some free time at forge today. what to do. . . . .One of my students drew out a RR  spike. Which inspired me to do same and add some embellishments to mine. I don't have a grill but know some who do.

Very cool idea. I'll have to try this one.

no need for a grill, you got a forge! throw some logs on it, turn on the blower, and let the logs burn to charcoal.

                                                                                                     Littleblacksmith

 

Pretty nice. What did you finish it with? You need to think food grade sooner or later somebody is going to use it.

Frosty The Lucky.

Ummm.....engine oil.

Ewwww! BAD choice for a food contact item, toxic even. Olive oil is popular it polymerizes and looses stickyness. Bees wax might okay depending on the source but it likes to stay sticky. Paraffin is food grade if you get it from the "canning" shelf inn the store. I like Carnuba but I don't know of a food grade recipe. It's used to coat pills to it's out there but . . . .

Frosty The Lucky.

I have olive oil. Extra virgin.

what about PAM in a spray can?

 

I dunno. I have always coated the hot dog forks I make with a rag somewhat soaked with oil. I do it when the piece is hot to touch.

I sand off the black oxide a little with emry where the dogs set. I think the grease in the dogs and the brats coat the steel When used.

I figure folks is wise enough to wash the pointed end prior to use. I do anyways.  Some opinions may vary. 

I will try wiping them down when warm with olive oil.

I use paraffin wax as it's food safe, apply hot and wipe down to provide a minimal coating; but you can also season them like you would season a cast iron frying pan as that's food safe as well.   Traditionally I have always heated the fork end to burn up any "stuff" and wipe off before using it on food...Like I do with marshmallow roasting forks.

Heh--I have recently done some business research on oil curing/polymerization and it boils down to one simple factor:  Among the edible oils/fats, the worse it is in terms of being "healthy", the better it is at leaving a good non-stick protective coating.  Among the vegetable oils, 100% soy is one of the best but good old beef tallow outshines it.  The nice healthy mono-unsaturated heart-friendly stuff is a loser in this battle.  Yes, you need to cure it on like one would on a cast iron pan.

So, if you want a good polymerized non-stick protective coating, go as UN-healthy as you can

There is a lot more to the subject but the "in a nutshell version" is about all people need to know for home use.  It gives you a good excuse to buy that nice fat-laden steak to throw on the BBQ and use a bit of the yummy heart-killing fat trimmings on your iron work.

Kozzy, as I would agree with the " yummy heart-killing fat trimmings" for my own use or whatnot I think it could possibly hurt to use on something being sold.  think I would stick with something neutral to the " special diets and beliefs" then just educate the buyer of other ways to maintain the fork or whatever it is. 

Come to think of it, could walnut oil be a hazard to people with nut allergies ?  

Too many oils to choose from ! Mono. Non mono. Saturated.  Non sat.  Veggie. Mutton fat.....

I'm just gonna slap on some led-based paint and be done.

4 hours ago, SReynolds said:

Too many oils to choose from ! Mono. Non mono. Saturated.  Non sat.  Veggie. Mutton fat.....

I'm just gonna slap on some led-based paint and be done.

The natural sweetener, for the "When in Rome" crowd.

Personally I like bacon. mmmmmmm bacon.

Frosty The Lucky.

So are you whining about the lack of lead in your tipple?     I like bacon for seasoning cast iron; I buy the big package of "ends" and save the grease in chile cans and do a heat, wipe on, heat routine till I get it where I like it.  (I've started to use the lye soak for cleaning crudded up cast iron pans too)  The cooked bacon gets thrown in the crock pot with onions, a couple cans of Hatch chile, pinto beans, etc.  I am of the "clean the refrigerator/freezer/pantry style of cooking

right after you pick the bacon ends out of the pot drop in some pop corn, I haven't found anything that seasons cast iron and the bonus being bacon flavored pop corn. Mmmmmmm.

Frosty The Lucky.

I do like the idea of bacon myself , to coat a forged utensil. An eat some too while I'm at it. But now, my cat is after my utensils.  . . . . 

 

Give the dog a little bacon to keep the cats out of your hair.

Picture this. A nice smallish spud on a fork propped up next to the fire, about 8" back is a good distance to bake it in about 15 minutes, rotate every couple minutes.

As your spud approaches done you slip your toasting fork tines through the bacon wrapping the Filet Mignon and you roast it on the fire. Letting the juices run down the fork is the recommended practice for seasoning the fork. It's how I do it anyway.

If you're camping then you want to cut the steak into bite sized pieces, skewer them individually and poke them into a space in the coals. I call it "glory hole" steak gives it a nice char and is still pink in the middle after about 15-20 seconds. It's the only way I know of to eat a steak at the camp fire and have every bite hot, especially if it's a winter in Alaska camp.

We used to wrap bacon around sticks and roast them on the fire. Bacon. Mmmmmmm.

Frosty The Lucky.

Hummm........camping this weekend.......after a Saturday in the village smithy of course.

Everything tastes better around a camp fire.

Frosty The Lucky.

Not a spike but it is a fork....

NICE! It's actually nice enough we'll forgive you not using a RR spike. More pics of your work please.

Frosty The Lucky.