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Black iron pot

Started by metalspinner, November 23, 2006, 08:43:21 PM

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metalspinner

I've been given a large 12 quart black iron pot. 8) 8)

However, the bottom has a rounded shape and doesn't sit flat on the stove. Can this be fixed?
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

JimBuis

I think a knowledgeable and experienced welder or blacksmith could reshape it, but there would be some danger of it cracking.  You might do it yourself if you are handy with a torch.  I will take a lot of heat evenly applied.

Jim
Jim Buis                             Peterson 10" WPF swingmill

Dan_Shade

I would think a "better" way to do it would be to make a "cradle" that the pot will sit in, and braize that to the pot.

if it's cast, I don't know that you can reform it...

but, I really don't know what i'm talking about :)
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lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

metalspinner

It is cast iron.  My guess is that it was misshapen by heat.  It's kind of crazy to watch it - I can spin it around like a top. :D  It must weigh 15lbs.
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

WDH

We used to render pig fat into lard in black cast-iron pots that had round bottoms.  Those lard pots had 3 little pointed feet.  We built a fire around the pot.  I bet your pot doesn't have the 3 pointed little feet does it?
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

beenthere

You say 'black iron', meaning cast iron ?  (or not?)

(Sorry, missed your post)


south central Wisconsin
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metalspinner

QuoteI bet your pot doesn't have the 3 pointed little feet does it?

That's right.  They didn't used to be there either. :D :D

beenthere,
Yes, cast iron.  The only makings on it are  "USA" and "12".
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

Dan_Shade

some of those round pots had a stand that they'd sit in as well.
or is it a dutch oven, made to hang by it's handle?
Woodmizer LT40HDG25 / Stihl 066 alaskan
lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

metalspinner

Quoteor is it a dutch oven, made to hang by it's handle?

Hmm,  There is no handle to hang it.  But that doesn't mean it shouldn't have a handle.  There are two handles on the sides to pick it up.  A lid did come with it.  Would that make it a Dutch Oven?

Here is a pic...




I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

Dan_Shade

how out of shape is the bottom?  i was picturing more of a bowl shape.
Woodmizer LT40HDG25 / Stihl 066 alaskan
lots of dull bands and chains

There's a fine line between turning firewood into beautiful things and beautiful things into firewood.

metalspinner

With a straight edge across the bottom, an 1/8" gap shows up on each edge.  Just enough to make it rock around.  I'm sure that it will not get heat efficiently this way on the stove.  Not to mention trying to stir a full pot.  It will probably start spinning around on me. :D

My first thought was to put it on a milling machine, but then the bottom will be irregular in thickness and will probably warp even worse.
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

Bill

FWIW - I'm thinking it might be easier to weld up a little stand to rest it on - maybe with a kinda press fit .

Good Luck . . .

JimBuis

Metalspinner,
Seeing the picture, the two handles on there each seem to have two square holes in them.  Almost certainly, it used to have a heavy wire bail type handle that looped through the square holes in each handle up and over the lid to the handle on the other side.  I have attempted a crude drawing to show how the bail would have attached.

I agree with others that if it is cast you'd find it almost impossible to reshape it predictably.  Brazing three or four small feet on the bottom to provide just enough stability to keep it steady on a gas burner might work.  I wouldn't attempt to use it on an electric burner since it would not make good thermal contact with the burner.

IMHO,
Jim
Jim Buis                             Peterson 10" WPF swingmill

customsawyer

I was raised calling that a dutch oven and it was used mostly in the edge of a camp fire so if the bottom was rounded a little you never new it.
Two LT70s, Nyle L200 kiln, 4 head Pinheiro planer, 30" double surface Cantek planer, Lucas dedicated slabber, Slabmizer, and enough rolling stock and chainsaws to keep it all running.
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submarinesailor

I thought Dutch Ovens had a sort of flat top with a rim on it to hold the hot coals?

Bruce

SwampDonkey

Quote from: metalspinner on November 23, 2006, 09:24:12 PM
It is cast iron.  My guess is that it was misshapen by heat.  It's kind of crazy to watch it - I can spin it around like a top. :D  It must weigh 15lbs.

Sounds like overheating has warped the pot. I've seen kitchen stove tops get warped too from too much heat. I don't think there is a remedy. Most them old pots ended up holding flowers in the front yard. Some really big iron pots where used by farmers to cook rutabegos and mangos and corn and such to feed hogs. We had one here and it ended up as a lawn ornament for years until mother got tired of if and I got tired of mowing around it.  Mom graduated to a concrete cast flower pot for outdoors, made locally. ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

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SwampDonkey

Quote from: metalspinner on November 23, 2006, 10:03:34 PM
Quoteor is it a dutch oven, made to hang by it's handle?

Hmm,  There is no handle to hang it.  But that doesn't mean it shouldn't have a handle.  There are two handles on the sides to pick it up.  A lid did come with it.  Would that make it a Dutch Oven?


There used to be a handle on that, it's been broken off. I can see the loopholes on the two lips.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

SwampDonkey

Quote from: metalspinner on November 23, 2006, 10:19:05 PM
With a straight edge across the bottom, an 1/8" gap shows up on each edge.  Just enough to make it rock around.  I'm sure that it will not get heat efficiently this way on the stove.  Not to mention trying to stir a full pot.  It will probably start spinning around on me. :D

It will rock back and forth like a warped tea kettle.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Mooseherder

Instead of Hammerin'.  Make a Steel Carrier Handle and make a swingarm outta some pipe. ;D
This one has the Flat Top for hot coals, but I prefer to cook from down unda. ;D


SwampDonkey

was wonderin when you'd show up with your cook wares. ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Engineer

Looks like it must have been overheated.  You could have the bottom machined, but it will make the center thinner than the edges and I'm not sure that's a good idea.  Forget about using it on an electric stove, it's still usable on gas, but the ideal use for that is to make a new wire bail for it and set it over a cook fire.   If you don't want it, our Boy Scout troop could use it, that's fo' sure.   :D

limbrat

We use to use lime to soften the ends on flue tubes so we could seat them into the boiler plate on steam boilers. Ya heat the end of the tube and stand it in a bucket of lime to cool. I dont know if it would work on cast. Ya might heat it to red in the coals and set it in some lime and put some lime in it and let it cool. After it cools i wouldnt hammer on it but might try jacking or pressing it out. While its hot ya might try turning it over on a block of wood  another block of wood on the bottom and try pressing it out without the lime. If ya cant fix it i wouldnt use it inside sounds like a good way to get scalled.
ben

metalspinner

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.   I will try heating as limbrat suggested and see what happens.
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

Slabs

I'm wondering if that pot might have been one of those that was made to fit into the old cast iron stove eye-holes.  That is, you take out the eye on the old wood or coal burner and drop the pot in so that it comes into contact with the flames underneath.
Some of the hanging pots did that too.  Most Dutch Ovens had feet cast into the bottoms so that they could be set onto the hearth over live coals but may have been set into an eye hole also.  Some pots/ pans/ Dutch Ovens had a ring around the bottom that fit into the groove on the stove that seated the eye.

Machining or welding a piece of cookery like that should only be attempted if it is expendable.  Sucess would be marginal at best.  It may be worth more as a novelty.

Just a few clues on cast iron cookery.  Hope they may help
Slabs  : Offloader, slab and sawdust Mexican, mill mechanic and electrician, general flunky.  Woodshop, metal woorking shop and electronics shop.

Bibbyman

I'm wondering if it's shaped that way to be used on a wood cook stove.  You'd take a lid off  the stove top and set it into a hole - thus getting the maximum heat.
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