Popular Post ThePog Posted February 11, 2017 Popular Post Posted February 11, 2017 I don't know if you peeps know about thermettes, but basically they are the most awesome bit of OS camping kit there has ever been. Shit has been around since the 1900's; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Kettle You can still buy them new; http://www.wilsonandco.co.nz/thermette/ They are so sweet to use, you just need some twigs and you can boil 2 liters of water in 7 - 8 mins, plus cook on them as well. We used our neighbors one for the first couple of trips away in the bus, but we really needed one that lived in the bus. I was going to buy one but it really needed to be a bit bigger (hot water for the morning dishes) and I also thought it would be good to have a tap so you could siphon off water for cups of tea. So being the sort of boy I am, and just happening to have some copper sheet lying around the workshop I thought I would make one... The is the second one I have made, the first was a tiny 700ml one so you can boil up two cups of tea - I learned a lot of stuff building this one so No2 went a bit easier. Firstly I drew it up in Solidworks so I could get all the correct pattern sizes etc, then I cut all these out of the sheet. The copper is 0.5mm thick so you can do it with a decent set of scissors if need be. The outer sheet cut; Used the fingerbender to get a bend on each end; Roll it and hook them together; Gently hammer the seam together; Same for the inner cone; Then solder them up; I used lead free plumbers solder - lead poisoning does not appeal. For heat I used the oxy/lpg plant with a small tip. Then I made the cap; I actually sized the thermette around that bit of steel pipe so that it would be easy to make the cap etc. Now unfortunately, I did the rest the next day and was under serious time constraints before going away in the bus, so I forgot to take any more pics. So pretend you have just watched one of those time lapse thingies of me crashing about the workshop doing things at stupid speeds.... As you can see I soldered it all together, added a pouring orifice, made a firebox on a stand, made a handle out of a broomstick handle, added a wee brass tap, made a top mounted cooking frame and then rushed to Marahau to use it. I brought it back to the workshop for a few wee mods after the trip - it needed a lip at the opening of the firebox to stop shit falling out, and I did not get a chance to put the pipe on the tap that you can see. This made for amusing dances when filling up cups of tea as you would get boiling water dropping into your safety crocs. I also made a wooden handle for the tap handle as the brass would get very hot as well. It is pretty much perfect now, here it is heating 3 litres of water plus boiling some spuds for tea.. And next to the camping brazier and a human for scale (she is a midget so it looks quite tall, the pot base is about a meter off the ground - perfect height for me to work at); 37 1 Quote
Nominal Posted February 11, 2017 Posted February 11, 2017 Excellent! I have a large NZ Railways one but need to make a new base. I like the idea of the legs. 1 Quote
ThePog Posted February 11, 2017 Author Posted February 11, 2017 Yea it makes things a bit easier to use, I am well over 6 foot and my back gives me gyp, so raising everything helps a lot. You also don't leave little burnt patches on campsite grass... Quote
CaMpylobacter Posted February 11, 2017 Posted February 11, 2017 awesome! my brother in law made my bro one out of stainless. goes well. have seen them with taps on the bottom and a capacity of probably 20litres or more chooching away at campsites before. so bloody cool 1 Quote
ThePog Posted February 11, 2017 Author Posted February 11, 2017 Oh yes, that reminded me I also built a 30l one ages ago out of a small hot water cylinder for heating the outside baths, but I could never get to to draw properly. I should look at this one again actually, see if I can't get it to work ok.... 1 Quote
CaMpylobacter Posted February 11, 2017 Posted February 11, 2017 nice! add a flue for increased convection draw? Quote
Yowzer Posted February 11, 2017 Posted February 11, 2017 That would make a bloody good wagcessory 3 Quote
sidewaysickness Posted February 11, 2017 Posted February 11, 2017 Marahau pog, Marahau. I'm sure you put that in especially for me. Great work with the thermette though! 2 Quote
ThePog Posted February 11, 2017 Author Posted February 11, 2017 That's near Kina isn't it? This joke does not work on multiple levels. 1 Quote
Lord Gruntfuttock Posted February 11, 2017 Posted February 11, 2017 Cool build. Got a proper old one in the shed, picked it up at a garage sale. Never used it cos it's a bit scody. Must give it a clean and have at it... [edit] Had to have a look at it. it's in far better nick than I remembered, and as a bonus was packed in an old twin flagon case. Wish I'd known that when I got in a bidding war for one on tardme for the flagon club. Hoarding's only good when you remember what you've got squirreled away... 6 Quote
ThePog Posted February 12, 2017 Author Posted February 12, 2017 That is sweet, just boil it up a couple of times, that will kill anything bad inside... 1 Quote
ajg193 Posted February 12, 2017 Posted February 12, 2017 22 hours ago, Lord Gruntfuttock said: it's in far better nick than I remembered It's probably in worse nick than you remembered, it's just that dealing with OS cars has desensitized you to rust in recent years. You're on your way to Barryism. 8 Quote
yetchh Posted February 13, 2017 Posted February 13, 2017 Got a couple of these, just a standard thermette, but also a big copper one with a gas burner in the bottom that I was gonna convert.. one day.. Quote
66gt Posted February 13, 2017 Posted February 13, 2017 New Zealand Railways track gangs and Ministry of Work road gangs used to use them in the 50'-70's for their long smokos seriously cool old piece of kit 1 Quote
KKtrips Posted February 13, 2017 Posted February 13, 2017 On 12/02/2017 at 09:23, Nominal said: Excellent! I have a large NZ Railways one but need to make a new base. I like the idea of the legs. Giz Quote
Popular Post tortron Posted February 16, 2017 Popular Post Posted February 16, 2017 This stove looks pretty tits 12 1 Quote
Nominal Posted February 16, 2017 Posted February 16, 2017 Oddly, I was googling rocket stoves just the other day. Quote
tortron Posted February 16, 2017 Posted February 16, 2017 looks the same setup as an indian fire hole 1 Quote
Steelies Posted February 17, 2017 Posted February 17, 2017 awesome, Pog. and yes, rocket stoves Quote
Popular Post Nominal Posted February 17, 2017 Popular Post Posted February 17, 2017 NZR one. 11 Quote
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