Wow, who is this guy this is one of the best white gas stove instructional videos I've ever seen he's thorough explains everything I wish I would have seen a video like this 10 years ago very well done
VERY good video. When I first fired up my MSR it was just as you demonstrated. I had fire everywhere. I thought for a moment that the whole thing was gonna blow up. Everything quickly calmed down and other than a very sooty stove there was no harm done....If I had seen your video first, there would have been a lot less drama! HehHeh
Still have my Whisperlite from my California backpacking days in the 80's and still works like a champ, just had to buy a new pump mechanism. The alcohol prime is the only way to fly. Going to experiment with adding a little alcohol into the burner area as well to make sure the vaporization tube heats properly in our subarctic winters here in Manitoba, Canada. Thanks again for the great vids.
The problem with the alcohol attacking gaskets and seals is absolutely the reason that many of the stove. Those model Optimus stoves get around the problem by not having rubber gaskets or seals. The older designs used cast burners and graphite packing.
@shippen2010 Tanks. When used for priming like I did in the video, alcohol actually produces less heat than white gas. Ethanol has 23.5 Megajoules per liter, while white gas has 35.5. I am not sure what would happen if you burn it inside the stove, although I've seen similar stoves that are designed to work on alcohol. I'm not sure why yours melted.
Alcohol burns way hotter in one of those stoves i did it in mine and melted the whole upper stove. I think thats why they dont want you to burn alcohol in that stove. Good instruction thanks.
@MrRocque You should either read the instructions again, or watch the video again. The instructions talk about using alcohol as a fuel, not as a primer as in the video.
@shippen2010 alcohol vaporizes at a lower tempurature then petroleum based fuels, hence, it doesnt need pressurization. Most alcohol stoves (penny stoves, can tin stove or other designs) rely on the low boiling tempurature of alcohol to create 'jets' to spread the flame, but doesn't need the pressure to burn.
@rg598 You betcha! -41C windchills today, -31C temperatures. 10 minutes to freeze exposed flesh. Simply jumping my son's dead battery on his vehicle today was a trial of endurance!
Why don't you pressurize the bottle before connecting it? There is a shut-off valve out there. In this case you will pump more easily without scratching your bottles especially if you use a neoprene bottle cover. Secondly you can prime it with a clean burning fuel such as lighter fluid whose flames are more visible than alcohol's ones. By doing so you can use ordinary gasoline without any soot formation
@rg598 I would love to know what stoves you found, like these, that run on alcohol. I say that because, ALL the manufactures I've researched state CLEARLY that alcohol is NOT to be used in these stoves. The main reason: Denatured alcohol disolves the seals/gaskets causing LEAKS. Any 'petroleum based' fuel stove is only supposed to use just that, petroleum based fuels, white (naptha) gas, gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel (as per each stove's instructions), NEVER alcohol.
Wow,
who is this guy this is one of the best white gas stove instructional videos I've ever seen he's thorough explains everything I wish I would have seen a video like this 10 years ago very well done
Great video! one of these was passed on to me, and I had no idea how to work it, so I was kind of intimidated. Your video makes it simple. Thanks!!!
VERY good video. When I first fired up my MSR it was just as you demonstrated. I had fire everywhere. I thought for a moment that the whole thing was gonna blow up. Everything quickly calmed down and other than a very sooty stove there was no harm done....If I had seen your video first, there would have been a lot less drama! HehHeh
This was a great video. Thank you!
Excellent video I haven't used my whisper light stove in eons. After watching your video I am going to get it out and crank it up.
Thanks, great tip with the alcohol.
That's a good pre-heating tip thanks Ross, not sure why I've never thought of doing it before. Great reliable stoves
Still have my Whisperlite from my California backpacking days in the 80's and still works like a champ, just had to buy a new pump mechanism. The alcohol prime is the only way to fly. Going to experiment with adding a little alcohol into the burner area as well to make sure the vaporization tube heats properly in our subarctic winters here in Manitoba, Canada. Thanks again for the great vids.
Thank you for a informative well made video
Thanks appreciate your matter of fact way of presenting things.
thank you for this video!
Will that type of setup work with e85 fuel ?
The problem with the alcohol attacking gaskets and seals is absolutely the reason that many of the stove. Those model Optimus stoves get around the problem by not having rubber gaskets or seals. The older designs used cast burners and graphite packing.
@shippen2010 Tanks. When used for priming like I did in the video, alcohol actually produces less heat than white gas. Ethanol has 23.5 Megajoules per liter, while white gas has 35.5. I am not sure what would happen if you burn it inside the stove, although I've seen similar stoves that are designed to work on alcohol. I'm not sure why yours melted.
Nice video. I would suggest that stoves that burn alcohol are mostly Optimus models. 111t 199 and the model 11 explorer.
Thank you. The alcohol here is used only for priming, not to run the stove.
+Ross Gilmore Yes I understand. There seemed to be confusion in the comments section. Your video is very clear and understandable.
+Thereal111t Thanks
@canesser1 At the temperatures you have up there, you will need a whole lot of priming. :)
Alcohol burns way hotter in one of those stoves i did it in mine and melted the whole upper stove. I think thats why they dont want you to burn alcohol in that stove. Good instruction thanks.
@MrRocque You should either read the instructions again, or watch the video again. The instructions talk about using alcohol as a fuel, not as a primer as in the video.
@shippen2010 alcohol vaporizes at a lower tempurature then petroleum based fuels, hence, it doesnt need pressurization. Most alcohol stoves (penny stoves, can tin stove or other designs) rely on the low boiling tempurature of alcohol to create 'jets' to spread the flame, but doesn't need the pressure to burn.
Im glad i got a dragonfly, it never takes more than a minute of pre heating using MSR fuel, i never use alcohol.
@rg598 You betcha! -41C windchills today, -31C temperatures. 10 minutes to freeze exposed flesh. Simply jumping my son's dead battery on his vehicle today was a trial of endurance!
Why don't you pressurize the bottle before connecting it? There is a shut-off valve out there. In this case you will pump more easily without scratching your bottles especially if you use a neoprene bottle cover. Secondly you can prime it with a clean burning fuel such as lighter fluid whose flames are more visible than alcohol's ones. By doing so you can use ordinary gasoline without any soot formation
@rg598 I would love to know what stoves you found, like these, that run on alcohol. I say that because, ALL the manufactures I've researched state CLEARLY that alcohol is NOT to be used in these stoves. The main reason: Denatured alcohol disolves the seals/gaskets causing LEAKS. Any 'petroleum based' fuel stove is only supposed to use just that, petroleum based fuels, white (naptha) gas, gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel (as per each stove's instructions), NEVER alcohol.