[TheForge] R: Pot

[Andrew Vida]

On 8/9/2012 1:45 PM, Bob Ehrenberger wrote:
> I've repaired holed in an enamel canning pot with an Oxy/Act torch.  When
> the flame hits the spot where the hole is, the enamel around it flakes off
> like when you use a torch to pop scale.  After the repair I didn't even
> consider trying to fix the enamel, I told the lady that owned the pot to
> make sure to dry it after using because it would rust.

That is not the way to do it.  My grandma, who lived her entire life in 
Hungary, had tons of this sort of cookware - her cooking would put any 
world class chef to sullen shame (sorry I just had to brag about 
grandma, RIP).  When one of her pots would spring a leak, off to the 
tinker (tinker?  Is there another name for a guy who fixes pots??) and 
he would establish a goodly sized hole in the pot, around 1/4" as I 
recall) and rivet it shut.  As I recall the rivet also held in a thin 
washer-like bit on either side of the pot.  I do not ever recall seeing 
solder, meaning he was able to set the rivet tightly enough to render 
the vessel water-proof once again and not ruin the enamel in the least 
measure.  Rude seeming work to the uninformed eye, I suppose, but to us 
it would be rightly regarded as high technical art.  The REAL artwork 
came when he'd patch the corners at the bottom of the pot.  Always 
perfect - no leaking and no visible damage to the enamel.  That amazed 
me even then.