wax would soak the cardboard to the bottom. In the old days people used small bits of just about any thing that would burn " like straw or even dry grass" and mix it with mutton tallow. This is a great thing.
Thanks for sharing.
I've made alot of candles over the course of my life, and yes, I'm a woman. An easy way to melt candle wax is to use a pyrex glass measuring cup with a spout - 1, 2, 4, or 8 cup capacity. ( I would buy one just to use for melting wax ) and place the wax in it, being careful to not add too much wax. (You can add more later if you need more.) Then set it in an old pan with about 1/2 inch to one inch of water, depending on the size of the glass measuring cup you use. Heat slowly on about medium heat. You want it to be liquid, but you don't want it getting too hot. Watch the water level closely as the wax melts to make sure it doesn't go dry. If the water level gets too low, add some more water. This is an easy way to heat the wax, easily be able to pour the wax, and easily clean out the pyrex cup with minimal mess. To clean out the cup, simply wipe it out thoroughly with paper towels before the wax solidifies. If it has solidified in the glass cup, just set it back in the water in the pan to get it runny again. You will find that the wax comes out of the glass easily and it's easy to reach the inside of it to get all the wax out. You might also want to use a potholder or and old cloth to handle the glass. Just an easy tip. 😉
Thank you Sand angel!
I've used an old candle jar after it's been spent, although the pyrex idea is a good one. The spout is an advantage, though. If you use the candle jar, you don't have to clean it. Putting the jar in gently boiling water won't ruin your pans, either.
@@JackHaveman52
Yeah, I've put the old candle jars in a pan of water many times and never busted them except one time and that was because i had the flame too hot... I wasnt paying attention and let the pan boil dry. Setting old candle jars, that have small amount of wax in the bottom, in a pan of boiling water is how i get the wax out of them. Then I pour the small amounts of melted leftover wax through a papertowel into another clean, used candle jar with a wick to make a new candle. The papertowel cleans out the soot from the first burn.
Sand Angels thank you for the easy solution to melting wax
@@SandAngels73
Thanks for the tip.
To everyone wondering how to get wax into cardboard: melt it, and pour onto cardboard coil in can.
When I was in the scouts, we learned to make these; they called them 'hobo stoves'.
To make them easier to light, before the wax hardens, stick a few wooden matches pointing tip up.
Also, a good addition to this is a #10 can. Punch a few holes in the side of it on the open end. Place it over the burner, and you got yourself a small cooktop. Big enough for a small kettle, pot or pan.
+revmpandora I stick birthday candles in it before the wax hardens. Use that for wicks instead of wooden matches.
Thank you!
+deborah gracie good idea!
revmpandora thanks debra and revpandora!!!!!!!
oh btw exactly what is a #10 can??
My Cub Scout Den made these 60 years ago. We called them Buddy-Burners and placed them under a large coffee can or a #10 size can for cooking.
Instead of candle wax we used paraffin wax which is found in the grocery store near the canning jars and lids. (Paraffin in the U.K. is what we in the U.S. call Kerosene.)
Wax should always be melted in a double boiler over water. Don't use the good sauce pans.
Thanks for the video. Brought back many memories.
Hello, I saw this 3 years ago because I want to learn some cheap ways to have heat! 2 years later, I went to live in a house without electricity and water and I made that heater! I put that thing in a pot and stuck a grill on top. Then I lit it up and boiled me some soup, made coffee on it and even made me an omlette! Then I thought my friend to make the same, and she also sais is good to have it when you have no electricity!
If you had no power and heat how did you melt the wax ?
Just made my poor man's heater and it works great!! Put a little too much wax in it so had to take a minute to melt off the top layer of wax, but once lit it puts out a great flame, for hours! Thanks for the DIY vid.
Most candle/paraffin waxes have a melt point around 130 - 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a double boiler to melt the wax, keep water below the boiling point. Remember the wax will 'expand' when heated, so filling the wax container 1/2 way is safer. A candle is basically two components. Fuel = wax, Pump = wicking/cardboard. Use of Crayolas/heavily dyed waxes and over scented waxes, will clog the 'pump' and produce more sooting. Cutting the cardboard strip at a slight angle, rolling the highest end to start the center ( eg: 2 1/4 inch - 2 inch ) will put more height to the center of the container and help control the flame. A safe way to extinguish, is placing a larger can over the lit 'stove', eliminating the supply of oxygen. Allow to cool down completely before moving and place on a fire-safe base. I hope this information helps....
Thanks 4 the tips 😃
William Kosinar thanks really helpful
Thank you, I was wondering how to put the thing out.
