Open Fire Cooking - Mechanical Spit Jack

[@stephisuesse]

I would love a longer cut of this video showing more of the forging, smithing and assembly of this build!

[@kingduckford]

Less forging, far more filing. People like to think of hot hammer forging, but a lot of the work was done with a file. The only way to final fit everything, especially fine parts like gears, took painstaking time with various files. Filing gears by hand is an art onto itself.

[@kraptastic333]

​@@kingduckford true, let's see some tool maintenance and creation along the way

[@littlehills739]

this is what youtube is for well done team

[@jamesellsworth9673]

It takes a master smith to make this! What an heirloom this will be.

[@douglasmaccullagh7865]

Agreed!!

[@bill3143]

Townsends now represents the 1% of the 18th century. :D

[@ianfinrir8724]

Moving on up!

[@Yourmission9]

@ ianfinrir8724 Movin’ on up like the Thomas Jeffersons!

[@leedoss6905]

Needs 1% on his jacket.

[@pinetree9343]

Top 1%

[@johnyalowica8423]

Hello! Would you share the plans for the smoke house?

[@robertpearson8798]

As an amateur machinist I’m very impressed with the blacksmithing skills needed to make this without machine tools. As someone who used to cook whole pigs over a wood fire I can appreciate not having the need to be located within a reasonable distance of an electrical outlet. I wonder if there were much larger versions made for cooking much larger animals or pieces of meat?

[@TheHalcyonTwilight]

I imagine the upper limit is how big a weight you can load this with. You'd need a decent bit of torque to get a pig spinning at a good pace, and in turn that would mean beefing up every other part. Ultimately a human operator has to crank the handle to raise the weight though, and it might be that they could only go so big on that. That said, I would be very surprised if some Lord back then didn't have a setup handmade for exactly this purpose, and just had an extra servant or two on the wheel.

[@robertpearson8798]

@@TheHalcyonTwilight Maybe they would have used something like the treadmill wheel version of the medieval hoist or crane? On the other hand if you have lots of cheap labour to turn it by hand why go to the expense?

[@GaiusCaligula234]

If you are very impressed, then you are an amateur indeed 😂😂😂

[@robertpearson8798]

@@GaiusCaligula234 I’m impressed by the skills required to build a mechanism like that with blacksmithing tools. Of course a modern machinist could do a far better job.

[@benn454]

@@robertpearson8798 Yup. Machinery is expensive. Peasants are cheap.

[@markpetten9777]

Absolutely amazing blacksmith work not to mention the ingenuity of those in the 18th century.

[@Tippswimmer12]

Thank you everyone at Townsends for wonderful, entertaining, and informational videos!

[@garyrichardt1496]

What a magnificent piece of functional artwork by an exceptional artist.

[@Lorriann63]

Wonderful to see Brandon back with us for this episode. His blacksmithing skills are amazing. Thank you for this look into what was needed in the 18th century, by blacksmiths and cooks.

[@phylliscraine]

The Salem Cross Inn in West Brookfield Massachusetts still cooks on an 18th century clockwork roasting jack. From November to April they have a Fireplace Feast event that is a full dinner cooked on their immense roasting jack. I've been lucky enough to have been at this event and the meat is so delicious, it tastes nothing like the roasts we produce in our modern ovens. The jack came from and old inn in Maine. It had to be disassembled, transported , new parts were made and then installed. With no drawings or instructions. The jack is immense and it fills up an entire fireplace that is 6 feet tall and at least 6 feet wide. One challenge is loading the spits with multiple cuts of meat tightly enough to keep the meat turning instead of just hanging on the spit while the rods turn.

[@Karzir1]

I believe that is what the forked pieces are for that they slid into the ends of the meat. Sounds like the Salem Cross Inn would be a cool place to visit.

[@rlt9492]

Is it an original machine?

[@FrikInCasualMode]

Intricate and precise mechanism. Beautiful piece of engineering and craftsmanship right there.

[@TwilightStorm]

Amazing machine. Great work Brandon

[@Periapsis_]

Always great to see Brandon on the channel! Amazing work!

[@Martial-Mat]

Wow, what a remarkable piece of engineering for the period. Fantastic craftsmanship Brandon. Really impressive!

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

Excellent work Brandon and Jon. The Mechanical Spit Jack turned out remarkable Brandon, that was well thought out and perfectly worked to make everything run smoothly. Jon, the meat and mushroom ketchup looked delicious when you cut it into nice slices. Thanks for sharing and the fun you both had doing this video. Fred.

[@amaruqlonewolf3350]

Brandon's such a trooper. The man does such fantastic fine work. I know who I want to be with if an apocalypse comes by.

