Afterburner for Ammo Can Stove - creating an efficient secondary burn

A design to upgrade most ammo can stoves to increase fuel efficiency by encouraging a secondary combustion within the burn chamber. This upgrade should be an easy retro fit to most stoves. The level of difficulty is about one six-pack for the AfterBurner.
Links to a couple of good wood-gas stoves:
• Video
• Wood gas camp stove "h...
Materials required:
1/8 inch steel pop rivets
steel sheet
Tools required:
ruler
felt tip pen
metal snips
drill
1/8 inch drill bit
#ammocanstove #afterburner

[@metroplexchl]

I searched and searched for this video. I saw it years ago, and it made perfect sense thanks to your old school drawings and excellent explanation. Now, 5 years later, I'm ready to build and finally found this video again! I'm building it this weekend!

[@derek3726]

How did it turn out? Would you build another one or do something different?

[@mewolf1]

Now this is how a stove should be built!! any stove!! I've surfed through a ton of vids on stoves and this is the only one doin what I call "right". Well done.

[@MarshRat]

mewolf1 Thanks. The afterburner seems to help out quite a bit but the biggest thing is the top baffle and elevating the fuel above the bottom so air can flow better. Thanks for your comment. ATB from Marsh Rat

[@mewolf1]

Marsh Rat Agreed on the baffle; I haven't built a stove in years without one. For the after burner I punch a few holes on the back of the stove just above the baffle. Same effect without the pre heat.

[@gonagain]

Finally! A great, detailed discussion on a proper baffle for an ammo can stove! I've been watching one video after another on this subject trying to figure out a workable design and I think you've nailed it. Thanks!

[@MarshRat]

+Mcconiheflatbrat Glad you found some helpful info.

[@azclaimjumper]

+Mcconiheflatbrat I,too, have watched numerous videos, this is the ONLY video I've bookmarked, thanks to the details on how to build the afterburner. On this subject of ammo cans stove, THIS IS A MUST WATCH video.

[@larainebarton2103]

@@azclaimjumper I'm saving this one. Been watching all different kinds of ammo can videos . kiss keep it simple stupid. I'm off to the garage.

[@steveprint616]

Hi Larry, a truly great design which I shall use on my stove. The afterburner fabrication is a great idea, I can't understand why more don't have this and the flue baffle. Thank you again for the ideas . Steve

[@MagicGate814]

That's awesome. the introduction of forced secondary air is ingenious and creates a better burn.

[@shermanbarnett2215]

Great video. Being from Vinton county Ohio glad to see a fellow buckeye building exactly what I was looking for. I built me a can stove and wanted to know how to make it better. You explained it perfect. Thank you.

[@SuperGlacierGirl]

Excellent job done! Much simpler, with less hacking up of the box, adding all kinds of cut outs for doors and vents and such. And either having to weld or cement together the finished product. Bravo Sir. Hope to find your video on the basc box construction.

[@edwardlindamood7791]

by far, the best ammo can stove I've seen yet..

[@DannyWalker1949]

I Agree this is Heck of a Ammo Can Stove for sure. I think I will follow your directions and make one of these stove's too. Very Nice design and build, you made.

[@FiresideCoffee]

Thank you for taking soo much time to explain exactly what you were doing. Most KZbin videos don’t contain enough explanation. This is a GREAT video. I subbed. Thank you.

[@Jigaboo123456]

I think that the most likely indicators that the re-burn is working is the lack of smoke (although you were using what looked like very well-seasoned wood) and the almost complete absence of tars and sooty residues on the stove, particularly around the entry holes for the heated secondary air. Ammo boxes are a bit hard to get here in the UK, I 've made a few stoves but I think I'll try one with a 5 gal cooking oil can, and just put a u-shaped flattened pipe in along the sides and along the top. I'll drill holes in the top part for the hot secondary burn air to exit. I can block it with my finger at the cool lower end once its been burning a while. If smoke comes out when its blocked, it works, and I'll then just make a simple butterfly valve which will also allow me to control the burn when used with the primary air control. Enjoyed your video, thanks.

[@Jigaboo123456]

He sounds like a quietly-spoken Sergeant Harman! :-) Good advice about drawing and using templates, saves a lot of grief!

[@OldMysticFantasist]

First off, cheers from South Central Ohio. Thank you so much for all the information you put in this vid. I'm using many of your ideas & recommendations on my stove. So far I've focused so much on the secondary air that I have to leave the door propped open to heat it up without smoking the whole township. I'll have to increase my primary air venting/initial air flow to get more heat at first.

