windscreen/potstands made from aluminum flashing

“As a few of you know, I've been playing with aluminum roof flashing for windscreen/potstands for some time now. My website has several designs of different stands I have made.

I've been using some very thin stuff from Lowes the last few stands I have made and it's hard to get it shaped into a perfect circle.
Another problem several people have had is the stands getting misshapen when alcohol is spilled and the stands become engulfed in flames. The stands will deform shape.

I have started 'baking' my stands in my oven in an attempt to avoid both of these problems.

After cutting the aluminum to size and punching the air holes around the bottom, I put the rolled stand into a round baking pan (dia. about 1/2 inch larger than the cook pot I'm making the stand for) and bake the whole thing for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

This will take the 'flex' out of the aluminum and form an almost perfect circle and hopefully make it less likely to deform if you spill alcohol and burn the stand.”

“Interesting!”

“Kinky!”

“Why the round baking pan 1/2 inch larger? Are you creating (and "setting in") the round shape using the pan, or is the flashing already round at that point?”

“Stovey, *bats eyelashes,* send me one, sweetie. LOL!

Mine is all misshapen. And since all I have for baking is one square casserole pan and a pizza pan, well, you can see the problem.

LOL!! :-)”

“Another good substitute other than the flashing are the disposable aluminum cooking platters from the grocery store. Cut the bottoms from those and they're pretty flexy I've found.”

“techntrek - the 1/2 inch larger diameter number is to allow a 1/4 inch gap all around the cook pot for air flow

StoveStomper - if you think that thin flashing is squirrelly you should try the side walls from soda cans - makes a good windscreen but you have to use it several times to get it desquirreled - perhaps baking it would be a good idea too.”

“Why the round baking pan 1/2 inch larger? Are you creating (and "setting in") the round shape using the pan, or is the flashing already round at that point?"
techntrek
11:51:55 AM
07/30/04

When you take a strip of flashing and form it into the round shape, it more times than not takes on an oblong shape instead. In the past, I would just carefully bend the loop and make it the shape I wanted.

The cake pan just holds the rolled flashing in a near perfect round shape untill the oven heat changes the properties of the aluminum and takes the 'springiness' put of it.”

“HOI - try it and see. It's been a long time since my Materials Science class but we all know heating metal changes it's properties.

tech - Yes, the round shape 'sets in'.

lizs - I'll think about making you another sometime after the Winds trip. ;-)”

“I actually use rigid vents

They are already round and they slip fit togther.”

“For those that are wondering What the he11 is he talking about?".”

“I just wrap mine around my fuel bottle...on the same screen since I bought my Primus MFS when they first came out.
You guys must be tough on wind screens.”

“Don't ya just love engineers????

;)”

“how come the only stuff i found at homedepot & rona is the heavy can't-tell-what-it's-made-of type. where did you find this stuff SS?”

“Helinka, I've found the stuff at regular hardware stores rather than the megamart types.”

“i'm using that heavy stuff for my windscreen. it looks like the one in SS's pic, but i bet that there's something a lot lighter out there.”

“i'm using that heavy stuff for my windscreen. it looks like the one in SS's pic, but i bet that there's something a lot lighter out there.”

“i'm using that heavy stuff for my windscreen. it looks like the one in SS's pic, but i bet that there's something a lot lighter out there.”

“ooooops”

“ok. i had another look at the stuff i use. it's definetly aluminum, and not really as heavy as i thought. so now i'm gonna see if it melts when i burn it.”

“helinka - I get mine from Lowes or Home Depot. Aluminum roof flashing, it comes in rolls from 6" to 36" wide and 10 to 100 feet long.

I don't use or recommend the throwaway roasting pan aluminum for potstands. The stuff is just to weak for my tastes for anything holding up boiling scalding water.

The roasting pan stuff will work great for a nonload bearing windscreen.”

“I've used that stuff for a windscreen. It's great until it catches on fire.”

“i think i have the same stuff SS. so maybe i won't go outside & try to set my lawn on fire.
i haven't had any probs with heat warp or melt. am i doing something wrong?”

“helinka - no
This problem only appeared after lizs started using (or misusing) one. ;-)”

“I use one of those oven liner tray things from wal mart. It'll fold up in my stuff sack. It does have to be reshaped every time and can't double as a pot support.”

“LMAO! yeah, right, "misusing" one. lolololol

I got the prototype. I'm sure design has improved since then. hehehehe

I washed the whole mess up the other day and was looking at that sad, sad potstand. All kinds of lovely metallic colors... and kinda fish-shaped no matter which way you hook the ends. LOL!

And I can't remember abusing that poor flashing....”