Australia’s Very Own Camp Oven & Outdoor Cooking And Camping Forum

Feb 9^th, 2010 at 7:30pm

Saltbush Bill Offline
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"WANTED 13 inch Metters
camp oven"
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Don’t know if this pot should really be in the history section….but it may be useful for identification purposes and also to see how many others are out there.
This is the roughest cast oven Ive seen to date, The mob that made this could have taught Furphy a thing or two.
The oven size is about 11 ½ inches…..a Metters 11 lid nearly falls right into the pot, a 12 Metters is way to big,
The lid shape is very similar in shape to a Metters, the legs are a Metters shape, how ever they are much more solidly built.
The whole oven is very solidly built and is quite heavy 9.57 kg, as something to compare to my Metters 11 inch weighs 6.40kg and my 12 inch 8.25kg.
It has weird shaped ears that are mounted about half way down the pot, not near the top like most ovens.
The wall thickness varies from almost 8mm down to 4.5mm.
As mentioned before the casting is as rough as guts, see attached photos.
Has anyone seen others like this?…..or does anyone else own one? Or does anyone have any idea were it might have been made?

Casting mark around lid handle

Casting marks around ears

Ears positioned half way down pot

legs

NOOOO thats not rust thats more casting marks

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Reply #1 - Feb 9^th, 2010 at 8:30pm

poddy dodger Offline
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Yes SBB, I have one, maybe not as rough as yours but the same. The casting marks around the lid and ears are identical to mine, I tried to tidy them up a bit but gave up as they don't affect its performance.
I paid $55 for mine last year, I reckon it's Aussie made and I like it as the lid fits well and it's robust enough to take bush. I have no idea who made it, I will bring it to Broke for the "Show and Tell".

pod

When I die I hope my missus doesn't sell my camp ovens for what I told her I paid for them. pd

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Reply #2 - Feb 9^th, 2010 at 8:46pm

Saltbush Bill Offline
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"WANTED 13 inch Metters
camp oven"
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Ugly little buggers PD.......but they have character and I love mine
SBB

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Reply #3 - Feb 10^th, 2010 at 12:28pm

Stump Jump Offline
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I love to cook with camp
ovens
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I've got one too SBB, however it appears not quite as rough as your's. The old lady I bought it from claimed it had been in her family for at least 40 years. It apparently belonged to her parents and she thought it may have been purchased new out Ballarat way, however she wasn't sure.

Ive found it to be a very well found and robust cooking pot with decent sized sturdy legs and a good heavy heat holding lid, equipped with 3 venting lugs like the Metters. I have always suspected it to be of Australian origin, as the design seems to reflect the influence of other fine Aussie camp ovens like Metters, Harding, RM Williams, etc.

It bakes, roasts and cooks superbly. The only defect is that the ears are cast a tad too low which causes a full pot of stew, for example, to be a little unstable when suspended from a bale handle, however this is of a very minor concern compared to it's other fine attributes.

Overall it's a top cooking pot and well suited to the rough and tumble of bush camping. I love to cook with it and would rate it superior to Furphy and due to the height of the ears, not quite as good as Harding, RM Williams or Billmans.

Ready_to_bake_some_trout.jpg (101 KB | )

Gems_baking.jpg (115 KB | )

Gems_baked.jpg (124 KB | )

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Reply #4 - Feb 10^th, 2010 at 1:48pm

skiproosel Offline
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Reckon I've got one as well

or at least it looks similar
I have not cooked anything in mine from memory

Skip Smiley

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Reply #5 - Feb 10^th, 2010 at 2:13pm

Michaelb Offline
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You would have to say that the poor casting on these ovens sure makes them a collectable item, now I need one, I feel left out.

Don't waste a day, not while your breathing.

Michaelb (A Mexican)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWCVbBkd0j0

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Reply #6 - Feb 10^th, 2010 at 2:36pm

Stump Jump Offline
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I love to cook with camp
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Michael,

There certainly worth getting if you come across one.

I picked mine up for $20 some years back.

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Reply #7 - Feb 10^th, 2010 at 2:43pm

Saltbush Bill Offline
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"WANTED 13 inch Metters
camp oven"
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SJ
Thanks for the photos ,,,,I notice your lid looks pretty rough inside.

Skip
Those photos jolted my memory.......I remember you posting photos of that pot on the forum ages ago and asking if anyone knew anything about it. Yours has the interesting swirl marks inside and out in the casting

SBB

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Reply #8 - Feb 10^th, 2010 at 2:54pm

Stump Jump Offline
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I love to cook with camp
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One good thing about a rough casting is that the black seasoning seems to stick like sh%t to a blanket Wink

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Reply #9 - Feb 10^th, 2010 at 3:57pm

mikel Offline
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new england area nsw au, New South Wales, Australia

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I have one also.

And a little bird tells me they were made at the old Alexander Carmichael foundry in Sydney (remember the old carmichael gas ranges?)

How do I know this? A good friend who was the engineering manager there gave it to me about 40yrs. ago. He used to hand them out to his camping/fishing mates.

The CI skillet was also made there (12,1/2") and is almost as heavy as the camp oven.

I think Carmichaels were taken over some years ago by the NZ Kirby group.
mikel

Oven___skillet.JPG (87 KB | )

life is a bed of gidgee coals and a camp oven

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