View Full Version : Kelly kettle cap
I like my Kelly kettle, and it gets a fair bit of use, but that cork bung......:(
It gets filthy, it unscrews from the chain, I have seen it blown out with a blast of boiling water when two someones who ought to have known better forgot to remove it when they lit it......
I would like one of the metal cover caps instead.
Like the one on this KK
http://www.selfsufficiencyshop.co.uk/74-15-litre-twig-kettle.html
Does anyone know where I can buy just the cap ?
cheers,
Toddy
My Ghillie Kettle came with the metal, whistling, cap Mary...I don't think it is available as an aftermarket item.
Simon
I think it's the Ghillie kettle which has the metal cap Toddy, I'm not sure if the dimensions of the outlet are the same but you might be able to buy one from them as a spare and try it ?
http://www.shopcreator.com/mall/ghilliekettlecoukshop/
EDIT:
Must type faster
You can't get them for Kelly Kettles. I was after one for mine and i emailed KK and Ghillie and was told that they don't sell them. Also the ghillie one isn't designed for the KK.
A friend uses an old kettle whistle that he had on a kettle for his and bent it out till it fitted.
It seems to be the difference between a Kelly and a Ghillie.
Damn annoying if you ask me as it's alot better than the stupid cork!
I think the original idea of the cork was that water could be carried in the kettle too, but it's just not such a practical thing as the cap for most use.
Thanks for the information folks :D
cheers,
Mary
Alexlebrit
13-04-2010, 09:45
I know it's not a nice metal cap, but what about a silicon rubber bung? Mind you where you get a rubber bung these days I don't know, not if you don't live in rural France that is.
http://www.gauravrubbers.net/full-images/693426.jpg
So if the worst comes to the worst, just let me know what size the hole is and I'll nip down the local farm supplies and buy a couple and pop them in the post.
Thank you kindly :) appreciated.
I have a spare cork, which I always thought I preferred since it was safe to hold without fear of a burn, but the metal cap has a cool buttonknob for holding it.
If I can't get a metal (whistling if possible) cap to fit the KK I'll just use the new bung and keep looking.
cheers,
M
Got an idea Toddy.
Fashion a new cap or use the old one, but insert a survival whistle.
Just an idea and one i've just come up with!
BorderReiver
13-04-2010, 11:02
A wee question from the ignorant (I don't have one).
Why use the bung at all if there is no water to be kept in?
If it's just to keep muck out, a wee poly bag or a condom would do the same job, no?
The bung is attached to a chain. The chain allows the hot KK to be lifted and tilted to pour safely.
It's a two handed job.
One lifts the kettle by the top handle and the other uses the chain to tilt the kettle to pour.
The bung allows the kettle to be carried full, and is cool enough to pick up even when the kettle has boiled.
The bung can (and does, believe me it does :( ) blow out when whoever lit the kettle forgets to remove it. A forgotten screw in cap would effectively turn it into a steam powered bomb :yikes:
cheers,
Mary
It's a shame the edge of the spout is rolled as it makes it a bit harder to find something to fit. I was thinking you might be able to adapt a small food tin or small disposable ramekin dish.
We have some old stainless egg cups in the cupboard which might work but I just don't know if they'd be big enough.
Muddy Boots
13-04-2010, 11:49
Can I ask a quick question here whilst on the subject?
Do you need to have water in the water jacket if you are still using the fire / jacket to cook over.
It boils water really quickly but I find when cooking over it I am concerned that if it boils dry will it ruin it?
Cheers
The aluminium ones must not be allowed to boil dry, and it's not advised for the stainless steel ones, though apparantly they don't melt the solder/seams the same way.
cheers,
Toddy
Whittler Kev
13-04-2010, 19:05
Cant you get a whislte off an old kettle that will fit?
