Crow's nest

[Crow]

So glad to hear they day ended a whole lot better than it started, hope the leg heals up well 

1€ axe sounds like a steal, how's the quality?

Quality was ok. I ended giving it to my father in law.  He was happy, and was going to sharpen it, cause it was rather dull.

[Crow]

I hope you will recover soon, Crow!   

I will , thank you. First shock was worse than right now. We have to see what morning brings up.

[SAK Guy]

I hope you will recover soon, Crow!   

+1!!!!

[Smaug]

Count your blessings that the leg isn't broken, whatever else happened!

These boot sales you guys have are a really good idea. It would be nice if we could have them here, but I don't believe they're legal! (probably because the main people who sell stuff out of their boots (trunks, as we call them) are gangsters selling guns.

I just got back from visiting my sister in California. The weather is warm and dry there, but not too variable. Same thing every day. Sunny and dry. Here, we have beautiful clouds, green plants and trees, and temperature and humidity varies a lot. (sometimes, that's good, sometimes bad)

[SAKnight]

Just read through, great thread! Hope the leg gets better lickety split!

And as far as moving to Finland, that's not a bad idea 

[Crow]

Cheers guys. Leg feels little better now, alltough it is purple. Will have to see what my boss thinks of me not being able to work full health.

I forgot to mention. I got myself new carpenters toolbelt with pockets. Traded it with folder. And friday as i was at customer, i did some dumpster diving and found skillet and pickaroon. Looks i have to do some rust removal on that coocking apparel.

[lowtech]

Few times i have made trades or bought something with our loved lowtech. Here is our latest trade. Everyone that has had deals with him, know he is worth his word, and beyond. And same goes for this trade. Great respect to him.

I just now found this post by coincidence - Thank you for the nice feedback and I am glad you enjoy what i sent you! did you find the time to finish the planned 91 mm mod?

And all the best for your health, pal! Get well soon.

[Crow]

Few times i have made trades or bought something with our loved lowtech. Here is our latest trade. Everyone that has had deals with him, know he is worth his word, and beyond. And same goes for this trade. Great respect to him.

I just now found this post by coincidence - Thank you for the nice feedback and I am glad you enjoy what i sent you! did you find the time to finish the planned 91 mm mod?

And all the best for your health, pal! Get well soon.

You deserve every word.

No, i have not gotten to it yet. Too much stuff to do. But i will do it one day. Maybe some winter night when i have nothing else to do.

Now is second week back work, and i am more busier than ever.

Leg is holding ok at work. Just little stiff to walk.

[Smaug]

I forgot to mention. I got myself new carpenters toolbelt with pockets.

When I was an electrical technician, I did this for a while, before I discovered MTs. I had lineman and needlenose pliers, wire stripper, four dedicated screwdrivers, a tape measure, and electrical tape. It was enough to make my back sore from having more weight on one hip compared to the other.

If I were to do it again, I would carry a Surge w/bits for the incidentals and just roll my toolbox over for heavier-duty stuff. Or maybe a fanny pack.

I forget what your job is; not sure if that would work for you.

[Crow]

Picture.

Toolbelt, pickaroon and, what is it? Not skillet as i mentioned?

[Crow]

@Smaug i really have never mentioned what i do for living. I am multitasker for my company. My main job is to maintain and inspect fire extinguishers,  sell everything that has anything to do with  fire safety at home or companies. I maintain and inspect about anything that works with gases. I maintain and inspect about anything within safety products. I maintain caravans, and anything within them, and sell anything that has got anything to do with them. My company sells used cars and new and used caravans, so i maintain and keep everything in selling condition.

I am a bit of multitasker at company that i work in.

[Smaug]

Picture.

Toolbelt, pickaroon and, what is it? Not skillet as i mentioned?

I would call that an indoor grill, since the grease drips away from the meat.

It will be a bear to clean between use, but should work great!

Thanks for the background on your occupation. You sound like quite a valuable guy to have around!

[Crow]

Picture.

Toolbelt, pickaroon and, what is it? Not skillet as i mentioned?

I would call that an indoor grill, since the grease drips away from the meat.

It will be a bear to clean between use, but should work great!

Thanks for the background on your occupation. You sound like quite a valuable guy to have around!

One more thing worth to mention. We recently got ourselves trained to fix Mosquito Magnet devices. Quite impressive traps.

Maybe someday i will tell you what kind of jobs i used to do you would be surprized... I am just idiot that does every given job.

I think,  if i get that grill plate coated as good as i got my other cast irons, cleaning will not be too hard. I got my others so good, that eggs slide easily when cooking.

[Smaug]

One more thing worth to mention. We recently got ourselves trained to fix Mosquito Magnet devices. Quite impressive traps.

Just read a bit on them. They sound very effective, since mosquitoes are attracted to the CO2 that we exhale.

Probably more effective, but less entertaining than electric bug zappers.

