The Poor Man's Survival Heater

[@BlackCatSaloon]

It's nice to see folks still finding this video useful after all these years. :-)

[@henryottis295]

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..........

[@ferdonandebull]

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 ..

[@alundavies8402]

Hooray for Sisters !!!!

[@henryottis295]

God bless your sister ! She gave you the gift of life.

[@williamwilson6499]

Yeah…sure you did.

[@Daschizznitt]

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:

[@2010invent]

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.

[@karenmoody1646]

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.

[@sandangels73]

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. 😉

[@darrellknox6435]

Thank you Sand angel!

[@JackHaveman52]

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.

[@sandangels73]

@@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.

[@lynnmasoner7627]

Sand Angels thank you for the easy solution to melting wax

[@DEATH_TO_TYRANTS]

@@sandangels73 Thanks for the tip.

[@svetlanikolova5557]

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!

[@thebelfastvikingmartinbrow3603]

If you had no power and heat how did you melt the wax ?

[@idomenio]

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.

[@GeraldHughes]

Tip: put your can with cardboard in the oven on low heat so the wax doesn't solidify when it hits the cold material.

[@janohdegroot989]

Why didn't you show us the pooring in of the wax. That's what I was waiting for..

[@SouthernPatriot1]

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.

[@محمدالعجيري-ر5م]

@@SouthernPatriot1 you know like.. for what level should i pour the wax, to know how much you know 🙄

[@williamkosinar2397]

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....

[@caswallonandflur692]

Thanks 4 the tips 😃

[@jenniferkelly4873]

William Kosinar thanks really helpful

[@recoveringsoul755]

Thank you, I was wondering how to put the thing out.

[@MrChaes]

That's exactly why I went with Bees Wax at 400 degrees.

[@inomad1313]

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.

[@revmpandora]

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.

[@djg5950]

+revmpandora I stick birthday candles in it before the wax hardens. Use that for wicks instead of wooden matches.

[@watchingitallhere]

Thank you!

[@michaelpinola7505]

+deborah gracie good idea!

[@Lovelace069]

revmpandora thanks debra and revpandora!!!!!!!

[@Lovelace069]

oh btw exactly what is a #10 can??

[@mo-reesespieces9066]

All that trouble making the video and you did not show how to get the wax in the cardboard????

[@RandallMorrison00]

That does seem like the most difficult part....or at least the one that requires the most visual aid.

[@douglasraymond2478]

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..

[@Lifeizrigged]

He's an agent

[@lynnmasoner7627]

Mo Reese's Pieces ... I agree

[@Bones469]

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?

[@PsyFliChic]

Made of these with my children yesterday, they are excellent! Really put out a good fire. Surprisingly powerful. Thanks for the tutorial.

[@yotatripp1014]

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.

[@texashawk777]

This is known as a "BUDDY BURNER" an excellent heater/cook stove. Been used by Boy Scouts for decades.

[@massiveheadwoundharry6833]

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.

[@nv5149]

Order of the arrow making them in silence

[@brianketterer9189]

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.

[@SCSlimBoiseID]

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.

[@CarolReidCA]

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!

[@WICowboy2k1]

Yep back in Scouts we called em buddy burners...and they work very very well. Good vid, bringing back some memories.

[@frontierasset1965]

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.

[@rc3291]

Adds a tangy taste to your food

[@ManLand]

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.

[@ronaldhurst6204]

Glad you mentioned how long 1 will last it's something I've never tested or heard an answer too.

[@michaelpreston6379]

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....

[@Thalanox]

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.

[@scottprincipe6778]

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

[@470blp911]

Very good idea, and you are recycling what we would call waste. Thank you very much.

[@gearsNtools]

Agreed keep up the good work

[@73gmiller]

You could also melt pine tar, lard, vegetable oil and do the same thing. We used to make that in weblos.

[@1LRLRG]

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

[@JoeOsChannel]

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.

[@jamesjanecka5615]

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.

[@scottprincipe6778]

James Janecka that’s a family size stove/heater good idea

[@loriknechtel2387]

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.

[@christophermacdog]

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!

[@Jamal_Tyrone]

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!

[@brenab1000]

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!

[@SuperDeut4]

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.

[@traciereed2690]

@@SuperDeut4 the wired in the wick is for better maneuverability and stability

[@SuperDeut4]

brenab1000 How did this project turn out for you?

