[Sca-cooks] flame-resistant mats

[Dragon]

Stefan li Rous wrote:
>Kiri said in talking about a camp stove she is thinking about:
><<< The way we're planning to use this
>one is to take along a couple of collapsible saw horses, then put a
>piece of
>plywood with a flame-resistant mat on it...so we won't be using table
>space. >>>
>
>Where would one find one of these "flame-resistant mats'? Home Depot?
>Discount store?

A welding supply store would be a good source.

>I teach a hands-on pewter casting class at different events. Some of
>you have likely taken it at Gulf Wars, Pennsic or in Ansteorra. I use
>a small, electric melting pot to melt the pewter in. Years ago the
>little metal stand that came with it lost its insulating legs and it
>also rusted into uselessness. I am often teaching on top of wooden or
>plastic tables provided by someone else. To prevent the heat from the
>melting pot or spilled pewter from damaging the table I usually put
>down a piece of plywood and use a sheet of aluminum on top of that.
>The spilled pewter is less likely to stick to the aluminum than the
>plywood, which makes it easier to pick it up and drop it into the
>melting pot to re-melt. My next improvement is likely to be replacing
>the sheet of aluminum with a steel sheet with upturned sides or a
>sided baking sheet so the molten aluminum doesn't flow off the edge.
>I've also had a problem with some of my sheets of aluminum warping
>and wrinkling because of the heat.

Get a steel sheet pan from your local restaurant supply, works great.

>Anyway, I still have a concern about possibly burning or melting the
>table through the plywood and I'm wondering if one of these 'flame- 
>resistant' mats might be a good replacement for or addition to the
>plywood/metal sandwich.

It would probably not be a bad idea.

Dragon

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