That's exactly why I went with Bees Wax at 400 degrees.
When I make mine, I put a taller piece of cardboard in the center like you suggested here. I cut the rest about a 1/4 inch shorter than the lip of the can. The high center also makes for a good ignition point. I always char that point before storing.
Made of these with my children yesterday, they are excellent! Really put out a good fire. Surprisingly powerful. Thanks for the tutorial.
Learned that back in the 70's. I was a Boy Scout. The buddy burner worked good. A one big can over the top made a great heater. Just have to get the ventilation right. The big can has to have holes to give air to the flame.
Tip: put your can with cardboard in the oven on low heat so the wax doesn't solidify when it hits the cold material.
This is known as a "BUDDY BURNER" an excellent heater/cook stove. Been used by Boy Scouts for decades.
In elementary school from 3rd to 5th grade, we would make these along with a cooktop made from a coffee can. Our teachers took us camping for a week every spring and some of our meals we cooked ourselves using these buddy burners. My parents always made me pack a pie tin for an eating plate. It also doubled very well as a cook pan on the coffee can stove. I had the coolest teachers (and parents). Sadly, Capital School was closed and turned into offices for Alaska state government. I imagine it would be hard to do this nowadays anyway.
Order of the arrow making them in silence
I'd keep the cardboard slightly below the edge of a cat food or similar can, pour in the wax from a double boiler (I bought an old aluminum one at a thift store for about $2), then after cooling while making and using, you can use a cat food keeper that snaps onto the can. They are plastic, so you have to wait until it cools to cap it, but a good reminder to be sure it's cool before putting in your pack too. My brothers made these in scouts. I know this is an old video, but a good one. TY for reminding me of these! Good stuff!
This brings me back to the old days when life was good, fun, and adventurous. I have already made one of these and it works well with my Hobo stove.
Boy scouts and Girl Scouts of America!
I stated out as a brownie and became a camp leader!
I love this!
I used old citronella candles for mine. Heat, light, and no bugs.
Also, I made mine with an old cat food tin. Save the lid for a snuffer and a cover to keep the burned material in place.
Adds a tangy taste to your food
Yep back in Scouts we called em buddy burners...and they work very very well. Good vid, bringing back some memories.
I love these. They burn just about forever and are refillable. Only issue I have is how much soot they leave on the bottom of your cookware, but that's easily taken care of when you get home. I wouldn't use one inside a tent, unless it was a wall tent with a stove - and then I'd just use the stove! Still, very handy and easy to make. Great demo.
Very good idea, and you are recycling what we would call waste. Thank you very much.
Agreed keep up the good work
it's 2am, I was bored. so I just made one of these! They are fantastic!! Cant wait for my little boy to wake up, he'll love making one of these..........
Thanks
This vid takes me back. We made them in scouts and called them buddy burners. They are great fun and practical for heat and cooking. Look at the comment below.... having the can submerged in 3cm of hot water while you pour in the wax sounds like a great idea to let it get to the bottom of the cardboard and can before becoming solid. Good times lol....
Dry, air-filled corrugated cardboard doesn't conduct heat very well, so I don't think having that on some hot water would do anything. It's better to just pour a sufficient amount of wax over top of it in the first place. Trust me, the wax will get to the bottom no problem.
Your right if you look close to the end of the video you’ll see when he tips it over there is no wax you have to put more on it to have another round of heat pretty cool when times are tuff you can come up with ways to get through almost anything
Glad you mentioned how long 1 will last it's something I've never tested or heard an answer too.
When in Cubs many moons ago did same thing as the Girl Scouts but we used to just cook on the top of the can. Also used to make a fire starter from that old paper bulletin boards soaked in wax, burned for 15 minutes and would cook egg and bacon. Put a coat hanger onto a broom handle and poke a hole on either side and you have a torch you can walk around with, works quite well just need to watch the wind. Excellent video
You could also melt pine tar, lard, vegetable oil and do the same thing. We used to make that in weblos.
My Dad was doing these decades ago when I was a kid. I remember using them on our camping trips.
Good advice on not doing the wax melting in the kitchen and NOT using the wife's good pots...oh yeah!
Me, I do it on the Coleman Stove in the shop and use a double boiler to melt the wax. Two old tin cans, one bigger than the other. Water in the big one. Smaller can, drop inside the partially water filled can. Add the wax into the inner can and you get a nice melt.
Good video, thanks for sharing.
I just used an old milk pan for melting down old tea light remains. It has a small pouring spout on the rim, so it's perfect for the job. I've used these camping and hiking, they're great!