[@MarkyD.Ingram]

I would totally be interested in a video series much like the cooking video but instead more based on the hardwares of history much like this Spit Jack apparently there's a book from the 17th century called Mechanick Exercises or the Doctrine of Handy-Works by Joseph Moxon with blueprints for another Spit Jack though it seems that was mounted differently according to a photo I saw. Either way, would be seriously interesting to see more mechanical or just generally hardware be it more simple or complex it'd still be interesting to see more metalworking or engineering efforts through earlier history.

[@townsends]

Love this idea!

[@BuckMckawtheotherone]

Wow! What a work of art. Thank you for showing this. He truly is a skilled blacksmith.

[@Meep55412]

I love how much the town is getting involved with videos. Everyone was interconnected to survive. Great video!

[@sailorknightwing]

Always great when we get to see Brandon work

[@dwaynewladyka577]

Incredible craftsmanship on making that spit jack. Well done. Cheers!

[@macsarcule]

Wow, amazing work! I love seeing the inside of the 18th century workshop too! So cool to see everything in this video! Great work, Townsends Team!

[@eringotkilled]

i wouldve really really really really really really really really liked to see more detail on making the gears and especially the worm

[@ellaisplotting]

Yes, it seemed odd to skip straight past it! I would have loved more detail!

[@agimagi2158]

Amazing craftmanship! Brandon did an amazing job. What a lovely video and cool new feature for the kitchen!

[@cheekyghost2284]

Brandon's talent is astonishing! He is truly a master blacksmith.

[@MrThedennisblack]

I love most Towsends videos, but this has got to be my favorite. This peek into the machines/engineering/tools that they crafted and used back then is so exciting.

[@evanf1443]

This is awesome and really well constructed. If anyone wants to try their hand at something simpler (relatively speaking of course) I think Felix immler has a video on a bushcraft rotating spit

[@MapleRhubarb]

I love the blacksmithing episodes! Brandon is another wealth of knowledge.

[@Vikingwerk]

Next thing, John will be trying to revive the Turnspit breed of Dog!

[@writingraven3314]

I am in awe of the amount of work Brandon put into making this. It is incredible. Thank you for sharing this.

[@ginojaco]

Moxon set out instructions for jacks in his book 'Mechanick Exercises' from 1703, it is basic but gives the reader a good idea of the processes involved. Anyone with a jack will confirm that friction is the enemy; three-train jacks are the pinnacle, they are most efficient and need less winding. 🙂

[@timmurphy334]

Moxon . WOW!! Kindled memory of : "The Woodwrights Shop" reference to Moxon.

[@TextileGeorge]

Another great video, thank you guys for all the great videos over the years

[@FloridaMan2024-y8o]

Keep up the spirit! 2024!

[@richardthornhill4630]

Much easier said than done. The blacksmithing and forging was excellent.

[@Omnesum]

I was addicted to "the woodwrights shop" in second grade. I always loved going to Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Mi. Now I'm 51 and thinking of the 40+ plus years wasted because this isn't seen as a job option/ lifegoal in our society

[@timmurphy334]

Me too.(63 y.o.) Roy Underhill has some content on youtube. If it wasn't for PBS, his show, and many others would never have made it to air. He also had a long time sponsorship from North Carolina University. One of the funniest things I remember about him, is whenever he got a (small) cut and it would bleed on his wood, he would call it his "makers mark".

[@herbpage1533]

Awsome video. As a blacksmith who worked at a open air museum. I am very interested in where you sourced your plans. As i like to build one.

[@HoffmanReproductions]

Amazing! Like making the works of a clock. Very impressive!

[@garymorris2574]

I have wanted to do something like this for years bravo gentlemen

[@heideknight9122]

This is spectacular thank you all! Always been fascinated with older machines.

[@Blrtech77]

Jon and Brandon what an amazing video. Thanks for all your hard work and for continuing to teach us. Be Safe!

[@veesimmons2464]

Brandon's work is amazing! He's so smart and talented.

[@mrbuttons1243]

Amazing piece of engineering

[@freedpeeb]

These simple ingenious innovations are absolutely fascinating. Thank you!

[@jackhogston6119]

Loved seeing Brandon again, and with a tour de force in the blacksmith shop! Well done.

[@rickhand8228]

What an amazing project! I could make that in my shop using power saws, lathe, milling machine and I even have a die filer but with early tools, this took a lot of skill and hard work!

[@cabininthewoods7326]

For the person or persons that designed that spit I hope they won some kind of award back in the day and I can only imagine how many months it took to design it. That meat look delicious.

