Kerosene cookers do not have a sufficiently large
area to support a pan with a large surface area, nor are they strong
enough to reliably support significant weight. These cookers supply
enough heat to easily boil 5 gallons of water, so a simple stand
wide and strong enough to support at least 75 pounds adds greatly
to their utility. Then they may be used for canning and large scale
cooking needs.
The easiest way to build a strong stand is to use
1 ½" wide galvanized "L" angle steel with pre drilled
holes, which is available at most hardware stores. For the top surface,
a piece of heavy gauge "expanded" steel works perfectly,
supporting the weight of heavy pots, yet letting the heat from the
cooker flow upward unimpeded.
The Swastik and Premier Sr. stoves can use a
12" square and 10" high stand, while the larger Alpaca stove requires
a 14" square, 14" high stand. For the Premier Sr. size, then, one 4 foot
and one 5 foot "L" piece is needed, and bracing the legs
requires a 3 foot piece of 1 ½" flat strapping.
The pieces of angle steel are cut with a hack saw,
the cut edges smoothed with a mill file, then bolted together with
3/4" long, 5/16" bolts using lock washers. The expanded metal is
fastened to the top using the same bolts with fender washers. Once
assembled and square, the flat steel strap is held against the upper
corners to form a short triangle, the holes lined up, the angle
cuts marked with a pencil, then cut with a hack saw and bolted into
place. Look at the photos of the stands: you should be able to
copy the design from that alone.
The cost of the cooking stand depends upon what
you use to build one. The illustrations below are cooking stands I
built from 1 1/2" strapping, and it cost about $30.00. The red
cooking stand in the middle illustration below was built by Carolyn
Lucas, and she used the frame from an old aquarium
and a perforated metal piece they had on hand...cost almost nothing!
The added versatility and
lack of wear on the cooker more than make up the cost in the long
run, as then both the stand and the cooker should last a lifetime.
In an emergency, the stand may also be used over coals from a campfire!
Click on the thumbnail photos above to see construction details and
uses.
Related links:
Kerosene heaters:
Kerosene Heaters and stoves -
sources of supply
Kerosene
Appliance Wicks -
Heaters
Kerosene Heater Wicks -
a list
of heaters and the wicks that fit them.
Installing Kerosene
Heater Wicks -
generic for Radiant Heaters
Breaking
In New Kerosene Appliances
Kerosene Heater Carts -
build
something with wheels!
Burning
Kerosene Heaters at Night
Regular
maintenance
for kerosene appliances
Kerosene Stoves, Lanterns and Ovens:
Kerosene, The Fuel, and Storage Tanks
