The Armour Archive

If I've done everything right, below you see a picture of the Drumlane Cauldron.

This cauldron is difficult to date but is believed to come from the late Hallstatt D period in Ireland. Anyway, my question is this: Would the riveted seams be water tight? If not, what would have the sealer used? Assuming this cauldron would have been used hot, that would rule out bee's wax and pitch, I should think.

But then again, perhaps it wasn't used for hot liquids, but for a Celtic Stirfry


[img]http://www.oakandacorn.com/images/celtbowl.jpg[/img]

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Swordsmith
Oak & Acorn Ancient Metalcrafts
http://www.oakandacorn.com

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Swordsmith:
<B>[snip] Anyway, my question is this: Would the riveted seams be water tight? If not, what would have the sealer used?
</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I've used Viking cauldrons of a similar rivetted construction. The seams are unlikely to be water tight, but put it on a fire with food in it and they will very quickly be sealed with carbonized food deposits. These may or may not wash out, but in any case the same thing will happen when you next use it (so it's probably best to scrub hard).

I've heard (re-enactor rumour only) of claims that milk products can be used to similar effect, though not sure how and tend to think that this could be dangerous.

Regards
Michael B
Reafan

I think It really depends on how well it is riveted I know some are water tight and others are not.

Xander

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Xander:
I think It really depends on how well it is riveted I know some are water tight and others are not.</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

True. Darrell Markowitz in Toronto makes a good watertight riveted Viking pot (brass). Majik Badger made one once and vowed never to do it again--too freaking hard to make the seams water tight.

The Barony of Adiantum (Eugene, Oregon) made a rivited pot once as an Egil's Tourney prize, and cooked oatmeal in it to make it water tight. That worked.

I did the same thing with a rivited pot I bought in Denmark this summer. Worked a dream.

ULTRAGOTHA

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Michael B:
<B> I've heard (re-enactor rumour only) of claims that milk products can be used to similar effect, though not sure how and tend to think that this could be dangerous.
</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes, it's the cassein (a protein) in the milk that changes when heated and acts as sealing agent in the joints. Here in Sweden I know of many people who have made cauldrons and other riveted vessels watertight by means of this method. It's also a good method to water seal un-glazed ceramic pots with. Here we use soured milk of the same kind you can find on an average Swedish breakfast table - don't know if you're able to find that at your spot of the globe but you might give it a try.

Porridge made from rye is also good - there is a substance in rye that transforms to a though glue when cooked.

The burnt-food method may work - but IMO the carbonised residues tend to give in after a while - especially when boiling water in the riveted vessel.

I guess it, like always, comes down to trial and error...

Regards

/N B G

Another contemporary method would be to sweat tin into the joints. This was used on copper pots (like the ones Darrell makes) and there is plenty of tinned iron objects in Viking period and Roman finds include this method.

Of course you can rivet water tight, and tighter- otherwise steam boilers would never have worked. But that close a fit takes time, skill, and experience. (Thus I'm working on a 1&1/2 to 2 gallon pot out of a single sheet. )

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