Tinkers

[tenngun]

I want to get away from cast iron at camp,Have a tin "muket"...or corn boiler, flat sheet metal skillet and 1qt tin cups to cook with. Since Im alone at camp(my wifes health prevents her from primitve camp)this might be all I need.Although Ive noticed some Bigger pots in hc tin (or copper for about the price of a house)but they are a might priecy.Are there plans for a do-it your self tinkering...would it be much of a saving :idunno:

 

[mmahlock]

Here is a link to an article in the NorthWest Journal on making a Copper pot. The process and procedures should be pretty much the same for tin.

Making a Copper Trade Kettle

As for a skillet you might want to consider one like this.

Steel Frying Pan

I know it is modern manufacture but the handle is riveted on and other than it was using a stamp not a hammer it should suffice. For packing you might also want consider instead.

Paella Pan

Again it is made using modern machinery but the handles are riveted on not welded. It eliminates the packing hassle of the frying pan handle.

The folding handle frying pans are as I understand it undocumented in history until the 20th C. If I'm wrong on that one of them would work.

 

[LRB]

You're not wrong. No folding handles.

 

[tenngun]

how neat..thanks this is the sort of stuff i was thinking of...have you done this?

 

[ohio ramrod]

I am curuois why getting away from cast iron? I love my cast iron skillet both the "camp" one and the "house " one. :idunno:

 

[R.C.BINGAMAN]

I go to the local junk shops and look for the pressed sheet metal skilletts they come in all sizes, take a dremel with a cutting wheel cut off the formed handle then a bit of sanding to smooth off the cut, a piece of flat metal 2 copper harness rivets,fashion a handle to your liking rivet it on the skillett and away you go. Neet thing is you can customise it to to your needs and a very minimal price. The last one I made was about 4 dollars and a hour or so. Good luck, A APPALICHIAN HUNTER

 

[Rifleman1776]

Are the sheet metal frying pans considered OK? They can be found at antique shops everywhere. It was all I ever used at ronny and nobody ever shot me for it. I cooked in cast iron and a tin boiler. Often ate right from the frying pan with my 'one dish' fixings.

 

[mmahlock]

The primary reason I have chosen to use the pans I provided the link to is that the handles were riveted on not welded and they were Carbon Steel as opposed to Stainless. They were also available is variety of sizes so I could get one the size I needed.

If you are curious about the Paella Pan, when I saw those were also available in Carbon Steel and had riveted on handles, they reminded me of the round shallow two handled pans tied to the backs of the packs of British Soldiers in several paintings by Hamilton Smith that were made between 1812 and 1815 for the Prince Regent so he would have a picture of the soldiers of every Regiment in the British Army to reference when reading the reports of the War with Napoleon. Besides as I said they are a lot easier to pack than a pan with a long handle.

BTW if you search the traders and blacksmiths that are on-line you may be able to find pans made by hand that will fit the bill as well.

I applaud you for migrating away from cast iron which until the western migration were few and far between in the woods other than at established company forts, trading posts, and houses.
:hatsoff:

 

[George]

I applaud you for migrating away from cast iron which until the western migration were few and far between in the woods other than at established company forts, trading posts, and houses.

Except for the poor foot soldier...

Joseph Plumb Martin, A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier:

"We marched from Valentine’s hill for the White Plains, in the night. There were but three of our men present. We had our cooking utensils, (at that time the most useless things in the army.) to carry in our hands. They were made of cast iron and consequently heavy. I was so beat out before morning, with hunger and fatigue, that I could hardly move one foot before the other. I told my messmates that I could not carry our kettle any further, they said they would not carry it any further, of what use was it? they had nothing to cook and did not want any thing to cook with. We were sitting down on the ascent of a hill when this discourse happened. We got up to proceed, when I took up the kettle, which held nearly common pail full, I could not carry it, my arms were almost dislocated; I sat it down in the road, and one of the others gave it a shove with his foot, and it rolled down against the fence, and that was the last I ever saw of it. When we got through the night’s march we found our mess was not the only one that was rid if their iron bondage."

Spence

 

[mmahlock]

In regards to skillets/frying pans with folding handles, they may well have existed at least in 1828.

While looking for something else I stumbled across this from George Simpson's account of his trip from York Factory to Fort Langley. In his description of the contents of the baskets that were included in his baggage is the following:

... Here also that indispensable - the frying pan, which by the way, should be made with a good strong hinge ...

The handle is the only place on a frying pan I can think of to put a hinge. Go figure.

 

[Bear Rider]

You might look at the Village Tinsmith's sheet steel skillet. He seems to have a good reputation for his products I got one of his drum canteens last year and have been very happy with it.

Village Tinsmith Catalog Page

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Actually the tin we use is not really correct. It's supposed to be rolled iron that has been dipped in tin..., lighter than cast but a good bit heavier than tin alone.

If you are going to go to the trouble of getting tin, then be careful not to waste the money on something "sorta" right, for it's cheaper than copper, but not really "cheap", right?

So tin pots with lids are OK, but the CW "mucket" with a handle and a hinged lid, I have always been told is much more 18th century.

For a "light" solo camp, I have a I quart copper pot with lid, and a larger tin kettle w/o lid, and a small steel frypan that is copper plated with a brass, rivetted handle, and a pot scrubber and 3 "S" hooks. Added to that are my eating stuff which is a soldier's can, a wooden bowl, a wooden spoon, a twisted wire fork, and a folding knife. The copper pot is for hot water or coffee, the kettle is for the meal, and the frypan is for the odd fried item. I don't fry much except for bacon if I have it. Fresh meat is either stewed, or broiled over the fire.

For trekking I go simpler, and I have two soldier's "cans" (drinking mugs) of tin, one has a bale/handle so I can boil water in it, plus a small, brass, trade kettle with a bale. Hot water or beverages are made in the baled can, cold water in the other can, and meal in the kettle. All of this stuff is pretty small, and i could get by with just two soldier's cans.

For something like a market fair where I host guests and such..., my cooking set would need a wagon to move in the 18th century, but it was set up as a backup for a reenactment unit kitchen to serve two dozen people or more.

Really it all depends on how elaborate you need your food.

LD

 

[LRB]

I believe the following is a typo, and Dave meant to say 19th c.



"So tin pots with lids are OK, but the CW "mucket" with a handle and a hinged lid, I have always been told is much more 18th century."

 

[tenngun]

I love cast iron, but it is heavy and unlikly to be found in hunters camps unless you had extra packing room on your transport.In fact I have a pot of beans cooking right now. I was looking for a tin pot for camp.I have a corn boiler and a good sheetmetal frying pan, but coffe pots or 1 gal pots and even tea kettles are a might pricy. since they are craftsmen made and in small groups I am sure they are worth the price, but I do like to try my own hand at things...thanks :bow:

 

[tenngun]

Ok I was going to try to make a pot,but I broke down and bought one from Turkeyfoot traders good folks to deal with nice pot :bow: