Construction - 1) Scribe all cuts on metal to dimensions shown.
2) Make outside cuts on all four pieces with snips. 3) With softwood
block, hammer and cold chisel dimple all slot marks and vent lines to
depth of one-eighth inch. 4) With bench/angle/disc grinder, grind away
(from back) all grooves to create slots and vent openings. Clean up all
sharp edges with file. 5) With round punch (or drill if you have one)
create round holes in like manner as above. 6) With hacksaw, cut tent
stakes to proper length and point off with file or grinder. 7) Tune up
tabs, slots and holes for easy and quick assembly.
The beauty in “Nomad’s Little Dandy” is its sheer simplicity.
Construction is very easy using common, inexpensive materials. The
stove is lightweight, stores flat, requires virtually no pack space and
is a snap to assemble and use. The floor is the secret to the stove’s
functionality, for the floor gets the fire off the (usually wet) ground
away from the fire-snuffing moisture. Having an open end instead of a
firepot (like most wood burning stoves) permits the use of much larger
and longer limbs and sticks. Once the fire is going the tinder is
simply fed into the box as it burns.
Hint - if you burn off the condensed creosote from your pot after
cooking, it will still be black…but not dirty! A little practice and
you’ll be boiling with the best in no time; you’ll be toting only four
ounces and you won’t need to go to town to refill your bomb canister!
This stove was made in about 45 minutes in my shop with materials from
spare gear (and scraps from under my workbench), and then carried and
used for the entire 298 days and 4400 miles during “Odyssey ’98.”
WARNING
The galvanization
process coats steel with a thin layer of zinc metal as a way to reduce
oxidation (rusting) of the steel. It should be noted that this zinc will
be liberated from the steel surface when the stove is new, due to the
heat of combustion, producing a toxic vapor. Welders are familiar with
this phenomenon, known as 'zinc vapors'. Galvanized metal is not
recommended, but if you do use it in your project, make sure to burn off
all the zinc without inhaling the fumes before using it to cook with. Or
better yet, stay away from galvanized metal altogether. You can get
plain sheet metal at hardware stores very cheaply.
TEMPLATES
Below are the templates needed
to make the stove. You will need to make 2 sides, a bottom and a back.
(An optional front template is also included) You will need to enlarge
the templates to the dimensions of each piece.
NOTE: To copy these images from the web page, place your cursor over
each template image, right mouse click, then choose "Save Picture
As...". Once you have saved the images, you can then use a graphics
program to enlarge them to the width and length stated on the template.
It would then be helpful to make cardboard templates to use in cutting
your metal.
** These templates are from
http://zenstoves.net/Wood.htm, where the Nomad's Little Dandy
Stove is among many wood burning stoves they provide information and
instructions for. Or you can print out the already sized versions in
their
Template PDF.
Template - 1
Template - 2
Template - 3
Template -4
NOMAD’S LITTLE DANDY
Use kerosene to heat your house,
Save alcohol to rub.
Pump gasoline for your machine,
Choose wood to cook your grub.
The “little dandy’s” cut from tin,
A stove quite well designed.
Tab “A” into slot “B” it goes,
No niftier you’ll find.
So on the trail you’ll want to pack,
This “little dandy” deal.
Six ounces flat, the total tote,
To boil your evening meal.
For armies movin’ in the field,
Bomb canisters are handy.
But for true hikers truckin’ trail—
It’s Nomad’s “little dandy.”
[N. Nomad 2000]
NOTE: The below video does not contain any vocal
content but does have background sound. Since this page also has
background sound, it might be necessary to turn the video sound off as
you begin watching, to avoid getting a mix between the two.
This video was created by Rick Brinkman of Coffee
Creek, MT. After
viewing the directions to make the Little Dandy wood stove (above),
he decided to build one for himself. Following the templates, but not
having any stainless steel, Rick built his out of Delta Rib. This video
is his demonstration on the use of the Nomad's Little Dandy Wood
Stove.