Forging a Waffle Iron

[jamisarrius]

Hello all,

 

I was hoping the collective expertise here may be able to help. I have been asked by a medieval reenactor if I could forge a waffle iron in the style of the manuscript attached.

 

Essentially tongs with a waffle iron on one end but I'm stumped trying to think up a way to make the irons so they seal, allow a 'honeycomb' waffle shape  that historical records describe and doesn't weight a ton. 

 

All thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[ThomasPowers]

If it's medieval; then it's much more likely to be a wafer iron; see http://www.larsdatter.com/wafer-irons.htm   Not usually a honey comb  but with designs and figures embossed into the surface. Often chiseled/engraved to make patterns of the wafers.  See "Iron and Brass Implements of the English House", J Seymour Lindsay, plates 149 and 149.   They show a good example of how they were made.  For a true medieval version I would forge weld the "tong ends to the plates. (In real WI of course.)  Later ones often used cast iron plates riveted to the WI handles.

Wafers can be served flat or rolled up while still warm and pliable.  I haven't seen any honeycombed waffle irons until the 19th century.

[Jobtiel1]

There was a very good video by Joey van der Steeg where he forged something similar, but I can't find the video anymore.

Dutch "spekkedikken" irons are very similar.

[JHCC]

1 hour ago, Jobtiel1 said:

I can't find the video anymore.

I think Joey shut down his YouTube channel entirely, which is a great shame.

[George N. M.]

The woman in the illustration appears so intrigued by the wafer in her hand that she has put the handles of the wafer iron into the fire while holding the wafer making end.  The disk she is holding may also be a mirror and she is so entranced by her reflection that she is distracted from the task at hand.  This may be an example of one of the humorous marginal illustrations which are fairly common in late medieval manuscripts.  Or, it may be an illustration of the sin of vanity.

The wafer irons I own are cast iron riveted to steel handles.

Wafers can be either sweet or savory.  Martha and I made some cheese flavored ones that were killer.  You can also fill 2 of sweet wafers with a sweet cream filling,  It's sort of a large sandwich cookie.

Communion wafers with religous patterns were often made this way and broken up with the pieces used when giving the individual sacrament.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[Frosty]

A wafer iron would be something a blacksmith could do without having to learn and equip for casting. Chase the pattern(s) into the plates and refine them with "Riffling / Riffler, Files" There are hundreds of them available for not much online, just be sure to get ones for iron. Wood Rifflers are used for wood carving too so don't buy the wrong ones.

Be SURE the person commissioning the irons knows they are going to be much more expensive than buying one online. You WILL spend hours chasing and filing to make nice wafers. Depending on the pattern they want of course, a simple cross could be chased and riffled in maybe an hour. Remember you have two halves that have to match reasonably well. Yes? So call it half an hour per half.

If they want a checkered pattern like a waffle cone you're probably looking at a couple three hours per side. $200+ would be cheap. If you don't think that's a real bargain price wait till you've spent an hour riffling.

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

I was wondering about using a screwpress and one end of a bush hammer for making the "waffling" but it would take some precision to get them lined up to inter penetrate.

One technique for embossing  designs is to hammer the rounded chisels in from the front and then file the plate flat leaving the grooves.

[Scott NC]

23 hours ago, George N. M. said:

Or, it may be an illustration of the sin of vanity.

  Or an omen of the insanity of multi-tasking.

[ThomasPowers]

Back when I worked for Bell Labs---30 years ago. We had a training exercise that showed that multitasking was often slower than sequential tasking as context switching took appreciable time.

[Scott NC]

I worked a graveyard job once where the only multi tasking I did was sleep in a chair while waiting for a shrieking horn to jolt you awake to take care of business.  There were extenuating circumstances so I slept well at night.

[Jobtiel1]

I must say I have been inspired by this post to try and make myself a pair of these waffle irons. Now to start I need to think of a way to cut out the round ends. Also need to (finally) get started on engraving chisels and the like. It seems that I have another project to build up tools and skills.

~Jobtiel

[Frosty]

Noooooo, you want to make WAFER irons, waffle irons are an exercise in casting iron. Thinking about it and another method occurs to me, you could make a broaching plane. Similar to a wood plane but with a scraper knife of a specific width, depth and shape.

How much challenge is cutting a couple circles from steel plate? If you have a cut off saw I'd find a piece of round bar the diameter I wanted. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

Use fairly heavy stock so that they will have enough heat in them to cook the wafer in one go.  Please note that rectangular wafer irons are also known and easier to source the material than the round ones...

[Jobtiel1]

Maybe I'll make them rectangular yeah. I have some wide flat bar that is a nice thickness for the irons. I only have an angle grinder and a hacksaw so getting good round parts might pose a challenge. I'll save that for when I have the space to store oxy acetylene safely.

Does anyone have any idea how big the gap between the plates is? are they gapless when closed or should there be some gap to allow for the batter to be in there. I imagine them being seamless would make for very flat wafers.

~Jobtiel

[LeeJustice]

They are on a sliding hinge so that the gap can open as the batter cooks and rises.  Otherwise, most of the batter would get squeezed out of the sides.  Picture a pin for one plate which lies in a vertical groove in the other.

[ThomasPowers]

OTOH  Wafers are "wafer thin" and not thick like waffles.  Look up pizzelle for the Italian take on them!  Think of stroopwafel  sides for a Dutch take on them.

[Jobtiel1]

On those irons I poster earlier there doesn't seem to be a sliding pin, just a solid rivet to attach the two parts. it does look like there is a small opening between the two irons, like a 3-4 mm gap. I think a sliding pin will make you spill the things everywhere as the two halves keep sliding.

~Jobtiel

[JHCC]

You definitely want a small gap, but whether you design the iron with a specific gap built in or have sloppily fit hinges that create a variable gap is up to you.

[anvil]

Can you forgeweld?

[Frosty]

Spill maybe a tbsp of batter EVERYWHERE?! You don't swing them around your head you know! The pins would only slip a LITTLE BIT say 3mm give or take.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Jobtiel1]

Fair enough, a loose rivet is probably the best option. I'm going to look if I can find some videos on these things in use and maybe see how they're made.

I can forge weld somewhat, still not great at it but I'm practicing.

~Jobtiel

[ThomasPowers]

Any "historic houses" near you that might have one in the kitchen so you can examine it close up?

[Jobtiel1]

The few I went to I haven't seen them, must say I also wasn't searching for them yet. Definitely keep an eye out on the next ones I go too. I'll start making one soon and try and find out the trial and error way.

~Jobtiel

[ThomasPowers]

They sell electric pizzelle makers and I bet you can locate a cooker for the stroopwafel that you can use as a design basis for the iron.

"Early American Wrought Iron", Sonn  has good drawings of several including various ways of locking the arms together and fastening the disks.

"The Opera of Bartolomeo Scappi", 1570 AD  has an example in plate 16.

"Irons in the Fire", Rachel Feild and "Savouring the Past, The French Kitchen & Table from 1300 to 1789", B.K.Wheaton have multiple mentions but no examples of the hardware.

 

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

I wonder if after you chase the rough honey comb pattern out if you couldn’t use a dremel tool to do the finishing work an save a day of filing? 

they make a million different little bits for those things I’d think there'd be one that would be perfect to get in there clean it up an make it look nice