I have used candles before, but only as candles. Thank you for sharing this. I am always looking for free heat. I will defiantly give it a try. Thank you.
Cant wait to try this..and Thanks for the safety info!! ANY Thrift shop sell the remains of what were ONCE beautiful candles...now 25-50 cents at best !! Maybe $1.00 but would be super usable for this purpose!!
Great vid.....when i was in Germany, we used a tin can filled with dirt and then filled with diesel fuel.....burned hot for some time!
Hey thanks for the tip... I recently made some long burning Crisco candles and realized that Crisco could be used for this heater as well or any vegetable shortening if you don't have any spent candles... Pete
Why didn't you show us the pooring in of the wax. That's what I was waiting for..
Janoh de Groot omg seriously? There’s plenty of videos on YT to check it yourself, it is a common sense thing...roll cardboard-place in can-melt wax-pour wax over cardboard-reuse as many times as the can will last.
@@SouthernPatriot1 you know like.. for what level should i pour the wax, to know how much you know 🙄
Not only for the poor, for the rich in nature, for camping, for survival in emergency situations.
Always working and efficient .. Safe, good for lighting, heating, cooking, it is worth preparing a few, very small and large and save in several places, in the car and bags ..
It is best to add a candle in the center of the installation at the height of the box before the wax is clotted and then the burning will be easier.
Thanks
All that trouble making the video and you did not show how to get the wax in the cardboard????
That does seem like the most difficult part....or at least the one that requires the most visual aid.
Reeses Pieces Heat the wax to liquid form and have enough to fill between the perforations in one pour then pour in and fill near top. If you stop the wax will harden and it will be harder to complete then. If you or someone you know has a wax heater like for dipping hands in or making candles it makes it easier than heating other ways..
He's an agent
Mo Reese's Pieces ... I agree
Heat it up and dump it in. Additionally when you are getting done cooking you can drop chunks of wax on top and it will quickly melt, drip and penetrate back into the cardboard roll. Make sense?
oh, I also liked when you said "check with the woman of the house" before you make this on her stove. Smart guy.
Great stuff, I will make this using coconut oil, I have experience using this and it will burn for 3 hrs in a tea candle with wick with metal in it. Coconut oil burns clean smoke. Coconut oil will melt in the hands so will have to figure out lid. Will put wick with wire in it in middle, can't wait to try this with the coconut oil. Thanks!
brenab1000 You are saying you just pour coconut oil in a little tea light aluminum container and put a wick in it. I don't understand the wick and wire part. Would love to try this. Please elaborate a little more for dummy me! Thanks.
@@SuperDeut4 the wired in the wick is for better maneuverability and stability
brenab1000 How did this project turn out for you?
I learned early on that using an old crock pot to melt wax is safe and effective. Also less mess. And you can get them at most thrift stores for very cheap. That way when you are done, any left over wax just stays in that crock pot. And it just goes on the shelf. I do the same for petroleum jelly, to dip cotton balls in for fire starters.
Love the concept.I have kicked it up a notch by adding some citronela oil to the wax and this mix will make your meals and keep the skeeters away.Job well done
We put candle wicks in them, got both heat and light, when camping in the winter in N.Y.
Cardboard can be replaced with natural plant material too if youre out and you have an empty can but no cardboard.
You need to find something dry and fibrous. I use the dry outer "skin" that's found on bamboo plants, fold it and pack it up tightly in the can making sure the fibers are vertical and it works just as well as cardboard.
I guess very small sticks packed vertically could also work
We used to use an old candy tin that came with a metal lid. It was very transportable and the lid could be used to put out the flame.
James Janecka that’s a family size stove/heater good idea
Scouting I remember making these for cooking a hamburgers. Then we got a coffee can and made vents on the top and cooked paddies on them... thanks for the memories....
These are really good...Made a few and i know they're there as backup if the power goes out. Heating, light, cooking and comfort!
he wrote, do not use Inside, so do be careful.
Hi, could you please show us how you did the wax? I think a lot of us need to see that part. Thank you.
we call it a Buddy Burner.. we made these with my Scout troop last year. The kids had a blast making them and a bigger blast cooking on them at winter camp.
Buddy burners. Made them as a kid. They work great.
Just pour the wax in till the can is full. Then you are set. I still use them.
when first opening your can using a safety can opener (one that leaves no sharp edges) could be used for extinguishing your flame.Lots of uses there!
