Now that's like a small version of the water heater at my grand-dad's house in Broken Hill. It was called a chip heater, and was permanently plumbed in to the cold water, with a simple shower head on the end of a tube. My dad remembers as a boy dropping little bits of kindling, straw, twigs etc down it to get it lit, and then after a few minutes having plenty of hot water for a shower, the water pressure of the cold water coming in pushing the hot water out. Apparently you could have a couple of minutes shower before the water went too cold.
Why kelly kettles?
- Thread starter forestwalker
- Start date
One thing to note with Ghillie kettles is that unlike Kelly and other makes, most of them have a whistle. Because like any kettle of this design they can boil water ASTONISHINGLY quickly, steam needs to escape equally quickly. The whistle on a Ghillie constricts the opening and as a result the pressure in the kettle increases. This can be dangerous. Very early in my experience with my Ghillie I was quite badly burned by a jet of boiling water which shot out a great distance from it. Only my preparedness and prompt first aid saved me from serious permanent damage.
http://www.jubileegroup.co.uk/JOS/misc/hand.jpg
Partly because of that experience, and partly because the whistle fell to pieces not long after I bought the kettle, I no longer use the whistle -- which is a pity, because it's the only reason I bought that make rather than some other, cheaper one. Now that I'm clearer about some of the issues I plan to make one more suited to me. It will have TWO filler holes, not one!
Another issue to be aware of is the size of sticks which you use. I've sometimes read that people use long sticks which they feed down the chimney. That might be OK with very thin sticks, but if they are so thick that they don't burn through and fall to the bottom of the chimney before the water boils, it means that you might not be able safely to remove the kettle from the fire when it starts boiling because the sticks hold it in place. If you lift the kettle high enough to clear the sticks they will fall all over the place and may start a fire you didn't mean to start, quite apart from the possible issue of lifting a couple of litres of vigorously boiling water higher than you might really have wanted to.
Please take care, and especially if you're with the kids make sure they understand.
That's looks damn sore Ged 
Even with Kelly Kettles though you are at risk of water shooting/bubbling out which, like you, i found out to my dismay (not as bad as yours though).
Like anything like this though, you have to be careful be it a billy full of boiling water or a ghillie/kelly kettle. Even a camp kettle you have to be wary of the heat and steam.
I've had a couple of kelly kettles and after a while stopped using them, the ghillie appealed to me because of the whistle despite the hazards of pressure but at least you'd know when the water was ready without sticking your noggin in to look at bubbling water.
Even with Kelly Kettles though you are at risk of water shooting/bubbling out which, like you, i found out to my dismay (not as bad as yours though).
Like anything like this though, you have to be careful be it a billy full of boiling water or a ghillie/kelly kettle. Even a camp kettle you have to be wary of the heat and steam.
I've had a couple of kelly kettles and after a while stopped using them, the ghillie appealed to me because of the whistle despite the hazards of pressure but at least you'd know when the water was ready without sticking your noggin in to look at bubbling water.
thanks for that!
I'll drop them an email now and see how much it'll cost to get one to my door Looks like it will prove very useful though and I like your idea of the pipe and funnel top-ups When I used the large one, after a while I noticed water boiling at the seam where it sits on the fire bowl. I watched with interest expecting it to get worse and in fact it seemed to seal up as I watched. Is this normal and can I expect to see this happen each time?
I must admit I like the idea of these pieces of kit but would never find a use for them. Way back when I volunteered for BTCV conservation work They had one but I'm not sure which model. IIRC it had the base pan integral to the main unit. Basically it was a one piece kit. It worked well no matter what the weather. We had a reasonable number of people working say about 10 maybe more. It only took one person to drop off what we were working on for about 10 minutes before the break to light it and by the time everyone clocked off to take their break / lunch it was practically boiling. That is where it scores. Its a good piece of kit to keep in the back of a landy or minibus for a group to have their teas made for them. If you have to be mobile IMHO they are too bulky even if they aren't too heavy.
BTW I'm not sure what make the one I tried but the guy who owned it said a mate made it and it was made in Cumbria. I'd be interested in finding out who made it if anyone has an idea.
I do think it is a little bit of a marmite product. Either you'll like it (in which case you'll argue that is is the muts nuts) or you'll like the idea but find it too impractical. I am in the latter camp at the moment. But then I am one of the cutthelabelsoutofclothes types, but only because they annoyed me not for weight, honest. Personally I'd prefer a gas or a meths burner. I've never got on with a wood burner and the KK as well.
Has anyone ever tried making their own Kelly Kettle clone?
BTW I'm not sure what make the one I tried but the guy who owned it said a mate made it and it was made in Cumbria. I'd be interested in finding out who made it if anyone has an idea.
I do think it is a little bit of a marmite product. Either you'll like it (in which case you'll argue that is is the muts nuts) or you'll like the idea but find it too impractical. I am in the latter camp at the moment. But then I am one of the cutthelabelsoutofclothes types, but only because they annoyed me not for weight, honest. Personally I'd prefer a gas or a meths burner. I've never got on with a wood burner and the KK as well.
Has anyone ever tried making their own Kelly Kettle clone?
It probably isn't a leak. It's probably just condensation on the cold metal from the burning gases. A lot of water vapour is made when you burn hydrocarbons, wood etc. and the vapour will condense on anything cold. This can be quite a problem in flues for wood-burning stoves, for example. It isn't really a problem with a kettle.
