[TheForge] Tripods for outdoor cooking.

[Grover.Richardson at gtri.gatech.edu]

I make my "Size 1" 4' long out of 3/8" square for camping.
I make my "Size 2" out of 5' long 1/2" square for larger stuff.
I make my "Size 3" out of 6' 8" (a third of a 20' long piece of stock)
1/2" square for largest stuff.

The Size 2 is most useful.  Remember that you can always move one leg
out and lower the height of the center of the tripod (i.e. the food),
but you can't effectively put the legs of a short tripod up on concrete
blocks to raise the food up.<G>


Tripod errors

The size 2 or 3 will support me.  I regularly hold on and hang from the
size 3 at events to show how strong they are.  I will confess to 265
plus.

Anything longer than the size 3 is spindly in the legs.  I made a 10'
long out of 1/2" square.  It bends in the middle of the legs when loaded
up.  However it makes a great display piece and is useful for displaying
the wife's textiles up where they may be seen better.  I would suggest
5/8 or better 3/4 if a person really wants a 10' tripod.  Don't know why
a body would want one, and it would be heavy.  I consider 1/2" square to
be the largest that I would normally hammer by hand.

Most people want a S hook that is too long.  I make my S hooks out of
3/8" square (I always use square so that I can put decorative twists in
things, including the tripods).  Ask them the diameter of their pot.
Then figure that the depth of the pot will be the same length as the
diameter of the bail.  Then add 5-8" of fire under the pot.  Then add a
few inches of space so that there won't be hot spots and the food burn.
Quickly that 18" S hook that they wished becomes a 6-8" S hook when they
look at the real dimensions.

So the lengths add up as below
6-8" fire space
2-4" space above the fire for tending the fire
Bail diameter (pot diameter) from the bottom of the pot (assuming a
cauldron type pot) to the top of the pot.  
1/2 bail diameter (pot diameter) from the top of the pot to one end of
the s hook.
Subtract all that from the height of a set up tripod with the legs
splayed out so that they are not in the fire.





 

~>-----Original Message-----
~>From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net 
~>[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Daniel 
~>Kretchmar
~>Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2007 1:44 AM
~>To: Sponsored by ABANA
~>Subject: Re: [TheForge] Tripods for outdoor cooking.
~>
~>mine are 4 ft
~>----- Original Message -----
~>From: "Tod Estes" <testes at medicine.nodak.edu>
~>To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
~>Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2007 10:41 AM
~>Subject: [TheForge] Tripods for outdoor cooking.
~>
~>
~>Hi all,
~>I need an opinion. I made a tripod with the legs a yard long. 
~>It seems a bit
~>squatty. From those of you who make and use tripods what 
~>length do you use?
~>
~>Tod Estes