It should last two hours. Perhaps longer if you cover a portion and lessen the flame. Helps to add a windblock when cooking. I use a portion cut out of a throw away aluminum turkey roaster after Thanksgiving. Very light weight. Don't worry about a perfect cut of cardboard or even that it is tightly packed.
good vid. Seeing the process of pouring the wax over the cardboard would have helped me understand how much wax to pour on. Keep pouring until it reaches the top? etc. But very good information, thank you for posting.
That's a great idea. There are many ways to heat/cook on the cheap or free. Used vegi oil from any restaurant in a can, with a cloth wick secured with any wire or hanger works well too. Any cooking oil including olive. Oil from the oil pan of a vehicle. The list is endless. For travelers though, as one person in the comments here states, your idea should give no problems with checkpoint Nazis at the airports. Thank you for your vid.
This reminds me of something some guys used to use as an emergency block heater in the winter. It was a roll or toilet-paper in a can + some sort of fuel.
Also you can use to melt wax are those cup warmers I put a scented candle on it and melts it completely
I hope this isn't a stupid question, but I used this same idea for fire starters but I used cardboard egg cartons and dryer lint. So I'm wondering if I could pack dryer lint into the can and saturate it with wax....
Of course!
Thanks for sharing 👍very cool
As kids , we carried extra pieces of random wax from old candles and after each buddy burner use , we added some wax so it would melt and replace the wax we just burned and it would be just fine for next use . We left them with the burned wick in place and wrapped it in a plastic dry cleaner bag . Now we use old WalMart bags.. It's better to use small cat food cans for easier use and smaller ... more manageable flame.
excellent Thank you so very much..please share more tips,I love to learn things like this
Recycling genius🌱
Oh yes, the luxurious Sterno. Not anymore. I wonder if Crisco would work. Nice video. 👍 BTW, oxo makes a can opener that will take the top off with no sharp edges. The top can also be put back on with a rubber band or string to hold it in place. That's another way to keep your gear from getting sooty.
Crisco does work but it is soft amd never solidifies like candle wax. You could do a Crisco and wax combo to make it more stable.
@MrB0TT Very good observation and point. If you have a fireplace then you could open the flue and use on the hearth. The heater should be used outdoors, but in a serious emergency you could crack a window for ventilation and use indoors if for some reason it’s not safe to venture out. But, yes, you’d need to use a good amount of discretion and caution when using indoors…for the most part it’s to be used outside. I’ve used mine in the garage with the door slightly open and it worked fine.
Thank You! Now I know why my friend has a carpet-sized 40 metre roll of corrugated cardboard "waiting for inspiration!" Meanwhile, as the dogs of survival continue to howl down the walls, we are, as ever, stacking tuna tins. HaHaHa!
Hahahahaha!
what an awesome idea. thx for sharing!
Your recommendations for staying out of the dog house are very funny.
Question, how can you heat the outdoors? What I mean if you are outdoors it is very hard to heat. What about heating an enclosed area???
This is a pretty good idea; nice and simple yet effective. Thanks.
Wonderful idea !!! ty.
One question. How much wax per can do I use?
Paraffin burner! Basically poor man's Sterno. My mom taught me how to make these when I was in 3rd grade. P.S. If you don't have any paraffin lying around, melting-down old crayons or some birthday candles works great for this.
vegetable oil works I know I was out of work no vehicle 3 miles from town 2 feet of snow on the ground and more coming I payed rent had propane but no propane stove and no electric just the heater ran out of candles but 3 bottles of vegetable oil I also cooked beans and rice in a two liter bottle hanging over the wall heater from a string took a day and a half but it was pretty good you do what you got to do
+Duck Donald
Right! Do what you can and improvise.
Blutteufel ,It is so fun to drive leftbrain obsessives crazy with spelling and puntuation errors. you probably insist on being pc too. blut
Dang you are amazing! Talk about thinking on your feet! Will you marry me? Lol!!
Just my approach, try different ways to cook so that the day comes and your propane kitchen and your Coleman stove aren't available you know how to cook elsewise and how long it will take.
I used to put mine in shoe polish tins, that way you can just smother the fire with the top when you are done. These poor man's stoves are dirtier, but much more stable, safe, inexpensive and compact than an alcohol stove. You can use an old tin can, fill it with wax then put the can in a pot of shallow water on the stove to melt the wax, that way you just throw away the can when done. You can buy paraffin wax at the hardware or craft store if you have no candles. These things last for a very very long time. I would not cook marshmallows or hot dogs over the open flame however as the wax soot is very carcinogenic (cancer causing). Only use it to heat a pot or pan of food.
