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Kabob Skewer
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| A good friend of the family, and BBQ chef extraordinaire, was constantly disappointed with the Kabob skewers available in the stores. So after he outlined his needs and a little more than an hour forging time we headed over to his house with a dozen skewers, and a hearty appetite.
Forging wise, there is little to making these skewers. The length of the shaft should be based on grill depth. The twists at the tip and near the hoop are the key elements that most commercial kabob skewers lack. The twists stop the food from slipping off the end or piling up on the handles.
Start with approximately 18" of 1/8" square stock. This leaves a finished shaft of 14"-15" so if your grill is shallower start with less stock.
Point one end. [Figure 1]
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| Flatten the other end. [Figure 2] |
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| Curl the flattened end. [Figure 3] |
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| Heat about 4" of the curled end. I use a section of 1" O.D. pipe to form the hoop. Usually I want the set to be nearly identical, especially when I sell them at craft fairs and the like. However, with a good eye you can get the same result. Quick cool the curl til it is black, then hammer the curl around the horn so each blow on the curl pulls a little more of the shaft behind it. Since the horn is not perfectly round you?ll need to true the hoop after. [Figure 4] |
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| Align the hoop's center line with the shaft. Heat the section of the hoop where the curl is nearest the shaft. Quick cool the hoop to black up to that point on shaft. Hang the hoop just over the horn and give an easy blow or two until the hoop drops in line with the shaft. [Figure 5] |
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| Heat a section of the shaft just below the hoop. Place in the vice so there is approx 1 1/2" of shaft between the hoop and the vice. Give a full 360 degree turn. Repeat at the tip. [Figure 6]
To finish usually all that is needed is a quick cleaning with 80grit sand paper.
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