Brewed a Hefe on this today, thought I'd provide some feedback.
Particle board got hot. Not a catastrophe, but a little warmer than I would like. Some kind of heat shield will be used in the future. I experimented with heavy duty foil and had good results. A more permanent solution will be some metallic sheet of some sort.
Scorching wasn't so much an issue...first time. I can see the blackened areas around the burner requiring some upkeep. No paint burnt off, no noticeable noxious fumes, no warping of the stand.
A happy accident did occur. The boil stayed much more consistent on the rack than it ever has with the pot on the burner. I almost got lazy and stopped watching.
The idea of warming sparge water next to the brew kettle went well. The only hiccup was when I cranked the heat the insulation around the mash kettle began to melt. Foil helped with this as well but a more permanent solution is more desirable.
Thanks for the comments thus far. Any other ideas or critiques would be helpful.