Hi all,

I've been trying to research traditional wood fired spit roast designs but can't find much info.  Can anybody point me in the right direction?  Maybe some of the living history folk have seen or know of sme nice designs?

It's being built for a May Day celebration we're having here in Somerset.  I can design/ build a way in which to power it, I'm just looks for a nice asthetic for the legs and spit etc, preferably something based in history.

Cheers,

 

Olly

 

PS>  It's got to take a whole hog.

Look up pictures from Colonial Williamsburg kitchen/cooking. This site has two fully historical kitchens that are outfitted well. This site is representing 1770s North America Colonies. The two kitchens are full of wonderful and accurate iron and copper cooking implements. 

 

Mackenzie

You might also try Scappi's Opera, a book on 1500's court cooking with many fine woodcuts showing tools. In print, so you could buy or find in a library, or free download at   http://archive.org/details/operavenetiascap00scap

wow up draft driven spits who knew

http://ia700402.us.archive.org/BookReader/BookReaderImages.php?zip=/23/items/operavenetiascap00scap/operavenetiascap00scap_jp2.zip&file=operavenetiascap00scap_jp2/operavenetiascap00scap_0929.jp2&scale=5.2630662020905925&rotate=0

We did a whole hog last fall  on a Scappi set up but we did it "butterflied with two spits and ran it crosswise on top of two linear shafts on the Scappi spit holder.  Faster cooking less fuel needed.

 

I have several books on cooking equipment I'll try to provide the cites when I come to town on Thursday.

Thanks for getting back to me chaps.  I've had a couple of break throughs regarding this subject.  One is a great book (for the people in the Uk) called "The cauldron, the spit and the fire", there are some great images of domestic cooking equipment over the last how ever many hundred years.  I've not got a copy becasue it's a bit dear but my friend has so I have a date with a photocopier coming up.

 

The other example I found was made by a Smith who works near me by chance called Jasper Johns, the spit is now in Glastonbury abbey in Somerset.  I'm picking up some victorian register grates from Glastonbury tomorrow so I'll drop in and get some photo's.

Here it is;

 

roastingspit1.jpg

PS>  I just picked up a six gallon cast iron cauldron from a scrap yard so I may have a go at making a trammel for the spit as well.  Then it'll be time for pottage.

Check your PM. Email me if you need more info.

 

The book you mention is new(ish) and not entirely accurate in some of its depictions and text, although not bad overall. The best book is Seymour Lindsay's 'Iron and Brass Implements'.

Got a good documented date on when cast *iron* cauldrons came into use?  I'm having trouble dating them prior to the 1600's.

Thomas, do you mean anywhere or for within North America?

Hi all,

I've been trying to research traditional wood fired spit roast designs but can't find much info.  Can anybody point me in the right direction?  Maybe some of the living history folk have seen or know of sme nice designs?

It's being built for a May Day celebration we're having here in Somerset.  I can design/ build a way in which to power it, I'm just looks for a nice asthetic for the legs and spit etc, preferably something based in history.

Cheers,

 

Olly

 

PS>  It's got to take a whole hog.

 

How long ago and what do you consider is history? :)

 

These images may help with some of the practicalities, if not the traditional form of metalwork you are looking for. They do however have a valid blacksmithing history!

 

I made these bits to clamp on a 20mm (3/4") diameter shaft ten years ago for my 50th bash when we roasted "Sam the Ram" over 40 blacksmiths were in attendance.

 

They were used again to roast two home grown pigs at Rebecca and Chris' wedding at Terry and Sally Clark's home. The bride (Terry and Sally's daughter) is a blacksmith and Chris who has the right shape isn't! The bride and her father walked in through an arch of hammers held up by blacksmith friends. The bride and groom were married over the anvil in touching ceremony presided over by two blacksmiths culminating in riveting together two bits of metal.

 

Rather than employing a spare kitchen boy to turn the spit continuously I found that a bit of tube slid over the appropriate windlass handle allowed four different aspects towards the fire and locked it for a bit at each point.  Use blocks, an upturned bucket or a different length of tube if you want an 1/8 rotation. The weight always is eccentric however carefully you tie the carcass on so the windlass always wants to rotate one way or the other.

 

Not shown would be another set of posts to rest the spit on away from the fire for carving. The cook at the wedding just lifted it onto a table.

Alan

I had the dreaded SQL error failed upload message again and the images do not appear to have uploaded, this is from another computer...

 

third try Macbook on the forge broadband

 

 

ah! success at last

Edited April 3, 201313 yr by blackersmith

@ Olly,

You are of course very welcome to borrow those bits for your event if you can make use of them

Cheers Alan, much appreciated.  I may well take you up on that offer as it is looking as though I may have no time to make my own!  

All being well though I'd like to have a bash (no pun intended) at making one.  I'll keep you posted.

In case the pm does not get to you...20mm worked fine, can you see the images I tried to post?

I can only suggest that you do not make a crank handle but follow my windlass and tube system. Trying to turn and hold an eccentric load for 4 or 5 hours would not be much fun. Much better to give it a quarter turn, lock off, leave for ten minutes and turn again...

Hi all.  Our spit roast went very well in the end but the spit (despite best intentions) was quite rushed.  The spit fire had been lit before I'd even finsihed the thing! Front legs are 25mm square and the rear legs 20mm round.  These are the morning after photo's, don't think I got any of the hog on the spit.  Six gallons of pottage hung from the hook for our vege folk.

Thanks to everyone that provided help, info and offers of favours.