Curtain Wire Makes Great Bails For Pots

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Joonsy

Native
Jul 24, 2008
1,483
3
UK
Having read some threads about making bails for hanging pots/mugs for cooking over fire I thought I would post what I do in case it's of any use to other members. I use curtain wire, the spirally stuff that has a little stretch, it's quick and simple, cheap, requires no work whatsoever to pot like drilling etc, easily slides on and off pot so pot can be used with or without bail whenever required, same bail can be transferred onto other pots of a similar size with a rim.

  • Get a length of curtain wire and six screw-in hooks, strip the plastic coating off the wire.
  • Cut two pieces of wire to the exact same length, screw the hooks into the ends of the wire (requires four hooks) join the two lengths together with the hooks to form a complete circle, close the hooks gap with pliers to form closed eyes. (size of wire circle will match the size of pot used, for a nice snug fit make the wire circle slightly smaller than the pot, curtain wire has a little stretch and will grip the rim well).
  • Cut a third length of wire (this will be the bail so cut to preferred length for hanging) and screw in hooks to both ends, attach those hooks to the hooks on the wire circle, close the hooks gap with pliers to form closed eyes.
  • Slide the wire circle over rim of pot/mug, that's it you're done.

Pics below for demonstration:---













I know the crusader mug is popular with members so the pic below shows the exact same bail above slipped onto a crusader mug (it can be rotated around rim to sit wherever preferred).



There you go, ATB.
 
Last edited:

bopdude

Full Member
Feb 19, 2013
3,000
215
58
Stockton on Tees
Sounds like a nice easily transferable mid that's ready to carry, I say sound like coz I can't see the pictures ?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 

Joonsy

Native
Jul 24, 2008
1,483
3
UK
Sounds like a nice easily transferable mid that's ready to carry, I say sound like coz I can't see the pictures ?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

oh right sorry, the pictures are showing perfectly on my computer so don't know whats wrong there, will try looking at editing somehow but like I say they are actually showing on my screen.
 

Joonsy

Native
Jul 24, 2008
1,483
3
UK
okay folks I have edited post to show pics properly, I hope they are now showing correctly (they are on my screen so I would be grateful if someone could let me know if pics are showing correctly), sorry I have a new laptop with windows 10 and am only just getting used to the new system as my old one was xp.
 

Fraxinus

Settler
Oct 26, 2008
935
31
Canterbury
Looked in earlier and could not see the pics but can now, so thanks for posting a great idea and taking time to sort the pics issue :D

Rob.
 

Joonsy

Native
Jul 24, 2008
1,483
3
UK
Looked in earlier and could not see the pics but can now, so thanks for posting a great idea and taking time to sort the pics issue :D

Rob.

and thankyou too for replying to the thread :) (and of course thanks to all other member replies :))
 

Chiseller

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 5, 2011
6,176
3
West Riding
cheers....shows again what a great forum we share. well done fella...

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
 
Apr 12, 2014
476
2
middle earth
thats a genius idea. i have a Primus LiTech trek kettle and only the other day I was thinking 'if only it had a bale it would be perfect', im blatantly stealing your idea and im off to the garage/workshop right now! :You_Rock_
 

Joonsy

Native
Jul 24, 2008
1,483
3
UK
Excellent.

Someone needs to do some load tests though, because it will fail at a certain point.

Thanks for reply, it's just designed for the typical pot/mug/billy that the average walker uses, it will easily support such a pot, the key is to make the wire circle a bit smaller than the rim of pot, curtain wire has some stretch and will grip the pot very firm indeed, the greater the difference in size between wire circle and rim of pot the greater the grip, of course if wire circle has same circumference as pot it will have no stretch therefore no grip, like I said in op make the wire circle a bit smaller than rim of pot.
 

Joonsy

Native
Jul 24, 2008
1,483
3
UK
cheers....shows again what a great forum we share. well done fella...

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

thats a genius idea. i have a Primus LiTech trek kettle and only the other day I was thinking 'if only it had a bale it would be perfect', im blatantly stealing your idea and im off to the garage/workshop right now! :You_Rock_

Thanks for replies folks :) have fun playing barbourdurham :)
 

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