Tripod Stand With Concentric Circles

Tripod Stand with Concentric Circles

Adjustable Opening Sizes: Equipped with a set of removable, precision-fitted concentric rings that allow the stand to adapt to multiple vessel diameters.

Heavy-Duty Cast Iron Top: The top plate and rings are manufactured from high-grade cast iron, which offers excellent heat retention and resists warping under high temperatures.

$2.76

Quick Answer: The Tripod Stand with Concentric Circles is a three-legged heating support whose flat top is made of nested rings, so the central opening can be enlarged or reduced to seat vessels of different sizes over a burner. The listing photograph shows a black ring-set top on three straight, splayed metal legs.

Adjusting the Opening with Concentric Rings

An ordinary tripod has one fixed ring, and anything narrower than that ring needs a wire gauze or a pipeclay triangle to sit on. On this tripod stand with concentric circles, the top is built from rings that fit inside one another, the same idea used on the lid of a water bath. Lifting out the inner rings opens a wider hole; leaving them in keeps the hole small. A round-bottomed flask, an evaporating basin or a small dish can therefore rest in an opening that suits its size, with its curved base exposed to the heat.

This matters for evaporation and gentle heating. A basin seated in a close-fitting ring is held level and cannot slide, and the heat reaches its base directly rather than through a gauze. The same arrangement holds a small round-bottomed flask upright while a solution is warmed, which saves setting up a clamp for a short heating step.

The photograph shows three plain legs fixed to the underside of the top plate. The metal of the rings, the number of rings, the smallest and largest openings and the height are not stated in the title, and should be confirmed before ordering so that they match your basins and burner.

Applications

Seating evaporating basins over a Bunsen flame to concentrate salt solutions and grow crystals
Holding round-bottomed flasks level during gentle heating
Supporting crucibles or small dishes in the smallest opening when heating solids
Heating dishes of several sizes at one bench position without changing gauze or triangle

Specifications

Type	Three-legged heating tripod with a concentric ring top
Top	Nested rings that lift out to change the opening (as pictured)
Legs	Three straight splayed legs (as pictured)
Finish	Black top shown in the listing photograph
Used with	Bunsen or spirit burner, evaporating basins, crucibles
Ring material, ring sizes and height	Confirm at enquiry

Care & Handling

Let the rings cool before lifting them out, and handle them with tongs rather than fingers straight after heating.
Keep removed rings together in a tray so the set stays complete.
Wipe off spilt salt solution once cool; dried salt left in the grooves makes the rings stick and encourages rust.
Stand the tripod on a heat-resistant mat on a level bench before lighting the burner.

Why Choose LabEquip

Chemistry teachers who run crystallisation and evaporation practicals with basins of several sizes find one adjustable top simpler than a drawer of gauzes and triangles. LabEquip offers this tripod in its General Lab Products range, alongside the plain heavy cast iron tripod for standard gauze work; tell us the basin sizes you use.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the concentric circles on the tripod for?

They are removable rings. Taking out the inner rings widens the central opening so a larger basin or flask can sit in it; leaving them in keeps the opening small for a crucible or small dish.

Do I still need a wire gauze with this tripod?

Not when a round-bottomed vessel or basin fits snugly in one of the openings. A flat-bottomed beaker still needs a gauze, because otherwise it would rest on a narrow ring edge over a concentrated flame.

How do I choose which opening to use?

Choose the opening in which the vessel sits level with its lower part hanging below the rings. Too small an opening lifts the vessel away from the heat; too large lets it tip or drop through.

Is the tripod safe for heating a round-bottomed flask?

For gentle warming, yes, when the flask sits securely in a ring. For reflux, distillation or long heating, also clamp the flask neck to a retort stand so it cannot tip if the tripod is knocked.

Why are the rings removable rather than fixed?

Removable rings let one tripod serve several vessel sizes. They also lift out for cleaning, so salt crust and spilt residue can be scraped away without scouring the whole stand.

How should the tripod be cleaned after crystallisation work?

Let it cool, lift out the rings and soak them briefly in warm water to dissolve dried salt, then dry them fully before refitting. Salt left in the joints causes rust and makes the rings stick.

Last Updated: September 2026