Camp Tripod and Grill. I would like to see yours.

[Donal Harris]

There seem to be some in the BP’s but I can’t see them. Those in the open are in old posts where the photos have become unlinked. 
 

I am building one and am needing ideas. I’ve bought 5/8” round bar for the tripod. What should I use for the round grill?  What stock size should I use for the chains, S hooks, and trammel hook?
 

If you have one you are proud of, please post pics of it.

Thanks,

Donal

[ThomasPowers]

I tend to scrounge grills off of round BBQ grills, light chains.  Personally I don't put anything on a grill that a 3/8" S hook won't handle.

OTOH I once traded a cat neutering for a tripod sized to hold a 20+ gallon cast iron pot and contents---everything sized up for that one and the feet were specially made for the weight: 4" tapered point, then a flattened section bent at an angle to the point, a section flat to the ground and then bent up for the upright.  The point keeps the tripod from splaying under weight and the flat section keeps it from sinking in---you can also step on the flat section to drive the point into the ground.   (Nice to have a Vet that would trade for smithing, though he made me help as his assistant was out that day---it was months before I could look that cat in the eye!)

[Donal Harris]

I am using 3/8 round for the grill slats. Not sure what I will use for the ring. I have scrap 2” by 1/4”, but that seems excessive. I do have some thinner flat bar. But I had other plans for it. The other is just scrap from my father-in-law’s pile. 

[Glenn]

3/8  to 1 inch round or square.

The tripod was shown to me by Bill Epps, and you can not loose the pieces.

For a grill I use old BBQ grills

[George N. M.]

D, I posted pics of one a few years ago but my computer where the pics are stored is temporarily out of service.  So, verbally/written, I usually use 7/16 or 1/2 inch square stock.  I find 3/8 to be a bit on the light side.  I usually make one leg with a closed loop and two with spiraled open loops to about 410 degrees ( a turn and a quarter) so that all three can be hooked together for a tripod or taken apart and used with 2 uprights and a horizontal in a gallows frame configuration.  

I would use 1/4-3/8 for chains and S hooks and 1x3/16 for the body of the trammel hook and 1/4 round for the adjustable hook portion.  That should be stout enough for anything you will be reasonably hanging over a camp fire.

You might also think about attaching (rivets come to mind) some hooks on 2 of the legs so that you could lay shish kabob skewers across them.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[arkie]

I make my tripods out of 1/2" round.  All three connected by a round circle through all three loop tops like the picture Glenn posted.  I have not made any grills; nobody has requested one (yet).  Hooks all made from 3/8" round, trammels with 1/4" or 3/8".

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

This is made from 1/2 inch round, with the eyes tapered and the ring is 1/4 inch rebar forge welded. It holds the cast iron kettle when it is full of rain water. I made a round grill out of 1/4 inch round in a spoke pattern that would hang from 3 chains. Never used it and do not have a picture or know where it got off to.

[teenylittlemetalguy]

usually I make mine in backpack size and use garage door spring. It is really strong and lightweight. The whole tripod is laid down an used like the first picture as a grill by setting it on a rock and counterbalancing with another rock.  

When I do larger I like to use square stock and make the tops like photo 2 so they are solidly attached and pack flat. 

[Dale Russell]

Made with 25 mm x 6mm flat 

Dale Russell 

[Dave51B]

 Did I mis the length of the legs somewhere? Or is there a preference?      Thanks             Dave

[Donal Harris]

I finished the rings at the top of each leg.   The stock was 5/8 round bar. 6.5”, 6.5”, 6”. I will cut some off the bottom once I have decided how tall and wide I need it to be. 
 

The bars I will flatten while leaving the edges round. Then twist the bars. 
 

Using part of the extra from the cut poles, I will forge a ring to join all the eyes together. More of the extra will be made into an S hook to hang from the ring. To raise the grill, I will make a trammel hook. 
 