[@foresthiker6707]

Nothing short of outstanding!! I particularly like your introduction regarding modern kitchens.... I live in a wilderness area in the Upper Great Lakes. A rustic home, but with electricity. My kitchen is huge, but minimal with appliances. A stove, refrigerator, and a convection oven. That's it! Coffee is made stove top with a camp percolator. I cook mostly from scratch, and there's nothing digital in the house. Some think that's inconvenient, but compared to those in the 18th century, it's still 'cush' in my opinion. Keep Up The Great Videos, Guys!! Very Well Done. 🙂

[@The_Deacon1942]

You all are so important for the study of history. Thank you!

[@spacedog2980]

Watching Townsends videos is like receiving a warm hug from someone you love

[@laerwen]

Now that's the work of an artisan. A privilege to see that kind of work!

[@rayceeya8659]

Impressive work. I could whip something up in an afternoon with scrap metal and bike parts but I love seeing someone doing it with 18th century forge work.

[@Member3285]

Really cool! I appreciate how much you all invest into your craft. Keep up the great work!

[@anthonyfrench3169]

This is a great DIY video, I love how you incorporate various craftsmen and how they do their work and how you can learn.

[@frankhughes5702]

Excellent workmanship Brandon!! Townsend has the best blacksmith in the 21st century!!!

[@abcstardust]

I’m really impressed with this fine piece of 18th Century technology!! I had no idea it existed! Thank you both so much for enlightening us!!

[@MC-810]

Happy Sunday! Townsends and coffee ☕️

[@kelleyursu8610]

Wow! I wasn’t expecting that, I thought it was going to be a video describing the technology. That was amazing. Well done

[@madzimbo]

well done Brandon, that's impressive work.

[@midwestkayaker3471]

Fine craftsmanship

[@mraaronhd]

This channel just keeps getting better and better!

[@goliathku]

That's very impressive! I've read books that mention this sort of mechanism, congrats on being able to build it period accurate. Love to see these kinds of projects!

[@nwredneck390]

An amazing bit of craftsmanship, loved to see it! The roast looked mighty tasty too. And with the holidays coming up, I bet we'll see some delicious things cooked utilizing this; I can't wait!

[@BJHinman]

As hard as life was back in this era, I wish I could have experienced it. Spent many vacations at Sturbridge Village and on the Boston Freedom Trail. Eaten at Durgen Park, Faneuil Hall, stood where Crispus Attucks fell, and smelled the pasta sauce at the North Church. It’s just in my blood.

[@DaSverdanja]

Well this is just quality content. Hope to see much more collaboration between the two of you

[@kevinbyrne4538]

I'm in awe of Brandon. I could never make such a gizmo. I'd surely bungle it: I'd make two right-hand versions of what were supposed to be mirror-image pieces, or the dimensions would be wrong, or holes wouldn't align, or ....

[@wilco3588]

Another great video especially including the blacksmith! I've seen these before and many of them have small metal wings or wood Wings on the "regulator" to slow down it's speed.

[@alkberg2140]

Saw multiple versions of these in the chateaux of France including Le Mont St. Michel. The more regal versions had multiple spits and long drops for the weights. One even had a water powered spit. Cool beans, Brandon. Great to see how these were put together.

[@napalmholocaust9093]

I forever mourn the loss of one breed of man's best friend, the spit dog. Kitchen puppy power. Lost to time 😔 🫡

[@kikikaakau-delizo8152]

Your blacksmith is genius! Fabulous!❤

[@ginojaco]

This jack is interesting to see and the video offers a good understanding of the mechanism. It should be noted that the main parts - frame, wheels and axles - appear to be far less substantial than would have been the case in contemporary models. Smoke jacks are very inefficient regarding fuel, this, their cost and the constant need for maintenance was the reasons they were not so common.

[@bvd7517]

Really great video, but it would have been interesting to see the forging of the gears and the worm.

[@jodeum2]

Yeah, that part got skipped entirely. Was wanting to see that too.

[@shadekiller19]

This kind of fabrication is pretty much in between blacksmithing & machining. Its neat.

[@RolloTonéBrownTown]

While i came here for food history, i must say these metalworking and craftsmanship videos are just sublime. I might like it even more than video game or book videos. Peak video content guys, thank you very much😊

[@gailsears2913]

I think Brandon could build anything! Great job! The meat looked delicious.

[@idontevenknow9758]

I LOVE this! I adore history when it comes to early machines and gadgets! Would you ever consider making a whole video on the history of the spit jack or other machines of the past?

[@youngtrout4950]

Very very cool video, Townsends. Great work, everyone!

[@SouthernSlaveryUncovered]

I’m so burnt out from the post election drama…I just needed to come to Townsends and watch a video about roasting meat. No joke, these videos are soothing and comforting on top of being educational and entertaining.

[@MarkMeadows90]

Amazing piece of blacksmithing expertise. I love it!

[@swissforge8627]

I've been wanting to forge a clockwork spit roast for years now. Had no idea they were a thing that existed! What a relief that this is actually viable and not just a dumb idea that would never work. Definitely making one in the future!

