View Full Version : Pot stand melted??
Sassafras Lass
01-11-2011, 13:59
Soooo . . . . DH and I went hiking in the Smokies for New Year's (as it had warmed up and we are itching to do some real hiking before leaving for Springer) and there we were, up at LeConte shelter, boiling water in our pop can stoves, and our windscreen/pot stand (I believe constructed of aluminum flashing) started melting.
We were just boiling water for our dehydrated dinners and it started to melt and bend inwards where the 3 screws are to hold your pot.
My stove was brand-new, fashioned a few days before our trip. DH's stove was one of his earlier ones that worked reasonably well but wasn't his favorite. The ONLY difference we made to the stoves is to punch the holes slightly larger than previous models, which allowed for faster priming and faster boiling. We didn't, for some reason, how that would affect our windscreen/pot stand.
We freaked and now need to fashion a reliable windscreen/potstand that will ideally fold up into our MSR titanium mugs.
Any thoughts?
I had some problems with the windscreen warping and I exteded the diameter slightly. (Just cut the flashing to a longer piece) It still rolls up into the mug. I also moved to using a slot and tucking them together to keep the windscreen in place. A cut from the "top" edge on one end of the screen and cut on the "bottom" edge on the opposite end. (slightly over 1/2 across the width each). If you tuck them in where the tabs are on the inside, it works like a charm.
Hopefully this helps.
garlic08
01-11-2011, 16:32
When I used an alcohol stove my pot stand was always steel or titanium wire--some bent coat hanger wire, or hardware cloth (fits easily into the pot), or tent stakes. My wind screen was aluminum foil. Those alky stoves get hot enough to melt the welds on hardware cloth, too.
That's one of the dangers of alky stoves--very hot, nearly invisible flames.
Yeah...if the windscreen is too tight (not enough space around the pot) you can get some mighty hot heat going on - and melting does happen. Freaky I am sure ;)
Skidsteer
01-11-2011, 20:09
How many holes in the windscreen?
I don't know if there is a magic number. I use two rows about an inch and a half apart (one above the other) and stagger the holes along those lines. I space the holes about and inch or two apart. I just use a hole punch.
Once the stove gets going, it needs to draw some air. The two lines of holes are below the top of the stove.
Rain Man
01-11-2011, 23:47
Any thoughts?
Yeah. Photos.
Rain:sunMan
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Hah...Rain Man is right. Photos :D Please. :D
I melted some aluminum gutter nails that I was using to suspend a pot over a pressurized stove.
Thats when I switched to a stove where you put the pot directly on top of the stove.
Zelph has a wick style stove that is very good.
Tinny from Minibull design use to make a pressurized stove called the TREK.
Or a Whitebox stove.
You might try a supercat stove that you can build yourself in 10 minutes.
All of these stoves support the pot without a stand. all you need is some aluminum foil as a wind shield.
just my two cents.
As soon as I can figure out to upload the pics, I will get the posted.
Sassafras Lass
01-12-2011, 11:40
Photos, good idea - I'll snap some when I get off work this evening.
Let's see if this works. Stove, pot stand and windscreen. The screen rolls up into the stand, the stove goes in the middle and the whole unit slides down into my titanim mug.
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/5/2/3/9/picture_003_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=44846&c=694)
If you tuck the tabs to the inside, the windscreen will hold its shape while in use without the need for a clip or screws.
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/5/2/3/9/picture_007_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=44847&c=694)
Photos, good idea - I'll snap some when I get off work this evening.
make yourself a fancy feast stove & use heavy duty aluminum foil.
Sassafras Lass
01-12-2011, 16:37
If you tuck the tabs to the inside, the windscreen will hold its shape while in use without the need for a clip or screws.
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/5/2/3/9/picture_007_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=44847&c=694)
Chili - this is precisely what we have - only difference is that we folded the ends briefly so they slide into each other. We have 3 screws to hold up our pot. Where they are is where it started to melt.
Sassafras Lass
01-12-2011, 16:39
Let's see if this works. Stove, pot stand and windscreen. The screen rolls up into the stand, the stove goes in the middle and the whole unit slides down into my titanim mug.
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/5/2/3/9/picture_003_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=44846&c=694)
That chicken-wire thing - what is that constructed of? I assume it's adequate to hold up your pot just fine; do you have schematics for that?
It's construction mesh.
It has 1/2" "squares" and I just counted off how high I needed it and how much circumference would work. I will count the number of squares on mine and post the layout.
On top I left a couple "squares" above what I needed in heigth. I cut out every other column and folded them over.
It's pretty hard to explain in words but once you see one, it is pretty simple. It gets red hot but I have not had one fail in 5 years of use.
Think of the construction mesh being flat. I have about 4 "rows" of squares with every other column being 6 rows high. There are roughly 20 columns.
The columns that are 6 high are the ones where the top to "squares" are bent over for the top of the pot stand. Stability is not an issue and weight is negligible.
By the way. I just noticed the pot stand is upside down in the photo.
It inverts over the stove.
JaxHiker
01-12-2011, 20:44
It's construction mesh.
We call in hardware cloth around here. 1/4". There are different sizes.
Yeah, hardware cloth it is. I had to think about the grid size but after I went to look at it, they are 1/2 inch squares or close to it.
I haven't seen it in 1/4 inch but I am guessing it wouldn't be any different in functionality.
JaxHiker
01-12-2011, 21:07
Ah, the spacings do look larger now that I look at it again. Nice to know that it works. I went with 1/4 figuring it might be stronger. Who knows? ;)
Rain Man
01-12-2011, 21:18
I don't see any "melted" part in the pics, nor "three screws" for that matter. What am I missing?
Rain Man
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LOL, I am not the one who melted the windscreen.
My original post was to increase the diameter of the screen and I think that will cure the problem.
Oogie Boogie
01-13-2011, 13:10
I've melted hardware cloth stands and aluminum flashing ones as well. I've done this with alky and woodgas stoves I've made. My solution was to take a cat food can and make three large rectangular holes in the sides, and cut out the bottom, then make my penny stove short enough to sit underneath the stand. Doesn't hold enough fuel to boil more than say two or three cups of water with a single load of fuel, if I use a windscreen, but the stand can certainly handle the heat.
http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.201713722.jpg