Making a Billy can frame.

[Zammo]

I have just purchased a Zebra Billy and was wondering how to construct a frame on which to suspend it over the fire. I know firstly I need to get two forked sticks and drive them into the ground with a stick resting on the forks to create a spit. Then I need to create a notched stick to hook the Billy to and then suspend this over the fire but i'm not sure what keeps this up?


Here is a picture courtesy of Pablo's blog (I hope he doesn't mind) that shows the bottom of the frame but not the top, which is what i'm unsure about.

 

[dommyracer]

There's a few ways to do it, but the easiest is probably to find a branch that has had lots of side shoots coming of it - cut the side shoots off leaving a couple of inches attached to the main branch and you will then have a series of natural hooks that will hook over your top bar and allow you to raise and lower the billy to varying heights.

Ideally you want your billy to be almost touching the base of the fire on its lowest setting.

 

[Zammo]

Ok thanks, ill give that a try.

 

[Squidders]

I cut a square notch out of 2 sticks and jam a square block in to them... this looks odd and sounds odd but is very simple and very secure in use.

to adjust height, I either carefully pick my verticals with lots of smaller limbs to lay the horizontal on or just jam it in to the ground more or less.

 

[Deleted member 4605]

If you've got it, page 36 of Essential Bushcraft has very good pictures of what you're trying to achieve.

 

[Hoodoo]

Here's a few ideas.

 

[mojofilter]

I prefer a cantilever type structure, provided of course that the weight is not too great. This allows you infinite height adjustment, and also lets you swing your billy away from the fire without burnt fingers.

 

[mojofilter]

Can be used for more than just pots too....

 

[big_swede]

That looks brilliant mojo! Just for curiousity, how long time did it take the first time you made it?

Will try tomorrow...

 

[Zammo]

Blimy that cantilever design looks complicated!

Hodoos one looks nice and simple for a first attempt at using the billy.

Do some people just put the Billy onto the fire embers?

One thing i've noticed with regards my Zebra billy is that it has plastic hing caps on the side, will these stand the risk of melting when its suspended over a fire?

 

[Squidders]

I often just stick mine in the fire... what plastic? mine's all metal. got a pic? can you remove them?

 

[mojofilter]

That looks brilliant mojo! Just for curiousity, how long time did it take the first time you made it?

Will try tomorrow...

It only takes about 5 mins mate, there is only one lashing made.

Unfortunatly I dont have a pic of it from the other side, that would show the simplicity of it, the top of the diagonal is hooked round the upright, and the bottom bit is holding it against the upright. The weight of the pot makes it grip.

 

[Graham_S]

i prefer the "wayland chain"
make a tripod of sticks over the fire and suspend your billy on a length of brass chain with a hook on each end.
one end hooks on the tripod, the other passes through the billy handle and hooks back onto the chain.
infinite adjustment.
you can pick the chain up cheaply at b&q.

 

[Zammo]

I often just stick mine in the fire... what plastic? mine's all metal. got a pic? can you remove them?

I suppose I could remove the plastic bits, closeups:

 

[Graham_S]

the first thing i did was to get rid of those things on all of my zebra billys.

 

[woodchips]

I concur, remove the plastic thingys. The zebra billy can is designed to carry your curry around in it with the rice in the tray apparently, so the clips are kind of handy to stop your lunch going flying but serve no function in its bushcraft guise unless you like melted plastic dribbling down the side of the can. I suppose you could use them as an emergency fire lighter

 

[leon-1]

Make a tripod mate, this is Ahjno next to one that was made at our meet on Dartmoor.

This is a little more detail of how the pott hanger is suspended.

No metal no chains, the string in the picture was made from linen thread, it came out of my equipment repair kit (I carry one in my daysack). it was then produced the same way as you would make any other cordage. As an idea of how good it is, it is still going now, it also lasted the whole time that we were there ( 7 or 8 days) bar the very first day.

 

[BOD]

Here's a site with ideas

http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/skills/b-p/wb/fires.htm

I'm lazy and just use a crane fire if by myself. No lashings and little or no chopping of wood. Eco-friendly, I suppose