dang tfg... I kinda feel lo-tech using mine right outta da box

It does look good though

You're the smart one I made another change already

Are those nipples on the uprightS?

Yes. I burned through the stainless sleeves and had some erosion on an upright 1st 24 hours. I burn a hot fire. Maybe they can take the heat. I knew the uprights would be a problem for me.

tfgrower wrote:


huh? Is it that much hotter than mine? If it burnt thru in 24 hrs you must be running a blast furnace.

Seems strange to me that the hardware cloth would hold up to the heat and not the 3/16" stainless steel.

command_z wrote:

The hardware cloth vaporized each use but kept bottom holes clean while bridge of ash formed.
Mashers do about the same because wire is not right on holes it's above ect. the pot holes keeping then open. My pot burns white hot and seems to smelt uprights about 1-1/2 inches up. I suppose the pot has largest area there and burns hottest for longest time there. I burn 5.7 # of pellets an hour wide open and there is lots of air up there. The bottom wires get insulated with ash in not to long a time , but uprights are getting blasted for a longer time. I can't understand why your's are so durable. Maybe carbon steel is better.

I went back and checked again. Mine are stainless also. The melting point of carbon steel is 2600° to 2800° depending on makeup/grade. Stainless is 2700°. Not much difference but I would bet that the cheaper kitchen tools would use a lower grade of carbon steel.

Well that makes more choice in choosing mashers doesn't it. I've been thinking about firepot heat. You have a 32,000 Btu stove and I have a 50,000 Btu. We have same firepot. Stoves are problably rated for corn which may explain why I can only get 5.7# an hour through of pellets. Multiply that X 8000 Btu a # and I get 45,600Btu/hr. If the same ratio is true with your's You can probably burn about 3.7# an hour of pellets wide open in same size pot. I would be set on #3.5-4 at that rate. My # 9 wire hangers last quite a while at that setting. My fires are alot hotter than yours when cold. I think I'll use old style hangers with big fires and new style in shoulder seasons. They should last a long while then.

What you are saying makes sense to me. Sorry they didn't work out for you. I just had an idea. Using a masher as a template, drive nails/screws into a piece of wood. Place the nails in the tips of the masher. You can take your heavy wire and wrap it around the nails and make your own masher that will last longer.