Kmart Grease Pot Supportscreen DIY 03/09/2007

[english stu]

Thanks for the prompt reply.I now have Mark 2 cone of lighter aluminium, again I don't know the grade ,from the bottom of a disused refridgerator but its lighter than my first try.
Both cones looks good and their stability is a great .I must have just struck lucky with the air holes that I have put in for it to work ok.I aim to go back to the AT next year -whats putting me off taking the cone is its transportion,so I am working on that. My previous pot stand and windscreen set up is slightly lighter and fitted into my MSR titanium 0.85L pot.The 2nd cone looks a bit delicate for a long trip and I am unable to use my sleep pad as I do not roll up it because it acts as structure for my backpack.The cone is lot stronger than thick foil but whether it would stand up to couple of months on the trail remains to be seen. Anyone used the Caldera for a long time? A stuff sack to counteract any sharp edges is adding weight ;I am looking at stowing the cone in or around a bottle.I am struggling here to make what I really want so that I know the strength and heat range of the metal i.e to get small sheets of known aluminium or thin stainless steel other than scrounging at disused car lots -So its really work in progress.I read on one of the stove sites that the flames should be blue not orange when deciding the distance of burner to pot -do you go along with that? I notice that the flame height and colour can change as the fuel is used .

[zelph]

Thanks for the prompt reply.I now have Mark 2 cone of lighter aluminium, again I don't know the grade ,from the bottom of a disused refridgerator but its lighter than my first try.
Both cones looks good and their stability is a great .I must have just struck lucky with the air holes that I have put in for it to work ok.I aim to go back to the AT next year -whats putting me off taking the cone is its transportion,so I am working on that. My previous pot stand and windscreen set up is slightly lighter and fitted into my MSR titanium 0.85L pot.The 2nd cone looks a bit delicate for a long trip and I am unable to use my sleep pad as I do not roll up it because it acts as structure for my backpack.The cone is lot stronger than thick foil but whether it would stand up to couple of months on the trail remains to be seen. Anyone used the Caldera for a long time? A stuff sack to counteract any sharp edges is adding weight ;I am looking at stowing the cone in or around a bottle.I am struggling here to make what I really want so that I know the strength and heat range of the metal i.e to get small sheets of known aluminium or thin stainless steel other than scrounging at disused car lots -So its really work in progress.I read on one of the stove sites that the flames should be blue not orange when deciding the distance of burner to pot -do you go along with that? I notice that the flame height and colour can change as the fuel is used .

Affix a pocket to your pad made of silnylon, the size of your cone. Transport it flat on your pad, between you and the pad.

Over a short period of time the aluminum is going to become fatigued, soft, easily disfigured, by the heat generated by your burner.

I agree with flames needing to be blue to white tipped blue. For sure not orange. I'll make a short movie showing the change in flame color as related to distance from burner to pot bottom. I posted a movie of the flame color using petrolium jelly as fuel.

Correct, the flame height and color will change as the fuel is used. In the Ring Of Fire design, as the water starts to boil, the flame gets larger and an orange color wants to appear. ( ) Strange things occur in the world of fire!!!!!!

I may forget about the movie, remind me after two days

[Pure Mahem]

might be possible to make the cone out of 2 pieces of alluminum so they lock together half way by som physical connection they might then stow away alittle easier. unsure of this but it's a thought. good way to try it out before you go cuttitng up your cone would be to trace the design on to some paper and see what you can come up with.

[english stu]

Thanks Pure Mahem.Good Idea I will try and design something on the two storey principle.I seem to recollect a set up somewhere using tent pegs to join the two together and for the pot to stand on.Its either that or some tabs that slot together .I am keen to keep the broad cone base as the stability is good. If I can get it to fit in the pot and cosy I wouldn't really need a stuff sack or only a very light one.

[english stu]

Reminder to Zelph re movie on flame colours.I would be pleased to see this .Thanks

[zelph]

Reminder to Zelph re movie on flame colours.I would be pleased to see this .Thanks

Thanks for the reminder English stu.

Here are some photos that show the colour of flames changeing as the pot is lowered closer to the burner. The fuel is petrolium jelly (Vaseline brand). I'll go get the movie!!!! and be back today

Bad


Better


Best

[zelph]

Englishstu, It'll have to be tomorrow. I thought I had one in the archives but nope, did'nt.

I'll make one tomorrow. Hope the photographs up above helped.

[zelph]

Englishstu, It'll have to be tomorrow. I thought I had one in the archives but nope, did'nt.

I'll make one tomorrow. Hope the photographs up above helped.

Duh!!!! I did'nt get the movie done Englishstu

Gimme another chance.

[zelph]

[quote="zelphI notice that the flame height and colour can change as the fuel is used .[/quote]

Affix a pocket to your pad made of silnylon, the size of your cone. Transport it flat on your pad, between you and the pad.

Over a short period of time the aluminum is going to become fatigued, soft, easily disfigured, by the heat generated by your burner.

I agree with flames needing to be blue to white tipped blue. For sure not orange. I'll make a short movie showing the change in flame color as related to distance from burner to pot bottom. I posted a movie of the flame color using petrolium jelly as fuel.

Correct, the flame height and color will change as the fuel is used. In the Ring Of Fire design, as the water starts to boil, the flame gets larger and an orange color wants to appear. ( ) Strange things occur in the world of fire!!!!!!

I may forget about the movie, remind me after two days [/quote]

I made this today.

Here is a movie of the Ring Of Fire as the water starts to boil the flame height will increase and as the stove runs out of fuel the flame color will change. View the movie in full size. In the uper left corner click on the little magnifying glass to go full size. Watch a little below the flame line, about center, you'll see a little flame appear in the dimpled area. When you see that appear the flames will begin to go higher. It's hard to see in the movie but it is occuring




Tomorrow I will make a movie of the Flame-o-meter being raised up and down to show flame color adjusted to proper height. Remind me if aint here by the end of the day.

[zelph]

In the beginning of this movie the camera is set on maximum pixels and it is then chaned to the lower pixel setting to get a longer exposure time to record the raising and lowering of the pot.

The beginning shows the temperature on the little digital unit at 18 degrees in my garage testing facility . Outside temperature was at 11 degrees. Brrrr!!!

The temperature of the alcohol was at 18 degrees also. Brrr!!!

The test was to show alcohol will light in cold weather. In this case the burner is a StarLyte. The alcohol vapors are right there at the surface of the burner. Easy to light, no need to dump alcohol around the base to prime it/coax it into starting.

The test also shows how the Flame-O-Meter raises the pot up and down to determin the sweet spot/distance from pot to burner. It shows the change of flame color as it is raised and lowered. Someday I'll set up a tripod above the pot to show a birdseye view of the flame under the pot through the water.

At the end movie it shows how if the burner is accidently tipped over there is no fuel that is splashed about and the burner will extinguish itself.