[TheForge] Fire place crane update

[Larry Brown]

Sounds great, picts?
Larry Brown


At 02:24 PM 12/4/2010 -0600, you wrote:
>I just delivered the fireplace crane and the customer was delighted.
>
>For mounting hardware, I decided to go with the flat strap with the bend on
>the back side to hook on the back side of the brick.  I used a piece of 3/8"
>x 1 1/2". I tapered it down to about 1/8" thick where the hook was.
>
>Other information on the crane. For the top bar, I used 3/4" x 1 1/2" which
>I drew to a long taper and ended up 1/2" x 3/8" at the very end where I had
>a short section turned up. I made a 1/2" tennon on the end that attached to
>the upright bar. The top bar started out 19" long and ended up 31" long
>after the taper.  I could have used lighter stock for this and had enough
>strength, but the other cranes in the village had very heavy top bars.
>
>The upright was made from 3/4" sq. with 1/2" tennons top and bottom. I slit
>and drifted the hole where the top bar connected to it. The original cranes
>used 1" rd for the uprights, but I figured that a round bar would make the
>connections more difficult and the only 1" rd that I have in stock is sucker
>rod which would further complicate things..
>
>I had a diagonal brace made from 1/2" sq. which was riveted to the top bar
>and the upright. I did a reverse twist on this bar for a little decoration.
>There was no decoration at all on the othere cranes, the customer had
>indicated that she wanted a little artistic touch. I figured that a simple
>twist would not be too fancy for the village.
>
>I also made a gauge bar out of 1/2" rd. to help the mason line up the hinge
>bars (mounting hardware).  The gauge had tape marking the locations of the
>tennons on the upright, to make sure the hinge bars were the right distance
>apart.
>
>All and all I am pretty happy with the way it came out, it looks a lot like
>the old cranes in the other historic buildings.
>
>Robert Ehrenberger
>Shelbyville, Mo.
>eforge at centurytel.net
>
>
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