[TheForge] Prybar question

[Larry and Pat Brown]

Mild steel will probably not be worth the effort. In your area I would look 
for old mower blades from the grass cutters on the golf courses. once the 
ends wear down and can't be sharpened they throw them out. The stock for 
some of these it up to 5/16" x 2".  I think the blades I had were from a 
Jacobsen.  The steel is not real hard (brittle) but real tough as far as 
breaking.

My mother was from Tallahassee and born in Eustes?, Went down every summer 
for years to visit my Grandparents who lived on Seminole Drive. Spent many 
hot, steamy summer weeks of my youth there;-)

Larry Brown

At 07:52 AM 3/2/2004 -0500, you wrote:
>A friend dropped off a two pronged commercial wrecking bar and a list of
>modifications he'd like made to it, or rather modifications he'd like
>incorporated into two more he wants me to make.  I expect to be paid in
>lunches so I'd like the project to come out well.  The two prongs that are 3
>1/2" apart and designed to go down between deck boards and pry them up
>efficiently are made of 1/4 plate on edge that tapers down to 3/16 at the
>point, and then back up to 1 1/4" wide at the curve which is 4" back from
>the tip and designed to roll back and lift the tip and the decking caught
>above it, up.  My question is whether or not I need to use some steel other
>than mild 1/4 plate like I have lots of lying around?  Will the mild steel
>hold up to the pressure of prying wood loose from ring shank nails and
>whatever other torture can be dreamed up for a job site prybar.
>
>Any advice will be appreciated.
>
>Jeff Valentine in Tallahassee where it is scheduled to go to 78 degrees
>today and I'm already getting nervous about summer's approach
>
>
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