As the kettle gets hotter, as you saw, less will condense. When it's boiling, none will. Yes, this will happen every time.
It will be a small leak at the seam.
One of my Kellys used to do that but eventually it sealed itself up.
One of my Kellys used to do that but eventually it sealed itself up.
mine's definitely a leak. I leave the kettle outside these days coz if I leave it in teh workshop I have a puddle on the floor! I've never understood the "seams will seal themselves with soot" thing since all of the seams are on the outside of the kettle where no soot/tar gets!
I've never understood the "seams will seal themselves with soot" thing since all of the seams are on the outside of the kettle where no soot/tar gets!
In the paperwork on the one I got from Lurch it mentioned that it might leak at first but will cure itself.
Must admit I am yet to try it out.
Off topic, My kitchen stainless kettle made by Morphy Richards gave up the ghost, so I stripped it of all plastic, drilled some holes in the side and a place to feed it with wood for fuel, and ended up with the DELUX model hobo stove.
It's very stable on the ground, I just need to put some more holes in lower down to let more air in.
Must admit I am yet to try it out.
Off topic, My kitchen stainless kettle made by Morphy Richards gave up the ghost, so I stripped it of all plastic, drilled some holes in the side and a place to feed it with wood for fuel, and ended up with the DELUX model hobo stove.
It's very stable on the ground, I just need to put some more holes in lower down to let more air in.
It is the accumulation of sediment from the boiled water that seals the small leaks.
ah that would make more sense. Maybe I should just bung some radiator sealant into it
I'd use an egg!
I didn't realise there was such a diversity in what is a basic and simple design, Ged,. Patrick Kelly was at pains to point out what qualifies as a 'Kelly' kettle and until now i thought 'ghillie kettle' was a loose description of such a cooker.
That scald does indeed look sore but i can't say that i have experienced any problems with the cooker that i have. In fact, looking at photos, the one thing about the Kelly that i am not sure of is the method of pouring the boiling water out of it. I have a potgrabber with my eco-trekker and it is very safe to use. I'm not sure how user-friendly that handle would be on a red-hot kettle while pulling on the chain to upend it.
Hi Folks,
Just a quick line for readers on the correct use of the Kelly kettle.
Firstly, the kettle should not have ANY obstruction in the water spout when the kettle is lit. The Correct way to use the kettle is here: How to use the Kelly Kettle
Some people make a mistake when lifting the kettle off and back on the fire base. The correct way to lift the Kettle is detailed on our FAQ page which is always a good source of information on our kettles. The correct way to lift is below for your convenience.
http://www.kellykettle.com/when-the...e-lifted-clear-of-the-fire-base-a-flames.html
The reason we say to lift 'back on' the fire base is that it is quite common for one of our kettles to be used to boil water for a large party of people - by simply refilling it with cold water and setting it back on the fire base again.
I won't go into a sales pitch on the benefits of our kettles here - all that information is available on the homepage of our website!
Hope you find this useful.
'Kelly Kettle' & 'Volcano Kettle' are Registered Trademarks of the Kelly Kettle Co., Ireland
Just a quick line for readers on the correct use of the Kelly kettle.
Firstly, the kettle should not have ANY obstruction in the water spout when the kettle is lit. The Correct way to use the kettle is here: How to use the Kelly Kettle
Some people make a mistake when lifting the kettle off and back on the fire base. The correct way to lift the Kettle is detailed on our FAQ page which is always a good source of information on our kettles. The correct way to lift is below for your convenience.
http://www.kellykettle.com/when-the...e-lifted-clear-of-the-fire-base-a-flames.html
The reason we say to lift 'back on' the fire base is that it is quite common for one of our kettles to be used to boil water for a large party of people - by simply refilling it with cold water and setting it back on the fire base again.
I won't go into a sales pitch on the benefits of our kettles here - all that information is available on the homepage of our website!
Hope you find this useful.
'Kelly Kettle' & 'Volcano Kettle' are Registered Trademarks of the Kelly Kettle Co., Ireland
welcome to the forums Kelly Kettle
i don't suppose you've thought about making a large party size kettle? if I've a group of 10 people they don't want to wait for a rebrew half way through, so having a properly big kettle would be an advantage
i don't suppose you've thought about making a large party size kettle? if I've a group of 10 people they don't want to wait for a rebrew half way through, so having a properly big kettle would be an advantage
I spent a week up on Islay last year and one of the group brought along a kelly kettle in his rucksack.
It proved to be the most useful bit of kit that any brought along.We had very limited wood supply and this was able to boil up enough drinking water for everyone every day on just a few heather twigs and such.
Yes it was a lot of space in his bag but it was well worth having it for the group
It proved to be the most useful bit of kit that any brought along.We had very limited wood supply and this was able to boil up enough drinking water for everyone every day on just a few heather twigs and such.
Yes it was a lot of space in his bag but it was well worth having it for the group
Paganwolf
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
OOooooh i can see me tent!! lol, I was just about to post that snippet of info, wont bother now lol It was worth its weight in Gold though....
It was worth its weight in Gold though....
OOooooh i can see me tent!! lol, I was just about to post that snippet of info, wont bother now lol
Was a great trip.Have sent ye a pm