If you're getting smoke from this, then you're getting incomplete combustion. Look at the air-fuel mixture that you have to work with. Longer-chain hydrocarbons need more airflow to completely break down.
Excellent idea. Great video!
I made two of these with my son after watching this- cool- thanks
You can use old crayons too if you don't have candles. Wouldn't oil also work, although messier to carry around?
The melted wax will pour in very easily; just pour in the center filling the tin to the brim. The cardboard will soak it up evenly so you don’t need to worry about spreading the wax across the top. In my video I used firesteel to start with a small amount of tender. I would suggest using a basic Bic lighter and that should do the trick.
I keep the tuna / cat food lid and with pliers or your multitool as a handle you can move the lid over to control the amount of flame / exposed area and use it to put it out.
Thanks for the video. Great project for my son and his friends.
I was laughing my ass off when you advised us not to use the wife's pots. I might just buy a 2nd hand pot from the thrift shop.
Thanks again.
Great idea! Thanks for sharing this!
How do you put the fire out to pack it back up to reuse later?
The one i made lasted 30-45 minutes. Mine is much smaller and uses less wax so im sure the one he made will last much longer.
I cooked rice, spaghetti, and some noodles in mine and they all turned out perfect.
We made them in girl scouts too. It was easy and really worked for cooking breakfast.
It was very useful I made it myself and it worked just fine. Thank you!
I use a pyrex 2 cup measuring cup and a candle warmer, perfect pour spout and when you're done just let the cup cool and place in freezer for a couple of hours or more. The leftover wax will shrink away from the glass and just pop out.
Will watch when he's out of the dog house, tell the woman of the house thanks anyway it's a good video. I'll give it a try I need some thing for a back up in the summer when I get up for coffee.
Ha ha, the woman of the house comment got me laughing. I was a candle maker once long ago, The supply of candle bits and peices never seems slack. I was always in charge of the Kitchen, and most of the cooking, as a trained Chef, it was almost a given. Be careful hot wax wicks up the sides of a metal can inside the pots on the stove, There are electric wax melters you can get for this project if you are making more than a few of these.
Just wanted to see how much wax you used... How much did you pour into the cardboard?
okay you guys who are so rude , to get the wax into can - we used to take a bigger clean tin can break the old candles into it and then put the large tin into another pan with water, making a double boiler. Heat that. and then you guys who need help, use a hotpad to lift tin w/ wax & pour it over the cardboard which is in the smaller can.
I'm not going to go over this and punctuate. you can call me names and go cross eyed & slam you fists. idontcare
Thanks, that's cool, being able to watch the process done by someone who had done it before would have been even better, you know; the whole "watching a video" thing, rather than reading about it. At least you didn't send it out in smoke signal form, I can't read those anymore.
Ya that's great cloud scout, he he
You're no better than the dude that made the original video.
I've always cut the cardboard strip slightly thinner than the can height, leaving a lip to retain the wax when pouring it into the can over the cardboard.
So how long would you say it would burn if you filled it fully with wax after the cardboard is in it?
Can use a common induction burner (no flame, has a timer, temp setting)..
Set it to lowest heat, 140, & melt your wax safely in a cheap
ANY free or cheap 2nd hand pots, that have a bottom a magnet can stick to, work fine with induction cooker. Nothing costly or complicated needed.
Can use this to evaporate flammable solvents for reducing volume of liquid, for other things, too. Just do it with really good air ventilation.
In Girl Scouts we put an inverted coffee can with tons of holes punched in so you could set a pan on top. We don;t use coffee cans, but a Provident Pantry #10 can is perfect!
excellent, making some for my 'bugouts'. thanx for the great tip!
Super idea for the back yard or trail.I'm going to make one butim going to kick it up a notch with some citronella as skeeters tend to be bothersome on the trail
I keep the metal lid to use with my multitool needlenose pliers to use as a damper and snuffer though they do blow out easily.
...how about the soot factor ? Have you thoughted of a way to lessen the soot all over the tent & skin...
Rub wet soap over the outside of a pot or tin and let it dry. It will be easy to rinse off after you have cooked your food. Or a can this size would be easy to wrap with tin foil.
so how much wax did you use on that heater? to bad you didn't film filling it.
When melting the wax...Do you know if wax will ignite in the microwave if placed in a ceramic pitcher..?
Can you warm up candle scraps in an 200* oven? Will it explode into flames?
That spent candle looks delicious.
Would this work with melted crisco as well?
So how much wax do u put in? As much as u can get in or just enough to cover?