Whatsit?

[Flyfisher]

Well, it would make a very effective 'priest' (for fishing), although such things usually have the lead inside the stick, so I reckon it must actually be something else - though what, I don't know.

 

[philpjuk100]

knobbly clobber stick?

 

[tobydog]

Has the fact that the shaft is bamboo got anything to do with its purpose?

 

[DJH]

Not really Tobydog as far as I know, although similar tools were thought to be better if they were made from Malacca Cane. It certainly makes it 'fit to hand' nicely and the handle is good and stout.
I made some long ones for myself from drain rod cane but they were too whippy and slack over the length so I used small diameter iron pipe with a slight kick at the end. I thought I would cast the head onto a barrel connector and then use the same piece of pipe and just interchange the heads but no matter what I tried they still kept coming undone.
Some of the heads, which are made from solder, were different shapes and sizes to suit the job they were used for....................

Does that help. :twisted:

 

[Jellyfire]

pushing sheet led into shape in corners and suchlike?

 

[Penners]

pushing sheet led into shape in corners and suchlike?

Jelly, I think the shape of an LED is pretty well fixed at the point manufacture. :wink:

 

[Jellyfire]

I don't think you've seen this years christmas craze toy Penners, Sheet LED is all the rage, probably because its so much lighter than lead!

 

[DJH]

pushing sheet led into shape in corners and suchlike?

Very close Jelly. Here's another which does the same jobs as the others but someone has used a crop instead of cane as a handle. It's the only one I've ever seen like it...

 

[Jellyfire]

Well on that picture it's called finial... Is it for a finial??

 

[DJH]

Well in some ways it could be. I've been taking photos today of some finials I've got to make before Christmas...... this year :lol:





I thought I might do another topic about casting it as the other one about the nameplate was well received. What do you think? Go for it ??

By the way, dummies. :twisted: That's what they are. They are used to hold the free edge of the lead sheet when bossing it into position especially if you are bossing up a corner or even over something like a ball finial for example. They are also used to to dress out dents in the walls of large diameter pipes and especially when bending lead pipes to get the kinks out but that's a story for another day perhaps.

I used it in conjunction with some wooden dressers to knock up this little vase. I made it out of a 16" square of 5lb lead. I've also bossed up lead liners for stone fonts in the past which is very labour intensive but looks so much better in position than a welded fabrication. Well I think so anyway.



It's a bit bashed about now.

 

[DJH]

I made this feller using the same method as the urn to keep Bob's hard hat on.





I hope you all don't think I'm being boastful.

 

[plasticpigeon]

Is that head hollow?

 

[Penners]

bossing it into position...bossing up a corner...

My wife's good at bossing.

 

[DJH]

bossing it into position...bossing up a corner...

My wife's good at bossing.

I'm saying nothing. The current Mrs DJH is not far away at the moment. 8)

Yes the head is hollow and made from 6lb lead. I used to make lead weather slates using the same method in the days when we had no oxy/acetylene.

 

[Jellyfire]

Bob will probably need a hard hat if you hit him on the head with one of those!

 

[DJH]

Anyone know what these are for.........



Doug

 

[DJH]

Guess what this is..

 

[Jellyfire]

Looks like the Diamond my wife wanted on her engagement ring.

At a loss on the metal bars. Presumably the rock is an ore, Tin, Iron?

 

[Flyfisher]

Galena?

 

[DJH]

Yes, that's the big lump on the right. Galena is the ore that lead comes from along with some antimony, bismuth and silver in with it as well. I've cast some antimonial lead weights in the past for an ocean survey company. Apparently they needed to put up with being dragged along without being distorted and damaged too much for some reason. A high percentage of antimony makes lead very hard and machinable and in ingot form it rings when tapped with a hammer.

The bit on the left is Blue John which was much favored for use in decorative ornaments especially urns.

The iron 'whatsit' things are caulking irons and were used for sealing joints in collar ans spigot iron pipes such as drain, water and soil pipes. When the pipes were joined a length of tarred hemp wrapped around the spigot was forced into the collar followed by lead wool which was tamped in on top of it. This held the pipe in situ and prevented the molten lead was then pored around the joint to finish the seal from burning the tarred hemp. That was easy enough where the pipes were vertical but laid horizontally a length of asbestos rope with a loop in it was placed around the collar to prevent the molten lead from escaping. The rope was looped under the spigot pipe tight against the collar and held together by a metals slide and the lead poured into that gap where the two ends met. It was called a squirrel for some reason. :?