Camp ground cooking grate

[koditten]

I've been looking for a decent camfire grate to take to the campgrounds for a while now. Everything I could find was either way cheap or stupidly over engineered-no offense to engineer

Regardless, I came up with this design on my own. I don't know if I stole the idea of the grate adjustment form anywhere, but all I know is it works awesome.

Because you never know how full the campground fire rings are going to be, I needed something that had a wide range of adjustment.

Igredients:

8- 1 1/2" angle iron cut into 8" lengths.

scrap expanded steel

the adjustable part of a bar clamp, the part that slided on the pipe

3-4' 3/4" pipe, preferrably black iron. Mine is galvanized, but am not seeing any issue with the fire heating up the galvinization, after all the fire rings are galvanized.

1-3/4" coupleing to pound against with your hatchet. This keeps the pipe from mushrooming over and not letting you take apart the grate for storage.

I welded the with no particular care. I did not do any mitering of the joints, just overlapped the joints and arranged into a rough octogonal shape. Tack in some expanded steel and weld the bar clamp foot to the bottom.

I think the pics are self explanatary.

Later

KO

 

[raddksn]

Very nice! Simple and functional.

 

[madosta]

Nice work. This is cool. Love the lid for the cast iron... I do not have one of those!

 

[koditten]

Weird. Everyone responding is from Michigan.

Thanks for the compliments.

 

[NASTYZEN]

The use of an old pipe clamp is just brilliant!

 

[turbowoodworker]

Very nice design that I will steal! I must tell you though that my dad had a very similar design when I was a kid in the early 60's. Instead of the woodworking clamp, which is ingenious, he had a set screw to hold the grill up.

One critique though if you pardon. You will find that the raised edge of the angle iron keeps the hot dogs from rolling into the coals but it will also inhibit your ability to use the spatula to flip a burger or steak close to the edge. just my 0.02.

Very cool!

 

[koditten]

No problem.

You kinda need some sort of sides on this for it to work. I will keep it rigid. If it was flat, it would eventually sag from the heat warping the flat grating.

 

[steel 35]

The use of an old pipe clamp is just brilliant!

Agreed.

I have a stainless washer drum coming my way in the near future, thanks for another one; Stolen

 

[turbowoodworker]

No problem.

You kinda need some sort of sides on this for it to work. I will keep it rigid. If it was flat, it would eventually sag from the heat warping the flat grating.

I was thinking if it we placed upside down the edge of the angle would be even or flush with the exp steel and make it easier to get under stuff. Just thinkin' too much.

 

[koditten]

The Mrs. thought it was a great idea as well. She wondered if I could build up a few to sell. I told her no problem.

I'm wondering if the 1/2" version of the same clamps would work as well.

 

[steel 35]

I almost like it enough to sacrifice a monkey on a stick

 

[onemore]

I'm not from Michigan....But a very good/ cleaver idea.

 

[SteveH-CO]

I'm a Midland, Michigan native - now in Colorado. I like it - simple, inexpensive and versatile.

 

[bczygan]

We've got a manufactured one almost like that, but square.

There is a ferrule built into it so the rod that it is mounted on, slides through it, and is secured with a set screw, for storage. There is a canvas bag with drawstring for transport.

Very handy. Get a good bed of coals and set this down low and cook away.

 

[rlitman]

The use of an old pipe clamp is just brilliant!

Agreed! The use of both the ability to swivel and adjust height in a single piece, is genius. Now if only there was a way to do this and be able to crank it up and down while loaded ... (just thinking).

 

[koditten]

I have a tee handle with a hook to adjust it while hot and loaded (same way I like my woman).

KO

 

[steel 35]

(same way I like my woman).

KO

(ME TOO)

How about a caulk gun trigger assembly

 

[koditten]

Thats a good idea, but I have a hard time thinking a 3/8" rod driven into the ground would support a fulley loaded dutch oven.

Build one and report back.

 

[rlitman]

(ME TOO)

How about a caulk gun trigger assembly

Something along those lines takes care of the up, but not the down.
I agree with koditten that a caulk gun trigger is not up to holding this up, BUT there are bigger versions that do the same thing. Think of an Irwin Quick Grip clamp. Except that has plastic parts. It's probably too much to fabricate anyway, and koditten's t-handle should be sufficient (and more durable) for outdoor use.

For me, I was thinking of using this as a basis for a design for a fireplace jib crane / spitjack. A rack and pinion like I have on my drillpress table would be awesome, but I'm not machining that from scratch...

 

[rslaback]

The only change I would make would be to drill a through hole in the end of the coupling and then another just past the threaded portion of the top of the stand pipe. That way if the coupler ever gets stuck from heat and/or rain you can get it off with a couple of screwdrivers instead of a couple of pipe wrenches.

The other option would be to stick a piece of rod down the throat of the pipe and weld it there. The smaller diameter solid rod would be strong enough to drive it down and even if it mushroomed the diameter is reduced so the grate would still come off no fuss. As the end mushroomed out just grind it off like you would a chisel end when you get home.

 

[PanelDeland]

Looks like a great tool for the campfire. If someone wanted to turn it over for steaks, they could always build a locking swivel into the joint from pipe clamp to basket. Since this worked well and you must camp some, I have to ask. Have you ever cooked in a disc? Just weld up the hole in an old plow disc and add three evenly spaced legs(I've seen them adjustable). Great for stir fry or Chorizo and eggs. If your disc is big enough you can warm tortillas around the edges. This adjustment set up would work well on one since you could adjust heat with height. And for those who "think" cook n a dirty plow disc, just season it like a cast iron skillet.

 

[koditten]

I've driven into some solid ground 4 times so far. Each time the coupling gets a bit more deformed, but have noted no change in the threads on the pipe. Each time the coupling u nscrews with ease.

I don't plan on leaving this out in the weather all year long. I use it for a week or so then it goes back into the storage cubby in the camper. It is working perfect and is easy to store.

 

[koditten]

Never did the disc cooking thing, but would bet it would be great. Might have to fab up one of those.

Thanks

KO