I searched "ridge" through the forums for the past year and didn't see anything; sorry if I missed it.

This is the only method I've been able to find aside from making/purchasing a bead roller: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yclKeJ2E1qc

I just went to three hardware stores and can't find ball-peen hammers that are small enough to use. Any advice on what I should be looking for or where to go? Or is there something besides a hammer I could be using?

Try the tapper end of a glass cutter. It's a nice round, hard tool. Use the technique in the video.

If you are looking for something for the top of a caldera cone to grab, I used fiberglass wick and jb weld with fantastic results - thus avoiding the ridging dilemma.

Good luck,

Logan

From my comment on that video 5 months ago:
"... small round head screws could be placed into a thin piece of wood at the desired spacing (maybe marking off 0.5, 1, 1.5 & 2 C) so you index off the bottom of the can and can do all the ridges at once though you may need someone else to turn the can while you hold the stick."

I haven't tried it yet since I have a Heineken pot, but I bet you could get it to work.

Made these a few weeks ago. Used PTFE (teflon) roller , shaped by hand (router/file,then spun on end of drill) then slipped it onto a 6 inch by 1/4 bolt with nuts stacked onto bolt topped off with 1 inch washer; washer acts as stopper/guide at edge of can...

Lay high density foam on flat surface , place can at right angles to direction of roll, insert rolling tool... and roll and stretch,,,, roll and stretch...

Pots Placed in appropriate ziplock...

More ridge detail...

and side view.. of threaded collar with matching throat on pot..

And the ridge tool , with the aluminum tube I use to slip on the exposed "nut stack"
for the depth to reach into can, extension can be adjusted by adding/removing nuts on
bolt up to the washer...

But the best way by far to get stiff-side cans ...
Buy the pots with pre-made ridges from "Zelph" and save the swearing, and the frustration....

P.S

This is NOT the way "Zelph" makes them I am sure..

I hear you on avoidin' the swearin' but dang, those are lovely!

I like those. Good job Fred

Tried the wood + screw method with limited success. It may have been my patience that gave out, but after a half dozen revolutions I only had very minimal ridges. My leverage with pressure at the bottom of the can was likely poor, too.

Thank you sir(s)....

Adding curves to the cans , do make them look like centerfold material ;)

I hope "Simco" finds the info useful, and perhaps the "threaded top" beercanpot
will catch on..

Unseen in these pics is the whistle/vent that will be on the next lid to prevent
blow-outs during an unattended boil; also opposite the vent is a resealable , silicone
ringed drink spout ( all made of sugru, and ti);

Having a mason-jar like screw on lid has many advantages but the pressure build up, during steam production, if left unchecked could result in trouble....

P.S to Simco

DO NOT use metal for your "contact" points on your ridge tools; after sanding the can,,
the walls are thin enough that taking the can line off or damaging it any way, would
just encourage "splits" in the vallety of the ridges, add lube (a little silicone grease) to encourage a gradual "roll and stretch " of the metal and to protect the
inner lining.

Pretty nice job. I need to make a new pot and ill try to use that process. On my video i just used what i had available, but im glad it has helped others come up with a better way to do these ridges.

Yes, I forgot , the actual technique of "rolling the ridges" are as described in the
youtube video mentioned, except the "teflon" wheel , gets to spin freely in this approach.

Further , varying the angle, while keeping the depth of the wheel , constant pressure ,
helps to widen the valley/ridge between rolls, allowing each successive pass to go deeper; if properly done the can will actually shrink in height , by up to 1/2 inch or so as the the height of the can goes "sideways" at each ridge.

Angus, I haven't replied to you on youtube yet, but thank you for the quick message.
I was waiting to get you a positive report, which I haven't accomplished.

Edited by Simco on 05/23/2012 23:28:23 MDT.

No worries, I am looking forward to your results. The Fosters pot still remains to be my go-to pot when I backpack but a good option is the 10cm Imusa mugs as well. It's light and works well especially when the handles are taken off.

What do you use to fill the holes in the Imusa mug? I just got one of these and have been debating whether to take the handle off or use as is (until the rivits loosen up with use).

I cut mine off using a dremmel. Just cut the handles where they meet the cook pot at rather than popping the rivets out. Then if you would like, you can work the edges down a little so they won't be so pointy.

Fred,

What kind of cans are those you're using? They don't look like Fosters cans to me.

Smokeeater908 has a video on his youtube channel about removing the handle from a 10cm IMUSA cup. Works well. I believe he used a dremel with a cut off wheel. Ground down the remnants of the handle and then covered the area with JB Weld. After the JB Weld sets up the two areas can be smoothed over with a sanding wheel on the dremel. He also has a lid for the 10 cm IMUSA cup in his store. He makes some good stuff. Check his store out.

(edited for spelling)

Joe

Edited by grayjoe on 05/28/2012 22:24:01 MDT.

Back to "Kingpin";
The cans used in the "ridgetool" illustration, are indeed Foster beer cans, cut down,
sanded, homemaded "beercan ring" inserted, threaded top (from an aluminum container,
"newdirectionsaromatics" the 150 ml size), pressed into the beercan ring, then the ridges put in the sides; Slicing aluminum container in half also gives me the lid i use
that is held in place by the threaded band of aluminum you see in the pic.
That threaded band is the original lid of the 150 ml screw top container with the center cut out, so the result looks like a fosters can/canning jar hybrid, which is sealable, watertight,lightweight, and still retains (for the most part) the dreaded, plastic beercan liner, which I prefer to raw aluminum...

I was wondering how he dealt with the need to grab to pot with the handle off (other than bringing a clamp type holder). Certainly makes for a more compact kit.

A bandana, silicon ring, multi-tool, many ways around a handle-less pot.