wind block for stove - cheapie version

I got to see Jerry & Tina's camper last weekend - they've made some really nice additions to the galley.

Tina said she really likes the wind block and rarely uses the extension. Here is Tim’s cheapie aluminum version. It’s not as professional-looking as Jerry’s stainless steel beauty, but it seemed pretty easy (with a few tools) and I thought someone might be interested.

The wind block is made from an old computer CPU cover (aluminum). If, for some crazy reason, you don’t have an old CPU cover (or microwave or street sign or some other piece of ersatz junk) lying around, you can buy small pieces of aluminum (or stainless steel) at Ace Hardware. Tim used his band saw to cut the aluminum 1 5/8” wide X 19” long. It’s in two pieces because he didn’t have one piece that was long enough. He says this will be the most difficult part, cutting the aluminum to size - you can use a hack saw, but it will be tricky keeping the edges straight. He then used the wire wheel on his grinder to smooth the cut edges. You could also use fine sandpaper or emery cloth.

The bracket is 1/16" X 1/2" X 3/4" aluminum angle cut to 19” long - he used the 3/4” edge for the bottom and the 1/2” edge for the support. You could use any size angle, this is what he had (it’s the same stuff he used in the under counter storage bin). He cut notches at the ends for the stove screws (you could also drill holes). Tim doesn’t have a spot welder so he used JB Weld to hold the aluminum pieces to the angle - some between the aluminum and the angle and some goobered on the back (for good luck). We’ll see how it goes - you could probably use some small bolts/nuts to hold the aluminum to the angle.

The finished height of the wind block (angle + aluminum piece) is 1 3/4” – that’s just wide enough to clear the underside of the cabinet when stowed. Check you stove – ours has a scant 2” of clearance between the stove base and the cabinet.

So far, it works pretty good and it seems pretty sturdy. Note: you might want to check your pots to make sure that they will fit on the stove with the wind block installed. And I have to make sure to lift the pots up and over the wind block – might be tricky with a heavy cast-iron pan.

 

I have found a Dremel tool works great for jobs like this. Rig up a jig for your straight cuts and it will breeze through aluminum no problem. I have also used it to cut through stainless steel but you go through cutting wheels pretty quickly unless you get the heavy duty ones.

 

nice work and improvising with what you had available!

 

Just a note: Tim actually cut notches in the ends of the angle (rather than holes) for the screws - he did that so it would be easier to take the wind block off - just remove one bolt and slide the windscreen off the other bolt.

I've found that the handles on my Lodge cast iron (round) griddles are too low for the wind block - also, my Coleman (collapsible) camp oven doesn't fit with it on.

 

I'm definitely going to start looking through my pathetic junk for something to make one of these. I have been experiencing a lot of wind which makes it hard to cook. I put up the bin lids but that is not too convenient.

 

Yah, the bin lids was going to be my Backup plan... I've only had to use them several times along with the windscreens...

Heheheh, sometimes you just have to with cold cuts...
But the bins, while cumbersome will help...

 

I built and used the windscreen pictured above for the last few years, and found it helpful in all but the windiest conditions. We ran into those windy conditions last fall up at the Cross Lake Army Corp. of Engineers campground in north central MN, and decided to build something else to cover that need a little better.

The two side panels each have a pin that plugs into the holes in the galley wall used for the pins on the dining table when it's stowed, and when those two panels are folded in, it makes the screen stow-able on top of the stove (with the pins facing down into grate) between the wing nuts, when it is slid into it's storage cubby. The total length between pins was slightly longer than the width between pins holes, so in the picture it flexes in a little at the hinge line.