[@caligirlsns]

Boy scouts and Girl Scouts of America! I stated out as a brownie and became a camp leader! I love this!

[@HarmonysHangout]

Thanks for sharing 👍very cool

[@BustandBoom]

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

[@donedvid]

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.

[@JFlynn-ef7hg]

oh, I also liked when you said "check with the woman of the house" before you make this on her stove. Smart guy.

[@london5042]

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

[@69Phuket]

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!

[@martinemjt]

he wrote, do not use Inside, so do be careful.

[@joedunleavy7066]

We put candle wicks in them, got both heat and light, when camping in the winter in N.Y.

[@ronyerke9250]

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.

[@WayTruthLife2100]

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.

[@TheDragonLady]

what an awesome idea. thx for sharing!

[@michswags]

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!!

[@Vicolegargoyle]

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.

[@69HemiGTX]

Is it really that hard to figure out how to get the wax in the can? I think some of y'all would die within minutes because there isn't an app on your phone to show how something is done. Here it is - melt it in a pot, then slowly pour the molten wax over the cardboard. The laws of physics take care of the rest. Remember those? What the hell was so hard about that?! If things really did go sideways, close to half the population would be dead in a week because no one learns anything on their own anymore. I made these when I was a Scout, and I figured I'd show my 5-year-old a quick video before we made one. Then I read some comments...

[@kazbluesky]

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

[@BlackCatSaloon]

@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.

[@cloudthunder1]

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

[@damonthomas8955]

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.

[@seventhunders9741]

Ya that's great cloud scout, he he

[@trikerider1038]

You're no better than the dude that made the original video.

[@videoslovetimmy]

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....

[@davidkeil6225]

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.

[@gmanw3]

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.

[@SuperCoolclay]

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.

[@exploreyourweb]

Your recommendations for staying out of the dog house are very funny.

[@rvlqcitizen]

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.

[@jalleman61]

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

[@JTBear]

Think I'm going to try this one in the next few days .... neat!

[@SH-hl3ce]

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

[@duckdonald5728]

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

[@BlackCatSaloon]

+Duck Donald Right! Do what you can and improvise.

[@cloudthunder1]

Blutteufel ,It is so fun to drive leftbrain obsessives crazy with spelling and puntuation errors. you probably insist on being pc too. blut

[@traciereed2690]

Dang you are amazing! Talk about thinking on your feet! Will you marry me? Lol!!

[@rokkinjohann]

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.

[@lindapapa2565]

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!

[@tayhayinthewind8386]

excellent, making some for my 'bugouts'. thanx for the great tip!

[@k81law]

That spent candle looks delicious.

[@michaelh102]

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!

[@ktrudeau1313]

Hahahahaha!

[@MrMike4017]

excellent Thank you so very much..please share more tips,I love to learn things like this

[@HammerOnTheRun]

Excellent idea. Great video!

[@EvilReptiles]

This is a pretty good idea; nice and simple yet effective. Thanks.

[@jalleman61]

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

[@lolobotius]

It was very useful I made it myself and it worked just fine. Thank you!

[@davidmaynard84]

Recycling genius🌱

[@broadwayFan28]

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.

[@jupitersmagic3323]

Great idea! Thanks for sharing this!

[@keitharoo1962]

Thanks! I'm gonna make a couple for my bugout bag.

[@sherrytraveny1846]

We made them in girl scouts too. It was easy and really worked for cooking breakfast.

[@metallicarocks123]

Hi, could you please show us how you did the wax? I think a lot of us need to see that part. Thank you.

[@Roadghost88]

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.

[@Thalanox]

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.

[@vanadala]

Would like to see the melting and filling process, I wonder if that would work with birch oil... I'm definitely gonna give this a try. Great idea and easily implemented. Thanks mate

[@TheDD563]

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.

[@sogua2000]

Excellent idea, thank you for share it!

[@douglasraymond2478]

Sonia Trott you can place wax in a can and put it in a larger pot of boiling water to melt it. it takes longer and you have to be careful plus wipe the water off outside before pouring and still move quick enough to fill before wax hardens.

