[TheForge] [OT] Re: Cats, boots (Was: chickens)

[Bruce Freeman]

On Thu, Mar 24, 2011 at 3:30 PM, Mike Spencer <mspencer at tallships.ca> wrote:
>
> Bruce wrote:
>
> BF> So, imagine making a form the shape and size of the front of your
> BF> foot, with maybe a little extra for comfort.  Then split it side to
> BF> side or top to bottom, removing a wedge-shaped piece as you do, then
> BF> put it in the boot, and drive a wedge between the two pieces.
> BF> Ideally, this should spread the two pieces and form the steel to the
> BF> shape you want.
>
> This is exactly
> what the "ideal" tool would look like. But when you come to implement
> it, all these annoying details arise.  To re-shape a compound surface
> just so, the forces have to be applied just so. You can't get into a
> boot to hammer a wedge. Driving a wedge transmits lotsa axial force,
> too, that goes where you don't want it.  Etc. etc. such that what I
> made is exactly what you describe, except that all the parts that
> didn't work as expected have been removed, one at a time, and replaced
> with parts that did work.  In the end, everything as-designed has been
> replaced with ad-hoc hacks and it looks like the gnarly thing I made.

Well, you COULD do it with an air-chisel with an offset hammer-bit.
But there's a better way:

For "wedge" read "screw" and all your objections disappear.  You can
easily make a tapered screw (like one of those log-splitters you bolt
on your car instead of a rear wheel), and drive that between the two
"halves" of the split toe-piece, using a ratchet wrench.

And, BTW, shoe trees sometimes come with holes drilled in, into which
you put removable "bosses" for stretching a shoe at a particular
point.  The same idea could be used here.

Which brings up another idea.  There's a tool specifically for
stretching a shoe a bit where it rubs on a toe.  Envision a tongs with
long jaws.  The end of one jaw is a ring.  The end of the other is a
ball that goes into the ring when the tongs close.  Now build in
enough offset to the reins that you can get the ball into the shoe
with the ring outside.  Squeeze tight.  Some come with a screw for
applying the force.  This same idea could be done with a hydraulic
drive -- outside the shoe.  And the ball and ring could be modified to
any shapes you like to bent the toe cup as you need.  Or you could use
tongs "in reverse" -- pull the reins apart and spread the jaws, using
the spreading jaws (appropriately shaped, and perhaps driving some
metal forms) to reshape the cap.  Again, screw-force or hydraulic
force would do the metal-moving.  (Assuming they're metal caps.
Plastic might not like this kind of treatment.)

If the caps ARE plastic, find out what kind of plastic.
Thermoplastics can be softened and reshaped.  Unfortunately,
thermo-setting plastic usually cannot, and might be rather
unforgiving.
>
> BF> I may have a look at these [Doc Martens] later today, though I DON'T
> BF> want steel toes, particularly...
>
> Doc Martens might be fine, although the combo of working with
> blacksmith's gear, chainsawing, splitting with a maul and, less
> frequently, a few similarly toe-threatening activities tilt me toward
> caps.  Mostly, all this hoorah is about stubbornly making a couple of
> perfectly reasonable but, in the end, bad decisions revert to good (or
> at least acceptable) decisions.

You misunderstood me.  I don't want toe caps for ME.  I already have
steel-toed shoes, which are okay for the shop, but I want hiking
boots. Dr. Martens MAKES boots with toe caps.  I think that tinyurl I
included leads you to one such model.

And, by the way, I just bought myself a pair of Dr. Marten's hiking
boots, high uppers w/o foam rubber at the top,  Vibram soles,  lace
down to near the toes, no toe cap.  The only defect is that the welt
does not seem to be sewn (though they say that they have sewn welts on
some models).  These are the best I could find, but it's too early to
say how I'll like them in use.  As usual, I had to go to a longer boot
than my foot to get the width, but I'm used to that.  I have no
trouble at the toe, but am a bit concerned about looseness at the
heel.  We'll see.

> PaulN> I recently bought a new pair, and while they're rated at 2500
> PaulN> lbs, I believe that is static 2500 lbs, and I don't really know
> PaulN> how much that relates to say a 200lb anvil falling 2 feet onto
> PaulN> my toes.

> If I think of it, I'll try that next time I'm in the shop.  I know I
> have a pair of old boots saved for the findings somewhere out there.
> I'll try dropping a swage block or 1 1 4 anvil on one of them. Not
> definitive, of course (retired boots may have badly rusty caps) but
> indicative.

Ooooo!  A challenge.  Let's all scrounge up all our old cap-toed boots
and drop anvils on them from increasing heights till they break!
Without feet inside, in case that wasn't obvious to some ...

-- 
Bruce
NJ