A new stove pipe forming method
This is a crinkle-free method of stove pipe forming from a new roll of foil. It involves the smooth pulling and screwing of a spiral of foil out from the inside of the roll of foil. It is for the ‘first-time shaping of a virgin pipe in preparation for ‘burning in’ to develop a new memory of the stove pipe shape.
Note: This is just one little part of a 12 part series on improved stove pipe forming. You may wish to start at Part 1 as hors d’oeuvres and then taste from the banquet.
Introduction a new stove pipe forming method
Small pipe
I should say at the outset that I make flue pipes (stovepipes) that are somewhat smaller than others (30-50 and now 63mm for small tent stoves). The smaller the pipe the more they resist the curving that is involved in the initial forming process. They start to get easy at 63mm.
Small seam overlaps
Also, for backpacking efficiency reasons, my unique flue pipes have very much narrower seam overlaps than all others. This means that they are more difficult to curve. Also, the narrow seam seal will be more adversely affected by creases and wrinkles should they occur.
Consequently, the issues that I discuss in the current post are most pertinent to small pipes, but also apply to larger pipes if forming damage (as in the pipe forming videos below) is to be limited and the smoothness of the foil is to be maintained.
Initial pipe forming
It is a tricky business to initially convert floppy new strip of very thin stainless steel or titanium foil into roll up stove pipe.
These hard alloys are quite feisty materials with an amazing resistance to curving for something as thin as photocopier paper.
Me
If the initial forming is not done well it will cause unwanted creases and wrinkles that will, unfortunately, be there for the rest of the life of the flue pipe.
YouTube demonstrations
The following YouTube demonstration videos indicate the challenge of the initial forming process. These people are presumably experienced at what they are doing? They are working on large diameter pipes with wide seam overlaps. My new method will work on very narrow pipes with narrow seam overlaps.
I hope we all would agree that it is a job that is best done carefully at home with help from a coordinated team of people with gloved hands. “Not in the bush by your self with cold hands, on a lumpy snow surface and the snow falling on you.”
A. Solo forming, causing many sharp crinkles that will diminish the quality of the pipe over its long life.
B. Two people rolling the pipe, causing fewer crinkles.
C. A well-organized team of three people rolling the pipe and causing only a few minor crinkles.
D. I recently found this new example. A well-organized team of two people rolling the new stove pipe around a piece of thick plastic pipe. “Very little crinkling, go straight to the top of the class!”
If initially formed well without the creases and wrinkles, the shape can be ‘preserved’ by heat treatment so that the pipe will ‘remember’ its new and perfect shape when next used. “It is much better to ‘remember’ a perfect shape than a ‘crappy one’.”
A new stove pipe forming method
A little ode to an unusual technique to for stove pipe forming;
Forming a flue pipe smooth is not easy or simple, Would a spiral pull+screw shine like a stellar twinkle? Could it crease-free prove, and be incredibly smooth? As smooth as a babies bum without blemish or pimple.
Words will fail to adequately describe this method of forming a new stove pipe, but I will give it my best shot. Do not fear, I will rely heavily upon a little video (below) to describe the process. Even then, there is a certain amount of hand feel that will not be visible on the video.
If you follow my posts you will know that I always look for better ways to do things. This one is a contrast. It found me. It just fell into my hand (or brain or both) when I was packing up my flue pipe in the bush in a hurry to get packed up before a storm arrived. Even though it is a little tricky, my now proven technique should be able to be passed into your hands.
Me
Why such small stove pipes?
My stove pipes need to be rolled up tightly enough to fit inside my tiny backpacking stoves along with all the stove parts so that all can fit inside the cooking pot/s. This is to make a smooth, safe, ultralight, and compact backpacking bundle.
I found that stove pipes could be wound up like clock springs quite safely, This was done by simply ‘pulling and screwing’ the core of the foil roll outwards to one side a bit like a DNA helix.
Then the thicker outer end the helix could be gripped firmly in the left hand and the other (‘inner’) could be gripped firmly and safely in the right hand. Then the wind-up can be quick, safe and easy once you-‘get-the–hang-of-it’. It uses whole hand muscle groups instead of fingers and this is a great alternative to fingers when working in cold alpine conditions.
If in the unlikely event, you slip with the left hand you will have a big mess of unwound foil and have to start from scratch.
If you slip with the right hand the worst that will happen is that you will have to start winding the spring again. “Importantly, you will not have your fingertips shredded!”
Here is a little video of winding and unwinding of the flue pipe coil.
Could this simple uncoiling process be continued for new stove pipe forming?
When I experimented with pulling the coil shape out into the helical shape I found that slight winding of the coil, ‘spring- wind-up-style’, made it very easy to stretch the helix out or collapse the helix back down into the coil once more.
All the many foil layers slipped over each other with amazing ease and with perfectly smooth layer-upon-layer alignment. There was just no room for creases and wrinkles in this slide-show!
Me
Completion of the stove pipe forming?
So far, I have done three or four successful pullings without help from a second person and it takes about 30 min/pipe. However, I expect that it will be much more than twice as easy and much faster with two people working as a team on it. But the testing of this will have to wait a little while.
In the pulling process, I found that it was best to load up the roll with a maximum number of rings so that they can be simply spread out evenly and closely as the pull progresses. However, supplementary rings can also be added as the helix gets longer. The extra rings can also be used in a later mentioned burning-in process that preserves the newly formed shape.
This little Covid-safe video describes the process much better than my words can.
Slim rings.
For the pulling process, I have used slim width rings,” that I encourage for backpacking efficiency and other reasons.
The use of slim rings (slimmest 4.5mm wide*0.15mm thick) means that many more rings can be pre-loaded. Having plenty of rings is essential to keep the partly formed tube from bending and falling apart before the tipping point is reached (particularly with a solo pull). The second (or third) pair of hands will be useful for newbies to preventing this problem.
Discussion/conclusion
New stove pipe formation by the pulling and screwing process is doable by one person. It is many time easier with two or more. The result can be a perfectly shaped pipe without any creases and wrinkles. Then it will be in good shape to undergo the next step of burning in the stove pipe to preserve this perfection in its memory for future camping.
Talcum powder lubricant
A dusting of talcum powder on the roll of foil makes the new stove pipe forming easier. It is a refractory mineral and a good dry lubricant that will not burn or stick during the next burning in step.
The next question
What is the meaning of life with Covid19 ……and can this forming process, after effective ‘burning-in’, be used to routinely form the flue pipe while camping?
Yes is the answer and the method is describes in another post; a telescopic stove pipe.
Addendum
Since writing this post I have developed a much easier way to routinely deploy the flue pipe without crinkling. It uses an open floppy spiral rather than a tight helix. It requires less skill and patience but involves the removal of the holding rings. Post 4 in this series describes the method.
Tim
