Feeding my Kettle Addiction!

[ameling]

While lots of people are heading up to Sayers Fur Trade Post near Pine City MN this last weekend, I've been working on my KETTLE ADDICTION!

OK, I didn't buy a new one - I modified one.

I took that Revolutionary Copper Kettle with frypan lid that Crazy Crow sells, and modified it to an earlier configuration. Yes, I've seen the drawing in the Voyageur Sketchbook, but I wanted it to look much earlier - like the Rainey Lake find from the 1600's. I took that loop/ring off of the lid, replaced the socket handle, and replaced the omega bale loops on the sides. This starts to make it look more like that Rainey Lake copper kettle with frypan lid. Now, I should have dug out a closer look on the bale lugs. I just replaced the thin clunky omega shaped bale loops with a little larger omega loops with leaf ends like those that show up on other early kettles. After finding a better picture of the original, I should have used that wide inverted T version with the long leg looping out and down for the bale. So it goes. The next one will be better!

I think it turned out pretty good. The lid still has two extra rivets in it - from that ring loop. I added one extra right in the middle for the handle. And I only used two of the original 4 rivets for the handle around the rim of the frypan lid. That original handle was a slightly tapering seamless tube arc welded to a narrow strap that wrapped partly around the frypan rim, and was riveted in 4 places.

Hmmm ... the sides on the original do slightly bulge out while this one is straight. And the step on the top that the frypan lid sets down on is a little flatter/wider on the original. And this kettle seems a little taller overall. Details ... more little details.

Anyway, what do you guys think - based on the poor pics my camera can do?

Now I hear that similar ones have also been found down in the Tunica site? Wow!

It's all a step back farther in time ... than many people are interested in. But it's surprising just how much French influence was going on across the northern parts of North America and all the way down the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys. And then there's all that very early Spanish influence all along the Gulf Coast. But not to forget the Dutch in their trading center of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island before the British kicked them out. Soooo much very early history! (and so many more books to buy!)

Mikey - tinkering out in the Hinterlands

 

[jasontn]

great job mike. ireally like the re model you did. i have thought about buying one of the smaller ones like it myself.

 

[laffingman67]

Great job Mike! I remember how excited I was when I first got my mucket several years ago, and then how disapointed I was when I figured out it was way to late period for my persona. :cursing:

Great gear! :applause:

 

[ameling]

Thanks for the kind words, guys.

Jason. There's only on size for the Rev War copper kettle with frypan lid. But Crazy Crow does also carry those HBC copper kettles in several sizes - like the small lidded one right behind my re-worked kettle. That is the small size. They are great kettles, and pretty accurate repro's. But they generally fit into a later time period - mostly into the 1800's. They were sold well up to the 1860's. Some more knowledgeable people than I say to not try using them in the 1700's, or at least the very last couple years of the 1700's. They say most any time from around 1810 or 1820 on is OK.

But, in the end, they are SOOOO MUCH BETTER than all that enamel ware we see being used in time periods before the late 1800's, especially before the Civil War. I'm still surprised at how much is used and accepted for Rev War and F&I War time periods.

You could re-work one of those HBC copper pots by putting a handle on the lid so you can use it as a frypan, remove that ring loop, and replace the bale lugs. BUt the top of the kettle does not neck in like the originals from the Rainey Lake find. Hmmm ... but it might be worth tinkering with. I have an extra floating around. I just might have to see what the end result looks like. Just have to be careful about creating a modern reenactorism. Now, if I can find a little more early art work .... hmmmm.

The small open copper kettle on the left is an Iron-Rimmed conversion I did of a modern "decorator" kettle. This makes it fit back into the early to mid 1700's, but also well back into the 1600's. Yes, it is not tin lined. (I don't worry about it) The small brass kettle is a conversion of that classic 1851 patent "pail" version of a brass kettle that everybody sells. The top was cut down around 1 1/2 inches - to make the height to diameter closer to that of the originals. The rim was then re-rolled, and the brass dog-ear bale lugs were put on - to replace those much later period cast brass ones. And then the bales were adjusted to fit the new rim sizes.

Mikey - yee ol' grumpy German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

p.s. Jason. The best place to see pics of those Tibetan pouch flint strikers is on evil-bay. Some of those listed show pretty good pics of the leather work. Some are one-piece sewn up the front, others are two pieces sewn up the sides. Just be careful to LIGHTLY rivet the leather to the steel. Too much "shock" from the riveting could crack or break the steel.