Kelly Kettles have an address on the box and apparently they are real helpfull over spares etc if you contact them. Do Gillies have the same info and are the bung holes the same size?:pokenest:
chas brookes
13-04-2010, 19:14
Hi Toddy
link below to maker of whistling version they may be able to help
http://www.ghillie-kettle.co.uk/
Ogri the trog
13-04-2010, 20:24
I'm thinking about hand-crafting (read bashing something else till it fits!) a spout cover for mine - something akin to a simple flap to keep bits of the forest out while I'm adding twigs to the fire. Might try resizing a whistling lid if I can liberate one from somewhere.
ATB
Ogri the trog
phill_ue
13-04-2010, 20:33
I cannot believe there isn't a kettle whistle out there that will fit onto a KK. It's just a matter of finding it!
I have a Ghillie and a Kelly and they don't fit!
I am adapting a Kelly cork by drilling out the centre and inserting a Le Crueset Kone Kettle whistle. I'll let you know once it's finished, if it works!
Mike
hi, when i use my kk i place the water filling spout into the wind, this stops any ash entering the spout. kk all the way. carl
I like my Kelly kettle, and it gets a fair bit of use, but that cork bung......:(
It gets filthy, it unscrews from the chain, I have seen it blown out with a blast of boiling water when two someones who ought to have known better forgot to remove it when they lit it......
I would like one of the metal cover caps instead.
Like the one on this KK
http://www.selfsufficiencyshop.co.uk/74-15-litre-twig-kettle.html
That looks like my Ghillie kettle. I wrote to the supplier to tell them I think they're dangerous. This is what one did to me:
http://www.jubileegroup.co.uk/JOS/misc/hand.jpg
see
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=666735&postcount=42
Does anyone know where I can buy just the cap ?
I don't think you really want one. I think it's dangerous because it can shoot out a jet of boiling water several metres. Mine fell to bits inside a week, I had to put it back together. I think they should just have a loose-fitting dust cap to keep out dirt. I don't much like the idea of carrying them full of water but I suppose there's an argument for it. The idea of a tight fitting cap scares me witless.
Can I ask a quick question here whilst on the subject?
Do you need to have water in the water jacket if you are still using the fire / jacket to cook over.
It boils water really quickly but I find when cooking over it I am concerned that if it boils dry will it ruin it?
You're right to worry. You can easily get 700-800 degrees Celsius from a wood fire, and aluminium alloys melt at much less than that. So an aluminium kettle will melt if there's no water in it keeping it cool, and that's the end of the kettle. Steels melt at well over 1000 degrees, so a steel one will fare a lot better when empty, but it's still a bad idea to heat it when dry. The sheet metal is thin and will eventually burn through, but well before that the stainless properties will be degraded, and it will also distort and probably start to leak at the seams. You're right, the water boils very quickly, and it's so quick that the idea of cooking over the same flame has always seemed nonsense to me. The water boils so fast that you wouldn't have enough time to cook anything, and when it boils you'd be frantically looking for somewhere to put the food while the boiling water was spraying all around the camp. At least that's my take on it. :(
big_swede
13-04-2010, 23:31
Hello, I have an old glass thermos which has a cork cork. My granddad told me to wrap it in waxpaper to keep it fresh. It works very well.
Thanks for the info ged.
I had a mishap using my Kelly kettle for the first time last week.
I lifted the handle to take it off the boil and burnt myself in the process.
I now know you have to keep the handle at 90 degrees first to lift it off.
I must confess I did it again on the second boil, reason being, I'm not that well at the moment, I'll call it stress.
Blooming good tool mind you, with thanks to Lurch.
proadventure
06-11-2011, 13:17
Hi Folks, has this issue has been resolved yet? Here is a potential solution.
We sell Ghille Kettles and the spare Whistles that go with them!
Not sure whether these will fit the Kelly Kettle so i suggest a precise measurment but we have two sizes available, the inside diameters are 41mm(0.5L) and 59mm(1L + 1.5L).
