I posted this on another site, so apologies if any of you saw it there. One of the guys on that site posted about a small disc cooker he found on amazon that resembled a skottle. It had short legs and was intended to go on a campfire, but it's cast iron and there was potential there. I have a larger DIY disc cooker I had made that's great for groups, but it's just big enough that I don't take it out if it's just me. I liked the idea of a smaller one it just needed a stand.
Here’s what I used:
Bayou Campfire Griddle - $25
Walmart/Ozark Trail Single Burner Stove - $15
EMT 1/2” for the legs - $6
Welded Steel Ring - $2
Steel cable about 4’ any size, the thinner the better - $2
Steel cable ferrules - $2
Extension springs (3) - $6
Key rings (3) - $1
Iron pipe plugs 3/8” (3) - $4
PVC threaded Caps 1/2” - $3
-- drill, hammer, and a small bolt
It’s a tripod style stand, so you need to cut three pieces of EMT for your legs. I had some EMT already and my shortest piece was just over 3' so I cut all mine to that length. Put a few strong rubber bands around the three legs to bind them together to make determining your angles and lengths easier. Flip the disc upside down, place the stove/fuel bottle in the middle, then adjust the legs so that they clear the fuel bottle and support the disc. Mark the location of rubber bands, that's the hinge point for your legs. I moved mine and additional 1/2" away from the fuel bottle to make sure you have plenty of clearance.
Now for the first fun part. You’ve got to get the steel ring around the three legs. It’s a tight fit. What worked for me was to put the first two in and then insert the third at a 45 degree angle and kind of shoe horn it in. Whacking it with a hammer or 2x4 would probably work as well. Again, it’s a tight fit so I used a hammer to move it down the legs to get it to the mark I made. The ring constricts the legs and works like a kind of hinge. Pull one of them so it pivots at the ring and the other two are forced to move as well. Once it looks like a tripod, double check it again on the disc to make sure everything is good and your measurements check. Drill a hole in one of the legs just below the ring, and put in a single bolt so it can't slide down.
With the legs open mark the holes where you're going to drill for the cable. The legs turn slightly when opening and if you mark them in the closed position they'll be at the wrong angle. I drilled mine about 1” down from the ends. Place everything back on the disc and check your measurements. When you’re happy, lock the cable using the ferrules. You can now flip it over and test the disc on the stand.
The burner support is made up of three key rings and three springs. Put one key ring on each section of cable between the legs and then attach all the key rings together using the springs. The burner fits down in the middle of the triangle created by the springs and hangs there. Watch out for the fuel knob. The weight of the disc will spread the legs of the tripod and the cable and springs will push the burner against the disc.
A few finishing touches. Insert the iron plugs into the top of the legs. Two of mine went in using a wrench, the third I had to persuade with a hammer. I only put them in about ¼ to ½ inch. On the bottom of the legs friction fit the pvc caps on to make feet. It’s too wet around here to paint today, so I’ll hit it with some black paint another day.
You're done. This is the simplest form of this I could come up with. Lots of tweaks you can do to fit to your needs. Good luck if you make one of these, and post up any pics or variations you come up with. It would be fun to see them.
Here's it's bigger brother using the 22" disc
Here’s what I used:
Bayou Campfire Griddle - $25
Walmart/Ozark Trail Single Burner Stove - $15
EMT 1/2” for the legs - $6
Welded Steel Ring - $2
Steel cable about 4’ any size, the thinner the better - $2
Steel cable ferrules - $2
Extension springs (3) - $6
Key rings (3) - $1
Iron pipe plugs 3/8” (3) - $4
PVC threaded Caps 1/2” - $3
-- drill, hammer, and a small bolt
It’s a tripod style stand, so you need to cut three pieces of EMT for your legs. I had some EMT already and my shortest piece was just over 3' so I cut all mine to that length. Put a few strong rubber bands around the three legs to bind them together to make determining your angles and lengths easier. Flip the disc upside down, place the stove/fuel bottle in the middle, then adjust the legs so that they clear the fuel bottle and support the disc. Mark the location of rubber bands, that's the hinge point for your legs. I moved mine and additional 1/2" away from the fuel bottle to make sure you have plenty of clearance.
Now for the first fun part. You’ve got to get the steel ring around the three legs. It’s a tight fit. What worked for me was to put the first two in and then insert the third at a 45 degree angle and kind of shoe horn it in. Whacking it with a hammer or 2x4 would probably work as well. Again, it’s a tight fit so I used a hammer to move it down the legs to get it to the mark I made. The ring constricts the legs and works like a kind of hinge. Pull one of them so it pivots at the ring and the other two are forced to move as well. Once it looks like a tripod, double check it again on the disc to make sure everything is good and your measurements check. Drill a hole in one of the legs just below the ring, and put in a single bolt so it can't slide down.
With the legs open mark the holes where you're going to drill for the cable. The legs turn slightly when opening and if you mark them in the closed position they'll be at the wrong angle. I drilled mine about 1” down from the ends. Place everything back on the disc and check your measurements. When you’re happy, lock the cable using the ferrules. You can now flip it over and test the disc on the stand.
The burner support is made up of three key rings and three springs. Put one key ring on each section of cable between the legs and then attach all the key rings together using the springs. The burner fits down in the middle of the triangle created by the springs and hangs there. Watch out for the fuel knob. The weight of the disc will spread the legs of the tripod and the cable and springs will push the burner against the disc.
A few finishing touches. Insert the iron plugs into the top of the legs. Two of mine went in using a wrench, the third I had to persuade with a hammer. I only put them in about ¼ to ½ inch. On the bottom of the legs friction fit the pvc caps on to make feet. It’s too wet around here to paint today, so I’ll hit it with some black paint another day.
You're done. This is the simplest form of this I could come up with. Lots of tweaks you can do to fit to your needs. Good luck if you make one of these, and post up any pics or variations you come up with. It would be fun to see them.
Here's it's bigger brother using the 22" disc
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