In 30 years or so of Oldtools, I may have used 3 photos as illustrations.  


I ‘happened’ to be gluing up a bottom board to a box (recycled wooden box for a
bottle of port that came as a gift about 4 years ago - it may serve as a ‘useful
box’ for ….  something.

And I elected to make gravity my friend once more by using these handy cramps.
Also, I was moved to take a pic for the porch.

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmUuAypU <https://flic.kr/s/aHsmUuAypU> 



Points to note:  

They are solid, recycled lead from pipes about 60 years ago.  Melted in a
kitchen enamel pan atop an electric hot plate, - the kind that will be illegal
now, with curly red hot wire handily placed to ignite anything that boiled over
or was spilt.  The owner of the pan wasn’t impressed.

The mould was 4 bits of timber nailed up into a brick size with the projecting
ends weighted down to ensure it stayed on the cement floor.
One of the pics shows the effect of pouring molten lead onto a very soft, sandy
finished cement floor which will have been laid circa 1935.   That is, the air
in the cement expands very rapidly, and gives effect of boiling lead with large
bubbles coming up through the metal.  Pretty exciting when you’re about 16.

The other item is the handles.  In the school metalworking class we had a forge,
and I made up a couple of rings from 1/4 inch square BMS - a bit of practice
with the beak of the anvil to make a circle with butt joints.
There isn’t much you can do with them once you’ve had the practice, so when I
did the casting I had them supported so they were cast into the slab.  Worked a
treat!


A few years later, and after years of grumbling about how uncomfortable it is to
hold 40 pounds of lead by a sharp cornered bit of 1/4 square, I finally had the
idea of whipping the handle with some thick twine.  Another year or ten, and I
glued cork to the base to stop marking the work, and improve the weight
distribution.

That produced the Mk III you see.  Comfortable, heavy, guaranteed pressure under
all circumstances.  Guaranteed to work or your money back.




Not allowed now of course - all that lead, close contact as lead oxides from the
old pipes, the slag, the fumes when melting (indoors of course)




Oh yes - plans are available - send 25 dollars in used notes….. 


Richard Wilson
Elderly Yorkshireman Galoot in Northumberland, where spring is doing its thing..