[@MarshRat]

Please post a vid of your completed stove. I'd love to see it. I lived in Lawrence County Ohio once and loved it there but had to move because of the job situation there.

[@daveshea1958]

I really love your attention to detail. The templates and your designs were very well done. The sound was very good and I'm sure everyone enjoys the way you narrate your video. This is the the first one of your videos I have seen. Thank-you very much. Hopefully I will see more from you. (PS this is the first video I have ever commented on)

[@MarshRat]

Dave Shea Thank you so very much for the complements. Best regards from Ohio

[@anselb2000]

Great job, Larry. The real test is how well it will heat up a tent or small room or 1 car garage area. No one seems to test the ammo can stoves that way on KZbin.

[@MarshRat]

I agree. I had all intentions to test but the cold weather has prevented me from completing the shelter that I had intended on using.

[@bahramkashanian4252]

Best explanation of secondary burn ! Thank you

[@tomjeffersonwasright2288]

Having watched this video several times now, I think that the design is great, and part of what makes it good is the combination of fixed and movable parts. I always said that a large part of what makes Northern people so smart is the "encouragement" from Father Winter. Nothing like a cold behind to encourage creativity in the stove building. LOL Thanks again for the great video.

[@MarshRat]

Glad you enjoyed the vid. Thanks for stopping by my channel.

[@mikemcgown6362]

Hey Marsh Rat! Nice to see someone from NW Ohio doing something creative! I'm also from MW Ohio, but I've been transplanted into northern Minnesota. Winters up here are brutal! Any small heater like this is appreciated. I've got a wood stove in the garage for heat, but it takes a while to heat up. A smaller burner that could make quick heat would be great while waiting for the big stove to heat up. Seems like you think like an engineer, but you speak like a common man. I can appreciate that. Reminds me of my dad, bless his soul. Thanks for the inspiration with the video!

[@MarshRat]

Thanks for taking time to visit with me. I've been to St. Paul a couple of times during the winter and it is really hard up there for sure. Take care

[@mojavemax3687]

One of the finest videos I've ever seen. Thank you so much. (Parma Heights)

[@kcarter016]

Great stove! Beautiful work. Very nice that you presented the drawings AND the post-mortem!

[@MarshRat]

Thanks

[@joelfloyd6328]

You might not be a videographer, but that was an excellent video. It was thorough and insightful good sir. Just what I was looking for. Thank you.

[@MarshRat]

Wow, thanks!

[@tspriggsabq]

I'm building a 1 gal rocket stove right now. I'm at the point where I was gonna add pea gravel but I saw your idea on "turbo charging" it with additional air from the bottom and that's what I'm gonna do. I see the total logic in that. Thanks! I am videotaping it as I go along so I hope to have a video in a few days if all goes to plan.

[@MarshRat]

+Tim Spriggs I can't wait to see your vid. Hope the build goes well.

[@ICARPUSA1]

Hey Larry, great design, fabrication and stove you have there. Looks like a winner. Many who watch your vid will get more than a few pointers with your great description and demo. Your box being so narrow you might want to reduce the height of the grate in half to give you more space for wood inside the burn chamber. That amount of space could give you another hour+ of heat if you drop the grate lower. Once you get a hot bed of coals in the bottom from continuous feeding it fresh wood throughout the day/evening you should increase your heat production many more hours. In my stoves I try to leave as many places to shove wood as I can. Dampering it down I can get her to burn most of the night in my M-1950 five man Arctic tent. Sleeping on my 1945's Army cot I often cook myself to a sweat until I vent the bottom of the tent door. It is a wonderful combination in temps under freezing. I would never cold camp again if I could help it. Keep up the good work and happy hot tenting...

[@Transphoenixbiker]

This is the best video ive seen on ammo stoves. Thank you soo much

[@kimcurtis9366]

You did a very good job on the video and your stove construction is spot on! Kudos, all around!

[@markspc1]

Great. Simple design, it is nice to see that it works well.

[@quietprolink5322]

Makes perfect sense the way you explain plus the drawing. thanx for sharing.

[@MarshRat]

Glad it was helpful!

[@usnva5638]

I like the build design and your highly detailed presentation. Too bad I can only like this once.

[@felixcat9318]

What an outstanding video tutorial on how to design and construct a wood gas stove from an ammo can! Your carefully detailed, well narrated and presented tutorial will inspire others, including me, to construct one themselves. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience which will greatly help to expand the Make Your Own Gear (MYOG) knowledge base.

