Thanks for the pictures! that is why BPL is so great!

Decisions, decisions. May be I need a 1100 and a 900. I am sure I can talk myself into anything.

Hi Dan,

Thanks for the pictures! They are great and really helpful. It looks like the bushbuddy fits great in the 900. Is your bushbuddy pushed against the side of the pot in that picture showing the lid and 1mm clearance? I ask because it sure does look tight compared to how my bushbuddy fits in my snowpeak 900.

So just to be clear, your take is that the bushbuddy fits tighter in the snowpeak 900 than it does in the BPL Ti 900?

Hi Andrew,
My bushbuddy fits pretty good in the snowpeak 900, probably a 1-2 mm clearance all around. It does not really rattle around, but there is some space. When I was using that pot I generally had the bushbuddy in a small plastic bag and inserted that inside the pot, and it was a nice snug fit. This was really unecessary, and I don't do it anymore.

The firelite pots are just slightly larger, maybe a couple of mm. The bushbuddy fits good inside, but it's not a snug fit.

How much clearance is there between your bushbuddy and the walls of your SP900? Sounds like a lot.

Hmmm...when I just checked there was only a small gap between the stove and the pot. I guess it doesn't really rattle too much, but I can definitely hear some metal clanging when I shake it gently. I thought it was a lot more, but now that I've looked I guess it isn't that much. I guess I just expected that the firelite pots to fit the bushbuddy perfectly! The space on the snowpeak isn't an issue though. I guess I was over exaggerating :-)

Here are my FireLite 550, 900, and 1100 pots with Ti Spoke bail handles. They weigh 3 grams each or less, are removable, and work great.

Wow...those look really great. Can you give specifics about the process of installing them?

Denis, your little ones are beautiful. I'd keep that picture in your wallet. :)
We expect delivery soon aswell, probably within the week. We're nervous, but ready for it.

To install Ti spoke bail:

Mark spot for punching holes. Be sure to allow for clearance for depth of pot lid.

Punch hole allowing for depth of lid.

Punch holes (I use a 3/32" hole punch from Harbor Freight Tools). Holes should be as close to exactly opposite each other as possible.

Start bending spoke from "bead" end and curve to match diameter of pot lid. Begin curve about 1/4" to 3/8" from "bead". This allows for lid clearance.

Begin curve 1/4" to 38" from bead.

When you have a 180 degree bend, insert spoke bail into punched hole to check curve. Adjust bend as required.

With spoke bail in place, position bail along pot rim and mark location of hole for bending the "hook" end.

Grip spoke with pliers and bend spoke end toward center of curve, slightly more than 90 degrees.

Place lid on pot and mount bail on pot to check fit. Adjust fit as required. The bail should just clear lid.

Bail should just clear lid.

Clip off excess spoke and file end smooth.

Clip off excess spoke and file smooth.

Bead end of spoke.

You're done.

Edited by redleader on 12/08/2008 13:41:03 MST.

Steve,
They've got their bails installed (they'er weened) and are ready to boil.

I should be passing out cigars.

Edited by redleader on 12/08/2008 11:34:24 MST.

Ha..I'm trying to get a bun in the oven, but so far I'm falling short of what it takes by a bit. :-( Anyone wanna be a donor?

Thanks for the description Denis. I appreciate it!

Andrew,

I was roaming on my Blackberry and couldn't post photos. Take another look at my edited post.

Denis

Steve,
We've christened ours: Manny, Moe, and Jack.

Denis - where did you get your titanium bike spokes? I called our local popular bike repair place, and he said they are no longer cool (something about too much flexibility), so no one sells them anymore except maybe online.

Kathleen,

Ask your bike repair place for DT Revolution spokes (Stainless), they weigh about the same as titanium spokes (Which are thicker).

I made some bails almost identical to Denis' but I use plain 15/16 gage titanium spokes because I had them laying around from wheel builds. My bails weigh 3.9 grams (compared to 3 grams for Denis' bails). So even standard spokes are very light. A bail made from a DT revolution spoke will probably weigh just over 3 grams.

Cheers

Thanks! I will give them a try.

Kathleen,
I got mine from a "racers" bike shop in San Anselmo, Marin County. Marin is the only place where the really expensive stuff is usually stocked. I only got 10 of them and have used all but 2. They were used and I paid a buck a piece. I just went through the box and picked the straightest ones. If Ti spokes have fallen from "cool" I'd better get back down there and pick up a few more. I only got the Ti spokes because they were Ti, and matched the pot material. Since I backpack now and then in Marin (Point Reyes) I have to worry some about the fashion police. They might frown on Titanium pots accessorized with stainless steel bails.

Denis, Are those concentric circles inside your pot measuring/volume levels? How'd you do that?

Tim,
I posted a thread, with photos, on the MYOG forum: "Marking your Ti pot." It's on page 4. I don't know how to insert a link but I copied the address here. Hope it works.


http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=16329

It worked! I bought 2 15-gauge spokes from the bike shop (99 cents each) - one for a practice life and one for the real thing. I was surprised I even had a 3/32 punch in my tool bucket. I need to crimp the hooks tighter, but I'll work on that tomorrow. The pot with the spoke doesn't register any heavier than without it on my scale. Goodbye pot grabber forever!

Good eye Tim - I forgot Denis had done that. I'm definitely performing that upgrade as soon as my little ones arrive. Denis, that was a great idea.