They are £8 each and can be bought from our website here:
http://www.proadventure.co.uk/acatalog/info_17316220161032.html
Many Thanks
Antony @ ProAdventure
We got are ghillie from you last year use it at least halk a dozen times a week when fishing any tips for cleaning them and do they all leak around the bottom like ares or is it we just use it to much just light it and keep fishing they are awesome
Just by chance I've read this thread today but strangely I was in an Ironmongers just on Friday trying to buy an old fashioned kettle with the removable whistle cap. The only type available had a fixed hinged whistle with a plastic 'Forked' lever to lift the whistle when pouring water out. The shop owner informs me the older type with the removeable whistle are no longer available, now banned for safety reasons.
Apparently people had been putting the kettle on a heat source and then surprisingly burning themselves when trying to remove the whistle from a kettle of boiling water........
proadventure
06-11-2011, 14:27
@Grumit,
It's nice to hear that you are getting so much use out of your GK. For cleaning we suggest a mild detergent (Dish washer liquid) or a stainless steel cleaner(With this i recommend lots of rinsing before use).
With regards to the leak. Have you ever boiled it dry?
The reason i ask is that should you put the kettle back on it's stand even with a very small amount of liquid in the bottom, the remaining heat in the fire tray can continue to boil any remaining water off and potentailly cause damage to the the metal seals.
With correct use these kettles can last years. I might suggest contacting Ghille Kettle here 01527 66217 or e-mailing them at mail@ghillie-kettle.co.uk for advise.
It's worth mentioning that if there is a defect with the kettle, Ghillie would like to hear about it.
I hope this has been helpfull
Antony @ProAdventure
@Grumit,
It's nice to hear that you are getting so much use out of your GK. For cleaning we suggest a mild detergent (Dish washer liquid) or a stainless steel cleaner(With this i recommend lots of rinsing before use).
With regards to the leak. Have you ever boiled it dry?
The reason i ask is that should you put the kettle back on it's stand even with a very small amount of liquid in the bottom, the remaining heat in the fire tray can continue to boil any remaining water off and potentailly cause damage to the the metal seals.
With correct use these kettles can last years. I might suggest contacting Ghille Kettle here 01527 66217 or e-mailing them at mail@ghillie-kettle.co.uk for advise.
It's worth mentioning that if there is a defect with the kettle, Ghillie would like to hear about it.
I hope this has been helpfull
Antony @ProAdventureNot boiled it dry we always take it off when boiled and set it to the side it is just a very small amount . Doesn't affect the boil so not worried about it more than that will give it a clean as said thanks for the replie may need new ash pan this winter ares is looking like it is more like twenty years old rather than one
Native Nathan
09-11-2011, 00:55
I Have the Large KK and it is a shame they only make a cork,
I would love a screw cap that way i could carry water in it securely, instead of having a to have a separate waterbottle
I Have the Large KK and it is a shame they only make a cork,
I would love a screw cap that way i could carry water in it securely, instead of having a to have a separate waterbottle
I'm guessing the reason none of the manufacturers provide that is because of possible liability claims, as you just know someone would forget to take the cap off, and explode the kettle, showering superheated water over all and sundry.......................
Uhuh, see post #1 :rolleyes:
That's why they use a cork.
I just wanted a loose fitting cover for mine, but KK don't make them and the other varieties don't fit.
In the end I found a new cork and I screwed a stainless steel bolt right through it. That way it can't come off, and it still works and keeps things clean. If it's kept upright then yes it's possible to carry water in it, otherwise is seeps a bit if lain on it's side.
cheers,
Toddy
If you want to carry water in KK there is a company that sells silicone bungs all sizes for sealing bottles, test tubes etc
They are like the shape of bungs for demijons for brewing but they have a "skirt " of silicone attached to the top that is rolled down over the outer part of the item the bung is inserted in making it a secure leak proof seal
Try Googling for silicone bungs,The information was on my old computor I will look for it
Why not make a lid out of alluminium that has a lip around it so it will rest on the KK spout but will blow off if water starts to boil that will keep out dust and twigs
I made one for my crusader mug by beating the edge of the alluminium to fold it over the lip of the mug
Mick