[@lifeinthewild6187]

I've been looking at doing the same wood burning stove by far yours ticks all the boxes. great video fantastic tips .

[@troycrowder9942]

not to bad not to bad at all i have made a few ammo can stoves and i have just kind of updated them along the way i even installed one in the cab i built on my 4 wheeler for me and my dog it took a little time to get the right set up on the flew but i did and it workes great but i think your idea about the baffle and the 2 nd air flow burn would make mine heat a little better i have been working on a new one and i think i will try and build it along the lines of the one you have thanks for the nice pointers on this i will be coming out with a video on my cab with the wood burner and when i do i will be sure to mention you hope you enjoy your retirement and keep on being creative and building for a long time MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and yours

[@rickbeau2447]

Marsh Rat, I was going to make a wise ass comment about your fly situation, then I watched some of your other videos and I thought, this is a guy whom I would not to be on the bad side of! I really like your explanation of the afterburner, thank you.

[@MarshRat]

LOL. I do have a dark side but I don't like it.

[@Idibergu]

This is the best Ammo Can stove I´v seen on KZbin. Thank you for sharing Marsh Rat.

[@MarshRat]

stein Lingaas Thanks for taking a look. Hope you got some ideas

[@user-sq1qg8xh1g]

Excellent video. Very well put together and thought out. I'll be using this as a reference for my own build.

[@MarshRat]

Thanks. IMHO, the top baffle and grate make a world of difference and should be incorporated in any design.

[@BluegrassBushcraft]

Awesome stove bro. I recently built one that turned out decent. I just wish I'd seen your video first. Thanks for sharing.

[@MarshRat]

Thanks. ATB Larry

[@VanlilfewithDaleandBailey]

Been thinking of making a ammo can stove. Really liked how you walked us through it. Only thing really missing is how well it works for heating the area around it and maybe boiling a pot of water. Good job.

[@MarshRat]

Thank you for your support. Cheers

[@hillbillycarwreck]

that is a dam fine stove you made sir, I applaud you!

[@MarshRat]

Thank you and glad you stopped by my channel.

[@adamhunt5506]

wow, incredible design and an excellently made video

[@MarshRat]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@ajadair500]

Greetings from Oklahoma friend. I just watched your video on the "stove build. Nice job, and great information that will help me when I get ready to build one for myself. 🐸

[@keithsimons7991]

Outstanding video. I liked the drawings to the cardboard to the final product. Thankyou.

[@MarshRat]

Glad you enjoyed. Cheers

[@sapiduscorvus]

Btw, love this. Starting a build on Saturday and was looking for inspiration. Looks like i found it!

[@MarshRat]

sapiduscorvus I hope your build goes well. You'll have to post a vid for us. thanks for stopping by my channel. Cheers from Ohio

[@MarshRat]

Steve P, thanks for the feedback. I'm glad this vid was helpful.

[@robs9574]

Nicely done, well planned out and executed.

[@MarshRat]

Thank you. I had fun doing this project.

[@not2fast4u2c]

I really Like your design of the afterburner and the stove too !!!

[@MarshRat]

+not2fast4u2c Thank you for watching and posting.

[@grizwoldstad9956]

Great job on the vid!! Enjoyed it! My wife an avid camping buff, said she would put a copper coil in the baffle or secondary channel and use the heat to convection/pump hot water. Would make clean up a lot more effiecient after a day on the trail, dishes and personage alike clean easier with hot water. The stove top is to small to cook and heat water at the same time so her idea has real merit. Thanks and Be Well

[@MarshRat]

Adding a copper coil is a great idea. Thanks for sharing.

[@Highnz57]

Great video. Lots of good information 👍💡👍

[@kamikazekeebler]

Very cool. The end where you inspect it was great also (see theory and practice line up!). Thank you.

[@MarshRat]

Thanks for the compliment.

[@dadgad68]

Nice job. No smoke and fine ash is good. It means your getting the most out of your fuel. If you had a site glass in the door you would see secondary flames in the holes in the baffle. Your ammo can stove is the only one i've seen with secondary combustion. Great idea and well built. Cheers from Cape Breton Canada. I'll be subscribing and thanks for sharing.

[@MarshRat]

Thanks for the compliment and sub

[@BigDawgTE]

Thorough and excellent video. Well done.

[@yoyofabio1093]

Outstanding design I really love it! Thanks for posting you did a thorough exclamation of what should be happening!

[@seewaage]

This is a really awesome idea. I really liked your video. Thanks!

[@tomm5564]

Nice design!

[@elliottrose2730]

Good design and very efficient burn.🤙 awsome bro cheers.

[@mygarden365]

You Sir,are correct,Don't forget to protect Your ideas!

[@alvarosalas3654]

Muy bién explicado. Lo felicito por ser tan claro en su exposición. Gracias

[@MarshRat]

gracias. eres muy amable

[@FinsRacksOutdoors]

Very nice stove and video Larry. In the spirit of open innovation, here's an idea; An additional or tertiary air feed could possibly be incorporated to your design in the center and top of the burn chamber by running a stainless 1'' pipe with an airtight fitting installed on the bottom of the stove for its air draw and have it come up to preheat up the rear and come in through the stainless plate just below the drilled holes , It would need to be capped off at the inside end where the baffle ends and t have 1/4'' holes drilled in it like a flute sort of, to inject even more superheated air and further intensify the combustion of C02, smoke and other gases right on top of the primary burn area.. You could secure it with eye bolts and wing-nuts and have a damper on the open end underneath the stove to adjust your air volume. Thanks for posting, I've subbed your channel and please give me feedback on my idea, good or bad.. Cheers, Al.

[@AlaskanOutdoorsman]

The only thing missing is the use of a thermometer to test both the burn and over all temperature time WITH AND WITHOUT the afterburner to determine how much more effective the afterburner would be for tent camping and cooking on the top surface. Perhaps a follow-up video? Great video, well done and very easy to follow. A++

[@MarshRat]

AlaskanOutdoorsman Simple minds have simple but not so efficient ideas. I worked in computers for most of my career but I'm not too good at equations. Good points. I'll give it a whirl.

[@MrBosonic]

Very convincing build! Thank You for interesting video. This I'm gonna try make myself.

[@MarshRat]

Thanks. The build was just an idea that popped into my head after watching many YT vids on the stoves and noticing comments regarding how they seemed to heat up the pipe too hot and burn the sides of the thin cans.

[@tomjeffersonwasright2288]

Very nice design, and an excellent description of how and why it works. I like the damper you mounted. One is good, two is better, one higher in the stove pipe. I have found that a stove like your is maximum size for a tent, van, or houseboat. The biggest problem I have found with wood stoves is that there is no "Low" setting. Big ones run me out of the room. I can tell you like to tinker, so let me suggest this. Most stoves draw air from the room, like a big vacuum cleaner, with warm air going into the stove and up the chimney, and cold air coming in the doors, windows, and cracks. I put an air intake pipe on my stove's floor in my house, with a 2" gate valve to control air intake. It sucks cold air from the outside via a pipe through a hole in the floor, burns it, and the exhaust goes back outside through the chimney. The warm air stays inside the van. house, or tent. Any fool can make an expensive, complex rig to do that, but I suspect you can come up with a simple, cheap way to do the same thing on an ammo can stove, allowing for both air flows. Any suggestions? I have been trying to design a stove like you drew for my boat and van, but welded out of heavier metal for durability. I thought to weld on some vertical, outside fins on the sides for heat dispersion. What you explained here will complete the design. I tried a propane tank, but the rounded bottom makes ash removal difficult. Thanks for a fun, informative, thought provoking video.

[@MarshRat]

Thanks for your interest and comments. Would love to see a vid of your stove when you're ready. ATB

[@munchichi8]

Excellent Design! Excellent Explanation!

[@MarshRat]

munchichi8 Thanks for the complement. The design seems to work better than I expected. I guess even a blind squirrel finds a nut ever now and them.

[@AlexT-cn4bn]

Great design! Good video too.

[@isuscscdark]

Thx for this ! Many Greetings from Bavaria Forrest !

[@MarshRat]

Cheers from Ohio and thanks for stopping by my channel

[@MarshRat]

Heidi Boraski Yes, take a look at 12:40 of the vid. There is a damper on the bottom to control the air into the bottom of the stove.

[@VictorNolochemical]

Great video, lots of helpful details 👍

[@MarshRat]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JordanMMancini]

This is a great idea dude

[@danielcplee]

The smoke you mentioned can be solved by drilling , say 10 small holes at the left hand side wall above the bottom screen. The small holes will suck the sunburned gas mix with the incoming air and ignited at the top holes. Hope this will work. Thanks.

[@marksalot2116]

I like it. Looks like if anything wears out it would be the insert and not the can. It may last a long time. Thanks for the info.

