home made camp ovens or Bedourie

[finga]

Has anybody made their own camp oven or Bedourie or have plans for one??
The cook has taken to making dampers and loves the idea of camp oven cooking.
I thought the next logical step would be to make our own oven instead of buying one (and I'm a tight wod).
Any leads would be great.

Cheers then
Scott

PS she loves your site Derek and if we don't make something up the Southern Metal Spinners will get another sale...a 15" I reckon

[Pridey]

I've actually been thinking about this too. I have been meaning to hit up a boilermaker mate of mine. Some of the camp ovens out there are a bit xxy if you want one big enough to cook for a few people.

[thephotoguru]

What size camp ovens are we talking?

[Derek Bullock]

Has anybody made their own camp oven or Bedourie or have plans for one??
The cook has taken to making dampers and loves the idea of camp oven cooking.
I thought the next logical step would be to make our own oven instead of buying one (and I'm a tight wod).
Any leads would be great.

Cheers then
Scott

PS she loves your site Derek and if we don't make something up the Southern Metal Spinners will get another sale...a 15" I reckon

Scott

Seen lots of things you have put together on here at times and I reckon with your talent you could make one. Go and have a look at a new Bedourie and see how they are done. The new ones are spun steel but the originals made by Simpson were rolled, spot welded and riveted.

Would be very interested how it turns out. In fact if you are happy with it and take some good photos of making it and the end product I would be happy to feature it on my website.

At the end of the day a camp oven is just a metal container to hold heat in. Doesn't have to be fancy at all.

Let me know how you go.


Derek

[finga]

The brain is already working.
Some 18" steel pipe with bottom welded in and an old inverted plough disc for a lid and a rolled rim (note to self...bring the metal roller next trip from Brisbane)
Or a big old truck brake drum with a gas bottle cut in half inside it...and an old inverted plough disc for a lid

Bugger you Derek....I'm still trying to figger out a boat mover for Charlieville.
Oh well. I reckon I could think about both.

[Bros]

Yes I have made one and it was quite successful in cooking but if you are any good a 20l drum would do equally well.

The main problem was the bottom. It was impossible to get smooth corners similar to spuns steel or cast. I now have a modified Bedourie and think it is great.

[finga]

How critical is the nice fillet in the bottom?
I can get pretty neat and smooth with the trusty old mig but it isn't baby bum smooth. More like 30-40 year old wrinkles (pending lifestyle).

Is it important to have a bit of thickness in the steel or does a 44 drum type thickness work.
I would have thought you'd need some thickness to even the jumps in temperature out and to hold some heat.
I was thinking 5/32-3/16 for the sides, 1/4-3/8 for the base and an inverted plough disc for the top.
Is it better for good old steel or will stainless work as well??

Old gas bottles have nice rounded corners in their bottoms....so do old kegs.

[Bros]

It is much easier to clean when the bottom is spun. That is the only reason. I think with the large ones it would probably be better to make one if you could and use a trivet and it wouldn't matter about the corners.

I made mine out of 16 burner tube from a power station a mate made one and just folded it and his was square they both worked well for roasting. In fact he was smarter than me as he made 2 with one fitting inside the other something you couldn't do with round unless you got the right size pipe.

They were all made out of 1/4 plate.

I don't know what I was thinking of but they were made entirely out of 1/8 plate.

[Pridey]

I've seen a few cut down kegs used before mate, being under pressure they are thick etc. then you just have to think about the lid

[Heath]

Don't just make one Scott

Been watching a few old videos featuring Thomo camp cooking.
My young bloke (9) then wants to make a damper....

Well stuff me, 20mins later out he comes with the best friggin damper I have ever tasted. All nice & golden brown, with cheese & bacon through it!!! Only needed mums help to get into & out of the oven.

So now a camp oven is on the list before our next trip.

How busy are you? Might need your expertise for a set of racks for the trailer.....

yak soon

Cheers

[TheRealAndy]

Scott, if you can make something like that, then you can make me a keg crab cooker. I would pay for it, and I can give you plans out of my head.

[Pridey]

I struggle to boil crabs anymore... fresh muddies thrown straight onto low coals .......you thought crabs were good before !!!

[finga]

Well stuff me, 20mins later out he comes with the best friggin damper I have ever tasted. All nice & golden brown, with cheese & bacon through it!!! Only needed mums help to get into & out of the oven.

So now a camp oven is on the list before our next trip.

How busy are you? Might need your expertise for a set of racks for the trailer.....

Little bugger. The cook is like that...
She couldn't make a scone to save my life and then has a go at a damper and wooohoo. It's like my taste buds are doing a jig in my mouth...in a good way

When's your next trip?

Scott, if you can make something like that, then you can make me a keg crab cooker. I would pay for it, and I can give you plans out of my head.

No use in your head are they unless you have eyeballs like a projector

I better go and have a look at the scrap yard for some more kegs then eh.
I have one in Brisbane but it has Charleville's name painted on it.

I should have just shut my mouth about this whole caper

[murf]

IMO the stainless steel kegs wont transfer the heat you will get hot spots and cold spots etc, but would be good for stews and the like where you just have bottom heat

cheers Murf

[GBC]

If you can supply the sand mould I know a bloke who just happens to own a foundry.

They do mining equipment though, so you might have to settle for a camp oven made from ni-hard instead of cast iron......

You do know BCF do a perfectly good one for 60 bucks? Oh sorry Finga it's you we're talking about