I plan to forge small chains to hold up the ridged grill. 
 

What does a jig look like for forming eyes on round bar?

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

I have never used a jig for forming eyes. Just free hand on the anvil & horn.

[Donal Harris]

It would allow increased productivity. 

[wicon]

Okay, not a tripod but a sixpod.

[Frosty]

That's a kitchen with pantry and serving counter! You do some serious camping and eating don't you?

That'd be "hexapod" in American English.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

18 hours ago, Dave51B said:

the length of the legs somewhere?

Finally stopped raining long enough to go measure them. Mine are 51 inches long. Funny thing is I miscalculated the diameter of the kettle and it wouldn't hang when the legs were spread enough for it to fit. I had to add 8 inches of 1/2 in black pipe as feet to get the needed height and spread. Like someone told me once, "it's not a mistake if it can be fixed".

[arkie]

19 hours ago, DHarris said:

What does a jig look like for forming eyes on round bar?

Make the pin, space and post sized for any hook, loop or eye you want.  (A hook is shown here, just continue your bed for an eye.)  Traditional over the horn is fine, jigs are faster and more uniform for multiple items.

 

[ThomasPowers]

Length of legs depend on what you are cooking and how you are cooking it; no standard length!  If it's a bean pot you may want it down close to a low fire or up high enough that it won't burn.  For a grill I like to be able to adjust it up and down.  I sell my tripods with 1 free s-hook.

[Donal Harris]

I will likely never use it. Probably just give it away to someone, like all the many, many leaf and cross keychains. Unless you count a freezing couple of nights sleeping in a tent outside the barracks at Irwin Army Community Hospital at Ft Riley (it was considered going “out in the field” for our medical unit) I haven’t been camping since I was a kid. 
 

I went out after work to work on the legs again. I was only able to stay out there about 30 minutes. Even with a leather apron on, my chest was just too hot. Burning hot. Later while eating supper I realized why and felt pretty silly. I was wearing a shirt with snap buttons. 

[BillyBones]

1100 posts! 

DHarris here is a jig i use. Just change the socket for different sized stock or you can bend around the socket. Quite handy. The socket has a piece of 1/2" square about 2" long or so to hold it. That is a 26mm socket on it, i got sockets that go up to 2".

Shirts have buttons? Huh, who would have figured.

I wish i could say that about my time in. I spent 90% of it knee deep in the mud and rain. As someone who served combat arms the medic and the cook were the 2 guys you wanted as friends. Thanks for patching us fools up. 

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Also look up Schwenker grills, they are a German BBQ.  They come in all sizes and several designs.

 

 

[Donal Harris]

That is what I am shooting for. I remember them from my time there, although none of the German nationals I was friends with had anything beyond those small Hibachi type things. All of them lived in apartments and none had one of those small garden plots that are so popular over there. 
 

I finished remaking the loops on the poles. Should have disrupted the spot where the weld went, and I wouldn’t bet my life the welds actually welded, but they look OK. Not professional, but not super sloppy either. 

[ThomasPowers]

Here's my version: 3/8" sq stock for just feeding a couple of people.   It comes apart to pack flat and can be used to suspend multiple pots over a fire cowboy style:

     

 

Didn't get the grill out, limited time during lunch.

[tjdaggett]

Thank you for the inspiration! I'll keep an eye on this thread. This is a project I plan to tackle in the next couple of forging seasons. 

[Donal Harris]

The twists I had put in the legs were worse than terrible. I untwisted them and re-twisted them this afternoon and joined them together. In doing so, I found my welds on two of them were not actually welded. I tried again to get them to take, but ended up just drilling a small hole in each of them and riveting them. A little bit of a letdown, but I’m still new to this. At least the legs are relatively straight and the twists are reasonably even. 
 

Tomorrow I hope to get the ring added and at least begin the trammel hook. 
 

Should the ring go through all three loops on the legs?
 

And I REALLY need to straighten up around my forging area.