Carbon Felt Pot Holder

[R]

This just had a fairly successful field test (summer conditions).

This is a 10cm Imusa mug w/ chopped handle. The lid is made from pressed tooling foil (ie tin cookie sheet) with an aluminum tape handle. This is a simple alternative to a fiberglass or kevlar wick wrap. (I once had a flare up melt a plastic lid, so I'm reluctant to use a silicone ring.)

The 'ear flaps' add about .06oz. The full piece of carbon felt weighs .24oz.

The flaps are about 1.5" x 2". The fiberglass wick I have weighs .32oz/yd. .06oz of it would give less than 2 turns around the mug, so this is definitely lighter.

You obviously have to keep the lid on to use the flaps to pick up the pot, which means you're pouring with the lid on. To accommodate this I trimmed the inner lip of the lid over a 30d arc. The result was an acceptable pour and didn't noticeably compromise the rigidity of the lid.

Out of 8 boils, I felt the need to put the pot down mid-pour once. I think some steam might have gotten in to the felt heating it up.

Possible remedies for that:
– leave the inner lip of the lid longer near the flaps
– line the flaps with foil
– double layer the flaps

Felt cut out

Lid with 'ear flaps'

Trimmed lip

Pouring

[Dan Yeruski]

One steam burn out of 8 pick-ups is too many :-)

Pouring with it like that might get you more steam burns….right?

[IVO K]

Firstly, I understand the value of the flaps, but what is the added value provided by the entire felt circle in between these?
Zero in my book. 2 flaps could be reliably connected to each other by lighter means.

Secondly, your hand's position is flawed. Your hand has no business hovering above the lid, where steam might emerge at any time.

Thirdly, the material choice – I am familiar with this type of felt, and my experiences showed that one drop of hot water finding its way to either flap is enough to burn my fingers. No long-lasting effects, but lots of discomfort while I lower the pot to the ground, to be able to let go and stop the burning sensation. Too full a pot would easily ensure the above scenario, been there and done it.

I suggest that you abandon this material for the purpose, and also re-focus on a more suitable topology of your pot-grabbing device.
Or, reconsider the ever-present multi-purpose bandana, as many others have done.

[R]

Critical feedback appreciated.

The fully insulated lid is a separate feature from the flaps (reduces boil time). You are correct in there being other ways to attach the flaps to the lid.

Hand position – works for me :)

Geometrically, this is equivalent to a silicon ring or wick wrap. I could indeed use a bandana, or sock, but these are also porous (water/steam permeable), and both flammable.

Yes, this needs further iteration to ensure the flaps stay dry – some form of shield or barrier is in order.

Curious to see how others hold a pot w/ a silicon ring or wick wrap.

[Dan Yeruski]

Fiberglass wick wrap isn't worth the powder to blow it to hell ;)

I'll get a photo of how I used carbon felt.

[Rich K.]

Might a simple bail work?

[R]

Yes and no.

At this point I should probably state my design goals.

Pot holder:

– non-flammable
– integrated
– doesn't interfere with wind screen
– single handed use
– safe
– simple
– light

In other words, I suppose, a lighter alternative to a wick wrap. Anybody know how much Kevlar wick weighs?

This rules out a traditional pot gripper, an integrated handle that will interfere with a windscreen, a silicon ring (I've melted that stuff before), and just about any piece of fabric I'd normally carry such as a bandana.

This also presents a challenge for a bail. A simple one (I considered a strand of wick) requires 2 hands. I've used one that sort of locks in to the upright position for single handed use, but it still had some flop to it, and the rigidity required will add weight.

I also considered a wick bail with a second strand going from the top/middle of the bail (looks like a 'T' from above) connected to the bottom of the pot to be able to pour with one hand. That got a passing grade for function, but I couldn't come up w/ a satisfactory way of attaching it to the bottom of the pot. Call me a curmudgeon for not trusting adhesives, and tying some sort of harness out of wick seemed tricky to get just right and prone to slippage.

Hmm… more options:

– Go around the pot w/ a single strand of wick/wire to secure the flaps (could slip)
– Drill holes for a bail but attach one flap to each with wire or wick

Both of these keep the felt below any escaping steam.

[Dan Yeruski]

Rene, all your problems have ceased to exist. Your set-up is working well for you.

Mine is working well for me:

The felt insulator/pot grabber ring is attached by a 100% coverage of high temp adhesive backing.

The pot is a 2.5 cup capacity ridgeline Foster's can. I use the pot with a regular windscreen and a cone type pot support. Pot has plenty of headroom to prevent boil over when heating 2 cups. Carbon felt applied in this manner is the only thing that has worked for me other than a silicone slap -on pot grabber.

[Franco Darioli]

Dan's version looks a lot safer to me.
I doubt that having the felt over the lid will make all that much difference for a boil.

[IVO K]

Dan,

Would you please share the particulars of the adhesive which did the trick?

[Dan Yeruski]

Comes on a roll. 2 sided tape. I have plans to make available(July) the carbon felt with it applied. 2" wide strips x 12"

[IVO K]

Sounds good, thanks.
I hope that several widths of the tape-backed felt would be offered – to match different users' needs.

How would such a setup fare if exposed to direct woodfire (or glowing coals, or woodstove)? Is this adhesive up to snuff for these conditions?
Some of us (I in particular) have small billycans used both with alcohol/esbit/canister stoves and with woodfires….

[Dan Yeruski]

Carbon felt does not do well in direct flame and constant exposure in close proximity of red hot coals. This is my personal experience. Carbon felt was made for welding operations and plumber's need for a temporary backdrop for soldering.

Those cottage manufacturers out there that make remote feed stoves offer replacement wick just for that reason. Their stoves have a large amount of felt exposed to direct flame. When fuel begins to run low is when the carbon felt starts to deteriorate, melt if you will. If you watch videos of remote fueled stoves you will see the maker squeeze more fuel as the flames get low. They do that as they are making the video. Those types of stoves (small/tiny) need constant attention. Carbon felt absorbs and wants to hold onto fuel, it's not a good wicking material like fiberglass. When a felt wick stoves goes out, there is still fuel reaming in the bottom of the felt. The fuel will evaporate out while it sits in your pot, condenses on pot walls.

[IVO K]

Got it, Dan.
Very educational, thanks.

There's no free lunch after all… but it does not mean we are going to give up on trying!
:-)

[Jeremy Werlin]

Nice rig Dan.

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