I made my first cooking tripod. Any advice to improve the next one?
imgur.com/a/iycIK
imgur.comPosted May 30, 2015, 9:11 PM UTC
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imgur.comLooks fantastic! I might cant the hook the pot hangs on backwards (like a shepherd's crook) so the weight is pulling directly down the whole hanger, rather than off at an angle. Otherwise, it looks really tight. I know twisting those whole legs must have taken a while.
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I'm have to go back and tweak that hook later, thanks. It defiantly was a task to do the twisting. The first two legs were done before I acquired my post vise. I had to clamp the end leg to my work bench to do the work.
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If you have the hook for the trammel turned 180* the leverage would also be pushing the peg into the hole rather than trying to pull it out.
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Just don't use tomatoes in cast iron... ;-) Other than that, perhaps making the legs longer, allowing for use over a larger fire. It looks totally badass! Outstanding job.
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Why should I not use the tomatoes? The cast iron pot was very well seasoned. Does it impart a bad flavor? Or is it that the tomatoes damage the seasoning in some way?
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If your cast iron is very well seasoned, I wouldn't worry. It can potentially impart a bad flavor or damage seasoning, but claiming universally that it will is a myth.
I personally wouldn't simmer acidic foods in a cast iron pan for a long time, though. But if your pan is seasoned well enough, and you don't notice any bad flavors or see your seasoning stripping away, I think you're good.
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The acidity in the tomatoes does take out the seasoning in the cast iron. Once that pot has been cleaned, you'll have to re-season it. That process isn't difficult, but if you don't, the cast iron will start to rust. This is true for just about any acidic food, but tomatoes, because you have to simmer them for so long, tend to be worse than most.
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Definitely make the legs longer. Atl east as long as the fully extended hook, so the lower holes aren't useless.
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I was thinking about making a smaller trammel, however that is a much better idea!
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trammel
Oh so that's what it's called. I was about to ask, thanks!
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ah ha! Its not entirely a myth though. It defiantly seems to be something to be considered.
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Oh, for sure. u/J_Kenji_Lopez-Alt seems to agree with meabout not simmering something overly acidic for a long time. So yeah, not a myth exactly.
Edit: It's myth number 7 in the link above where Kenji Lopez addresses it.
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Looks good. I'd say all you need is some fish on that grill!
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The snappers will be here soon enough :).
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this is great. how much (roughly) would you charge for one of these?
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hmm. Ive never had to quantify how much my work is worth. To really flush out a fair value I would have to actually have to log my hours invested in each operation involved and figure a "shop rate". Having said that my ball park estimate would be 200-250.
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Plainer ones go for 45-60 bucks
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I fortunately/unfortunately do not possess one of these https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdtS0qzTKQw What I can offer is a genuine article of craftsmanship.
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You misunderstand. I mean ones constructed out of roundbar, without the trammel.
Pointing and forging loops on 3 bars is quick and easy.
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Excellent work, looks great
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thanks! I'm gonna have to fashion another one with all the suggestions you guys made.
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I gotta say man that looks sick, and i wish i could do something like this. Rock on and keep doing what you do.
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That looks amazing! Awesome job. My only comment would be to maybe put a very small notch in the inside crook of your hook to keep the pot from spinning but that might just be a personal preference.
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When I go to tweak the hook ill take a cold/hot chisel to it. It was a minor inconvenience to deal with.
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Very, very nice. And practical.
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GJ, Nicely made :). I might give myself a go at something like this later.
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Very VERY nice (and inspiring, to boot)! Those flat bar twists look like they could be challenging -- did you twist them inside a pipe to keep them straight?
Nope, everything was done just by dead reckoning. Though that is a very nice idea. Is that common practice?
I don't know if it is common practice but I saw a video of a guy on YouTube cold-twist some 1/2" or 5/8" square bar with a relatively tight fitting tube slipped over in and it worked really well. I've been meaning to try it myself. Even better job then, given the method! Have a great week!