I don't recall exactly where I first saw this design. I'm going to suggest some modifications later anyhow.
What I like about this design is that it is very simple to build and can be disassembled to pack flat.
This is a case where a picture really is worth a thousand words. Take a look at the following image:
The two stand halves should be made of thickish aluminium, and join together by the centre slots (a and a1)to form an “X”. The windshield pieces can be of thinner material.
The back piece of the windshield slots into two of the narrow cuts at the ends of the stand arms (x into b), and then the sides of the windshield are inserted (c into d). If you look down from the top you will see an X with three sides of a square superimposed over it.
The final piece is a something like a metal jam-jar lid that drops down into the recess formed in the centre of the X. You place a solid fuel tablet or two on the lid, light it and place your canteen cup on the X over the flame.
You'll notice that I've not given any dimensions so far.
This is because I don't know what kind of pot you are using, what sort of flame your fuel tablets give, how big a jam jar lid you'll use, etc.
Getting it right will involve a little experimentation, and the best way to do this is to make a model out of cardboard.
The windshield parts and stand parts as drawn above are NOT in proportion to each other. If you just print out the image above and cut out the shapes they will not fit together!
Best way to get the dimensions right is to make the three sides of the windshield first, as big as you need. If you are making the stove for something like a canteen cup, the sides of the windshield are likely to be smaller than the back. The distance b-b on the stand will be the diagonal distance between y and c on the opposite side.
There are a couple of variations:
Each of the windshield pieces that I've drawn have two wide cut outs in the bottom edge. These fit over the stand arms so the shield reaches the ground: you don't really need to do this so long as it comes down enough to protect the flame. If you take this latter option you may have sufficient air supply to leave out the cut outs labelled “air intake”.
I've drawn a windshield that is high enough to shield the pot too. You can have the windshield as high as the stand top if you want to sacrifice performance for low mass.
You can also drill some lightening holes in the stand halves.
While simple, a jam jar lid is not the most effective hearth for burning fuel tablets. Performance can be improved by drilling plenty of small holes in the lid, or replacing it with a piece of fine mesh.
You can also add a multi-fuel capability to this stove.
Suppose you carry a square of wire gauze and a shoe polish tin filled with sand or fibreglass?
The gauze can be used with fuel tablets, the tin can be used with methylated spirits and the lid as a snuffer. If you take the fibreglass out of the tin or invert the lid you can use the stove with alcohol gel.
Various other alcohol burners that are described on the Wings pages can also be adapted to this design.