I think,  if i get that grill plate coated as good as i got my other cast irons, cleaning will not be too hard. I got my others so good, that eggs slide easily when cooking.

How did you coat yours? Just by not using soap when washing it?

I'm trying to do this on my cast iron skillet and wok, but my wife and son keep using soap and undoing my "hard work." 

I agree that it feels wrong at first, but it is like a natural non-stick coating.

[Crow]

True, not that entertaining as zappers. But works very well.

I did some pre oil burning for the coating. Youtube has some good instructions on it. I think it was culinary fanatic that had best instructions. Search seasoning cast iron skillet. If seasoning is done right, you could wash it with light dish soap, but better if not.

I use my oven and sunseed oil for seasoning. Heat oven to 250 Celsius throw skillet in. When hot apply light coat of oil, let cool do not let oil drop. When cooled, wipe exxess oil off, and repeat heating, oiling and cooling. Repeat as many times as you want, more and seasoning gets better. I think atleast five rounds is nesessary. You could use non salted fat instead of oil.

To check seasoning i make either eggs or bacon. After using skillet i just wipe it clean when it is still warm.

I would like to see your cast iron. How big is your skillet you use?

[sawman]

Nice tool belt. Need a pic of it loaded up with tools

[Crow]

Nice tool belt. Need a pic of it loaded up with tools

Might take little while when i need it next. But will take a shot when i do. I have some boards ready to make garden table. Maybe i will need this to assemble it...

[Crow]

Been rather busy at work lately. This evening me and girls went outside and loved light up our charcoal grill with pine woodchips. I threw rusty grill plate in to sanitize and take rust off. Had it burn couple hours. Then i took drill and wire brush bit to take all excess rust out. Washed with dish soap and steel wool, and threw it in owen. Had two coats of sunseed oil, and now it is cooling off. Maybe tomorrow after work i do couple rounds more.

Tell you the truth , my wife is about to kill me for making so bad burnt smell in the house.

[Smaug]

Haha, Crow has discovered how to season cast iron and is going nuts with it!

My grill has a cast iron grate. Here's what I do, maybe you've tried it too:

• First time I used it, coat with oil as recommended by the manufacturer
• After that, whatever drips on it from my food, I just leave it on
• Next time cooking, I pre-heat the grill for at least 10 minutes on maximum heat. Some of the left-over sauce and grease gets burnt onto the grate
• Before putting the raw food on, get the wire brush and brush off most of the burnt, loose ashes
• At the beginning of the next spring, take the grate off and brush it really well: top, bottom, and between the grate openings
• Also at the beginning of the next spring, get my paint scraper and scrape out all the grease from the bottom of the inside of the grill
• Several times throughout the season, clean out the drip pan, usually with the paint scraper. Throw the grease in the weeds for the raccoons.

When warming up the grill, my neighbors always comment that what I'm cooking smells delicious!  I just smile, because they're only smelling the grease and sauces from my last meal burning off.

Oh, back on topic. My point from the big list was just that the burned grease and sauces from the previous meals keep the iron sealed against rust. No need to stink up the house by properly seasoning it.

[WWW]

  Started to read out of curiosity, to see what the thread was about. And you really got me, very interesting stuff!! I hope your feeling better by now, and if not that you may recover soon.

  I need to axe, the ask was a Billnäs or a Kellokoski? Dull or not it was a great find!!!

[Crow]

Haha, Crow has discovered how to season cast iron and is going nuts with it!

My grill has a cast iron grate. Here's what I do, maybe you've tried it too:

• First time I used it, coat with oil as recommended by the manufacturer
• After that, whatever drips on it from my food, I just leave it on
• Next time cooking, I pre-heat the grill for at least 10 minutes on maximum heat. Some of the left-over sauce and grease gets burnt onto the grate
• Before putting the raw food on, get the wire brush and brush off most of the burnt, loose ashes
• At the beginning of the next spring, take the grate off and brush it really well: top, bottom, and between the grate openings
• Also at the beginning of the next spring, get my paint scraper and scrape out all the grease from the bottom of the inside of the grill
• Several times throughout the season, clean out the drip pan, usually with the paint scraper. Throw the grease in the weeds for the raccoons.

When warming up the grill, my neighbors always comment that what I'm cooking smells delicious!  I just smile, because they're only smelling the grease and sauces from my last meal burning off.

Oh, back on topic. My point from the big list was just that the burned grease and sauces from the previous meals keep the iron sealed against rust. No need to stink up the house by properly seasoning it.

You are right, i am little nuts on it. I keep looking old skillets at fleas. 

You must be using gas grill? I think you could wipe most stuff off with cloth(maybe drop of food oil on it) when still warm, so you would not have to brush it so much. I have charcoal grill, and i too tend to leave all residue on it. Alltough all dripping grease will fall down on charcoal. So no cleaning there. Just brush wire every now and then.

That reminded me. My charcoal grill rusted down after three seasons. Got myself new one on fall sales. I will leave it in packet till spring.