[@Vorpal_Wit]

Amazing work, Brandon! Well done, sir.

[@Brianthehistorynerd]

We have one in our house I volunteer at. It’s cool to see how it works. Hopefully in two years ours will be spinning away in our hearth.

[@karynstouffer3562]

I've always wondered how those work. Thank you.

[@michaelkrull3331]

Someone I've been listening to lately is an archeologist named Bill Schindler, who wrote a book called "Eat Like a Human." He talks about pre-industrial technologies for processing and preparing food and how they can be applied today for improving nutrition. I think he'd be a great guest for this channel.

[@lairdcummings9092]

Screw bladesmithing; this is where blacksmiths *really* improve the world. Beautiful, intricate, and and fascinating.

[@RobKaiser_SQuest]

Wow this is really interesting. Most demonstrations of smithing you see in modern times are forging swords, and also axes and other hand tools, but this is a kitchen appliance, it's something a backyard grill hero would want to buy or even build in modern times. The nature of the moving parts reminds me of a project I did earlier this year, a pond dredge auger head, and I can't help but think some of these techniques lost to time, like punching holes by heating up the steel and hammering a drift through, may well be easier than farting around with a modern consumer-grade drill press.

[@fraserbuilds]

Incredible work! such a joy to watch!

[@MrGoosePit]

Wow Brandon!!! That was amazing work!

[@theawesomer]

Very cool. Would love to have seen a time-lapse of Brandon cutting and filing that big gear.

[@birchlover3377]

We used this at Fort William Historical Park in Ontario back when the historical interpreters demonstrated cooking every day (I understand they no longer do). Behind the scenes we had to step on the roast to get it on the spit 😂 it was so hard. We let our coworkers know NOT to eat the historically prepared food that day. 😂😂 (I stress it was never fed to the public, supposed to only be a demonstration.)

[@Barbara-ty8dj]

That’s what the fire is for, sterilizing.

[@birchlover3377]

​@@Barbara-ty8dj😅

[@angosadic5520]

I am from thunder bay as well We try to go out to the old fort about once a year but we have noticed that more and more of the buildings are closed or roped off Also there aren't as many demonstrations

[@birchlover3377]

​@@angosadic5520so sad! It was fantastic in its hey day ❤ one of the best jobs I ever had

[@kutter_ttl6786]

I went to Fort William a couple years ago late in the winter, so it wasn't too busy. As someone from Southern Ontario, it was very interesting contrast to the forts I've visited down here. Forts like Fort York, Fort George, and Fort Henry are clearly military forts designed to defend territory, but Fort William was different in that its focus was to foster trade.

[@Steenie-mk3db]

I just found this channel.... I am binge watching. Just Wow!!!!!!!

[@christopher5855]

I cannot wait to see more cooks with this thing!

[@natviolen4021]

Chapeau, Brandon. Hope you get a raise for that ☺

[@joeyhardin1288]

Thanks Brandon, great work!!!

[@sulkthehulk]

This was an amazing video. Thank you guys! Unbelievable the amount of black smithing that went into this!

[@razorboy251]

That is such an ingenious design and really fascinating video!

[@debbralehrman5957]

Brandon you did an awesome job. Thanks Jon for doing this one. As with many things we see them and use them. Never giving appreciating not only the making of it but the development process. The use of the Worm Jack development alone. I find it level's me awestruck. I can only imagine how people of the day felt about it. Love it! I am suprised Leonardo da Vinci didn't come up with it. 🤔Or did he? 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🦃🍗

[@JDdoesstuff]

these kinds of videos are so much fun to watch! Great content!

[@d.aardent9382]

Thats very cool. Im a clock restorationist/repairer and you made basically a giant version of a cuckoo clock music movement governor mechanism, which regulates the speed of the music tune that is a metal comb chime like a usual jewelry music box has. Except the cuckoo clock version runs by a chain with a weight on the end turning the sprocket ratchet drive wheel and the jewelry box type has a mainspring drive. On a music box movement though, where you have a rope spool, there is the toothed music drum that has the tune, like a player piano kind of. The toothed drum trips across the steel comb teeth like a kalimba i think they are called. the steel comb has the tuned long teeth that vibrate to produce the music notes. I thought i read,was it Thomas Jefferson or Benjamin Franklin that designed a spit drive early on? Maybe im imagining that or attributed to wrong inventor.

[@normanweidel4285]

Brandon, that is amazing craftsmanship.

[@jaspyjiindust.9227]

Last time i was so early the brits were still in charge...

[@rajramnarine123]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@gisellel12357]

Did the harbor smell of tea?

[@EGSBiographies-om1wb]

This was well worth my time to watch.