[@douglasraymond2478]

Sonia Trott sorry meant to connect this to comment below

[@Reactivate100]

TY this is ace, might fit a chimney somehow and use it for heating for my flat, i stay in scotland and its freezing, one year i had about 20 church candles burning to take the chill out the air because i couldnt afford normal heating, =)

[@Mdeil20]

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.

[@YEARNINGHEARTGuitargirl226]

We use to call it a "buddy burner" in girl scouts. We would make the burner in a tuna fish can and put it under a gallon tin can with holes punched in the top with a can opener, then cook on top of the larger tin can.

[@gabrielbennett5162]

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.

[@Trayne1837]

You can always find an old pot of some sort at Goodwill. I figure some of these would be nice to use outside of course..incase we loose power from the freaky weather that has been happening lately.

[@frlouiegoad4087]

I am a beekeeper: I microwave with turntable. Honey, bees ,wax. all in one. it is faster and less burning. The wax and bees come to the top, Clean honey on the bottom. Take the wax and add water, re microwave. this will remove honey and pollen.

[@wrico7832]

+Fr Louie Goad You have successfully killed all of the beneficial nutrients in the honey by microwaving it!! You now have a sweet liquid devoid of nutritional value. :-(

[@henryottis295]

@@wrico7832 Yes, I have heard that the microwave destroys the nutrients in food.

[@alanroberts4060]

Why go to all that trouble, and not show us how much wax goes in,,,,do you soak all the cardboard, or just the top,,,, Jesus man that is the whole point, and how long do they last.

[@shropshirehistory908]

once you have put your cardboard in the can just pour your wax in till it covers it all,i find if you put three little pieces in the middle like a wick you get a better even flame,lasts about an hour ish,play around with the wax you put in some burn for longer,or add a bit petrol or something to it when you melt the wax..hope that helps.

[@karenm8952]

+alan roberts I know, right?! lol. I'm going, "Hello? You're not going to show us how to actually make the thing?"

[@MikeStJohn-yq7fl]

You have neglected to say...these heaters give off a fair bit of black smoke because of the cardboard combusting...suitable for outdoor use only. Don't believe me?? I've been making these since before you were born.

[@Zox604]

Nice presentation. Now anyone can make it.

[@houseoffire72]

The Blue Hill UL - II stove ring will fit perfectly on there to be used as a pot stand and stores on the bottom...

[@urflofit2010]

I made two of these with my son after watching this- cool- thanks

[@douglasraymond2478]

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.

[@DavidThomas-sv1tk]

In addition to the natural disasters, power failures, etc that you mention, air travel is another application. I've got all kinds of white-gas and canister backpacking stoves, none of which I can bring on commercial flights. Stove yes; fuel no. This could be brought on a flight and I wouldn't have to source the right fuel locally (a problem on my last BPing trip in Hawaii).

[@wendyhall222]

You could bring rubbing alcohol possibly and use a a full toilet paper roll with it...just a thought.

[@TheKoss11]

I love this video. I'm going to make one this week.

[@fatjellydonutglaze2230]

Also you can use to melt wax are those cup warmers I put a scented candle on it and melts it completely

[@LadySapphire1971]

Garage sales are great for finding old candles for this as well as many other items that can be used for outdoor & survival situations. I've had people just give me a lot of old candles. I use the wax for making fire starters too :o)

[@robertjenkins5440]

That's exactly what I was going to say...it's a cub-scouts camping stove fire source...all your missing is the coffee can for the stovetop

[@coppertop1300]

I thank you for the idea to make a poor man's heater. I do wonder why you thought you needed a sauce pan? If you had cans, why didn't you heat the candle wax in a can?

[@frithar]

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!

[@galenlong3005]

An older hot plate works good also, you could even go to a goodwill store or a salvation army store and buy an old aluminum pan for melting wax, also when it comes to wax I live in an area where there is a ton of jelly and jam making going on so in the fall Parafin wax gets very plentiful and extremely cheap, same with bees wax, so I don't use any decerative candles that may have some king of garbage in it, some of the oils they scent those things with may not be good to cook with. but great vid

[@dianahferreira5779]

Try putting wax in glass mason jar and melt down in a pot of water. Double boiling think it is good. I do that for my projects and works well and I am the woman of my house and no mess at all. Just designate a mason jar for your project by labeling it. Wax hard to remove. Sos pad and hot water works good. Good video thank you will try it!

[@MrDuffajohn]

fantastic . want to make one right now. cheers