  Started to read out of curiosity, to see what the thread was about. And you really got me, very interesting stuff!! I hope your feeling better by now, and if not that you may recover soon.

  I need to axe, the ask was a Billnäs or a Kellokoski? Dull or not it was a great find!!!

Glad you like what you are reading.

I am feeling little better now. It still hurts, and i am limping, but i have been in work for this whole time.

Axe is Billnäs 1123. First i thought i would not even ask of it, because i thought it was sharpened so stubby, but seller said the price, i could not resist. And it actually is this stubby from factory.

[Crow]

Yesterday i ordered some stuff. Today it arrived.

Tube scarf for work.
Boonie hat for work at home.
Suspenders for work trousers.
Hand warmer for cold work days. (with extra burner head). This is copy from Zippo warmer.

And i went grocery store, and picked up folding camping saw and work gloves.

And now i must blame DKS and his posts on classic design slipjoint knives. I ordered Rough Rider Stockman and Trapper knives. My poor bank account...

[Smaug]

My son will head out for a weekend of camping with a fold up camp saw, his Swisschamp, and my wife with his Hiker. (I hope)

[Crow]

My son will head out for a weekend of camping with a fold up camp saw, his Swisschamp, and my wife with his Hiker. (I hope)

Sounds like fun weekend. Be sure to take lots of pictures for us.

[Smaug]

We were talking about cast iron cookware before. Crow asked for pix of mine. I had it in the back of my mind, and finally got around to snapping and uploading a couple of shots.

Here's our skillet, which we use at least 5 days per week. This morning, it cooked scrambled eggs with butter, oregano, salt, pepper, and some salt-free organic seasoning I picked up at Costco: (it's not that good)




...and here's one of our cast iron woks. This one is made by Lodge, which is an old, famous American brand of cast iron cookware. I've got my mind on a Lodge dutch oven for the future. Lodge casts them nice and thick, even, and with no voids, and they come pre-seasoned. Notice the inside of it is 100% round, but the bottom is flat, to fit well on our American stove tops. (Chinese stoves only have two burners, and they are bigger, round, and more evenly heated. More heat too.) This is a great equalizer, because since our burners don't put out as much heat, we can get the wok very hot, and it ends up searing the food just as well as an evenly-heated Chinese burner and a cheap wok. Keeping it hot is another story, but we do what we can with what we have, right? (Explorer Plus is shown for size reference)





I try to keep it seasoned by just not using soap when I wash it; I just use water and something to scrub. But my wife washes it with soap when I'm not looking. When I'm done washing it, I just heat it over the flame again until the water evaporates.

We don't have any exhaust fan for cooking, so I don't dare try the oven seasoning method.

[Crow]

Good looking irons. If you have charcoal grill, you could try seasoning there.

I have in mind to make outdoor kitchen one day. There cast iron will really be put in good use.

Last week i found nice big kettle, that i will have to work on before use.

[Crow]

For a five veeks i have been carrying Mora Clipper with me. I carry it on a jean button wich i put close to seam on my work trousers. Easy to take off when needed.

I had good old knife at my work toolbox, but someone seems to loan it, and misplaced it. So i took this beat up Clipper and gave a good scrub and sharpening to it. It has still few big nicks on the blade, but works as a beater really nicely.

I am really impressed, how good it holds an edge. I have been using it really hard everyday. And have to say, it all is not wood that has been cut.

[Crow]

This is what came in mail today. Hunters quide with law book(two books), and deck of cards showing animals that can be hunted in Finland. Picrures are painted both in cards and book.

[Smaug]

Which game animal(s) will you be going after, and with what kind of gun?

I went squirrel hunting once, with my .22 rifle. Got a small one with a head shot. The hunt was more fun than the meal; he was a tough little smurf, after he was fried up. I'm told it's best to pressure-cook or slow-cook them, otherwise, they're tough. But I didn't bring my pressure cooker to the campsite, only the frying pan.

Went after white-tailed deer a few years ago with my 44 Magnum revolver. Saw a couple that were too far off for a shot, in thick woods. Froze my ASS off. Hats off to those buggers for surviving the cold up here.

[Crow]

I think i will go for small game, birds and rabbits. Few years i have been asked to join moose hunting organisation (is that right term?). But distance to go hunting is rather long, and the time it takes to participate. I think i still refuge joining them.

I have been offered three guns already by family members, but we will see what comes, if comes. I am not taking this too seriously for time being. Guns that were offered were Browning pump action shotgun, Single shot shotgun and 7mm rifle. Last two are really old, so pump action shotgun and maybe rifle would get some use.

Here it is notlegal to hunt with hand guns. And it is real pain to get licence even for the smallest ones. You really need to think what you wear when you walk in the cold

Usually when meat is tough, i coock it with skillet, give it good crispy cover. Then add water on pan, and boil it atleast 45 min. When water has almost vaporiced, add cream and you have tasty sauce.