[@maxboonkittypoison]

Oh that is a good design Marsh i wil keep this one in mind. Greetings,, Kitty.

[@MarshRat]

Cheers Kitty

[@crackonchief]

Look a good design , great work

[@MarshRat]

stephen Print Thanks for the feedback. This is my second attempt at replying to your post. Seems YT is having posting issues today.

[@dannykarlstadt9193]

good design , thanks for sharing.

[@tomterahedrob]

5*.SPOT ON GENIUS!Thanks!

[@RyanBanman]

Great video, thanks for sharing. I have a question, I like and understand how you made the stove standing tall rather than long. Do you think that it loses stove top area though? Or do you think a baffle and 2nd air intake would lose its efficiency if it was build with less height space and longer?

[@kurthanson4106]

That's genius... well done.

[@MarshRat]

thank you

[@dancampbell9090]

Great video, how long would a pot with 1 litre take to boil on top of this design?

[@troybelanger974]

Great Job! Next step to the design, would be to add in a cold air intake!

[@MarshRat]

Thanks for the comment. My cold air intake was on the bottom but I didn't give that much mention

[@hubbabubba5923]

Nice video. Great explanation and clear descriptions. Wish I would have taken all the ammo out of the can before I fired it up! Yours Truly, Stumpy

[@MarshRat]

Hubba Bubba LOL. Thanks for watching

[@dalewildey4102]

Would like to know if it heats the same, better or worse than a stove without afterburner. It looks very well built. Not much room in a little stove. I would probably wanna put as much wood as possible in it instead of taking away capacity. Curious as to what the temps are when burner is opened and if any difference when closed. I'm open to this idea. Just wanna know if it's the way to go or not.

[@RICHLES01]

Be good if you could measure the temp of the gases out of the flue. If very hot have a secondary heat exchanger above that one for maybe an oven. ?

[@naoufel7676]

Good job and good explanation, thank you

[@MarshRat]

You are welcome!

[@denalidude]

Also the damper was closed. that to prolong the burn? Did you let it get going good first before closing?

[@jamalhosabe3255]

good jop What is the highest temperature was recorded In your design

[@denalidude]

would you h ave a pdf of the template you used to make the afterburner?

[@BlueLakeRV]

did you drill a hole on the bottom to let air in the side chambers?

[@MarshRat]

Bugout Bounder: I agree making the grate smaller will help. Sorry to have taken so long to respond but the recent changes to YT for Google+ are giving me fits.

[@llayman8092]

was just wondering on how much heat was put out from this. Great stove

[@josekma1]

Best one so far

[@MarshRat]

Thanks for having a look

[@Matt-yq1ib]

Nice build! The white powder stuff in the back top. Is from the 2ndary holes burning!

[@MarshRat]

Thanks for the info!

[@kisuke6517]

does secondary burn still works if i remove the baffle or not?

[@rivernet62]

Very nice! I wonder if by insulating the burn chamber with a layer of SS, you're saving the can, but also increasing the heat going out the top. I'm thinking of trying something like this but designing as if the can itself was sacrificial. You're right, ammo cans are lightweight, and will burn through eventually, but they're also cheap. I might even fix some strips of angle iron to increase radiant heating. Anyway thanks for the great ideas.

[@tonycantrell9547]

nice job Sir

[@emiliomascarenas3035]

Great video bud

[@WW5RM]

My question is after using this for a month or more how is clean up? I know its a choir to clean a basic ammo can heater without baffles. But burning at higher efficiency it might be easier.

[@MarshRat]

Heidi Boraski Please check you channel settings or something. As you can see, none of your questions are allowing me to directly reply to them. Anyways, in the last part of the vid you'll notice that my pipe is indeed vertical and the stove burns very clean without much soot and smoke. Perhaps you were asking about a horizontal pipe? If so then a completely horizontal pipe would not allow enough hot air to rise to create a proper draft.

[@williamshane9225]

Great job

[@needanswers]

great video!

[@MarshRat]

Thank you and glad you enjoyed.

[@kevinsakalouski6850]

you did a gat job and now im going to mack one

[@johnkozaczok3713]

I would have liked to see the backside of the inner liner. What did it look like ? Does the inner wall get all black before it gets sent out to be burned ? That to me would be proof that your the gas is flowing properly . I loved your video. Keep up the great work.

[@azclaimjumper]

How did you cut the round 2" hole?

[@sevensurvival]

Very good ideas, and job, thanks, respect.......Seven Thunders