Tool Talk

Blacksmith and Metal Working Forum => Blacksmith and Metalworking Forum => Topic started by: pritch on April 13, 2012, 07:53:19 PM

Title: Pretty wild Crowbar
Post by: pritch on April 13, 2012, 07:53:19 PM

(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/gpritch/tools/johnnystools004.jpg)

I was up at a buddy's house today and he showed me this crowbar he found on his land.

(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/gpritch/tools/johnnystools007.jpg)

(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/gpritch/tools/johnnystools008.jpg)

The thing is huge, 4 feet long. And it's straight-I mean, it's a little bit bent from abuse, but it seems like it would be awkward to use as a crowbar, must be for some special use.

Title: Re: Pretty wild Crowbar
Post by: rusty on April 13, 2012, 08:07:20 PM

hehe, I like it.

My guess would be that some bored blacksmith used a scavenged piece of  wrought iron fence rail to make up a crowbar....

Or you have the worlds best self-defence walking stick...

Title: Re: Pretty wild Crowbar
Post by: anglesmith on April 14, 2012, 04:02:15 AM

 I think that, that section in wrought iron wouldn't be strong enough to be of much use!? My guess is, that it is made from a piece of early steel "reo" bar? I think I remember seeing some similar twisted reo  bar in one of the early "Lincoln" welding books?? I will try and chase it down later.
Graeme

Title: Re: Pretty wild Crowbar
Post by: anglesmith on April 14, 2012, 05:14:46 AM

Couldn't find anything in my books! But I found this on the web!
http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=81796   Not sure if the url is live? but I guess some one can fix it for me.
Graeme

Wow it is! Alway something new to learn with puters!

Title: Re: Pretty wild Crowbar
Post by: Fins/413 on April 14, 2012, 07:24:10 AM

Thanks for the link interesting stuff

Title: Re: Pretty wild Crowbar
Post by: keykeeper on April 14, 2012, 09:34:37 AM

Given the length and cross section (looks like 3/4" or larger compared to that tape measure) of that bar, and the nice even twist all along the length, I would say that bar was machine twisted.

Probably a length of old lightning rod grounding rod. Some of the old barns around here still have the lightning rods intact, and a lot of them have long lengths of bar such as this that go from the peak to the ground. I don't know why they used twisted, other than for looks, probably.

I used to live beside one such barn, it had an intricate system that tied all the lightning rod "points" together, with an elevated "runner" across the peak on brackets. I assume that was so they only had to use one drop to the ground.

Title: Re: Pretty wild Crowbar
Post by: pritch on April 14, 2012, 11:19:36 AM

After looking through anglesmith's links, I'm inclined to think that it is an old piece of twisted rebar that someone made a home made crowbar out of. Actually, at the time it was probably a NEW piece of twisted rebar:)