Xaiver Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Still working on getting this right, but iI feel that these two are much better then the first ones iI made.... Partially because iI made a bending jig. They're not quite identical, iI let one cool a bit before finishing the big bend.... And it didn't fit into my forge anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klorinth Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Xavier, are you using a real crook for a template? if you want it to be truly functional I would suggest adding a leg crook to the other end. That way you have a neck crook on one end and leg on the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xaiver Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share Posted March 15, 2016 Sorry, I've been away for a while. No, I'm not using a template. I just got a little mig welder,I was debating welding a thinner rod to the leg to help stabilize it though. I haven't been in the forge all winter, so who knows, maybe they will look completely different whenI get it started up again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 We bend 1/2 round cold with just a couple of pieces of pipe welded to the table. Takes a half acre to swing the rod but each one comes out the same. Weld a 90* (L) to the bottom so you can step on it and push it into the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klorinth Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 LOL! Figures that when a Shepard and a Blacksmith are talking about a shepards hook they are most definitely NOT talking about the same thing... What are those for? Hanging bird feeders and potted plants? I was actually thinking of a shepards crook. Used to catch sheep. I use one when catching my sheep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xaiver Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share Posted March 15, 2016 Lol Makes sense. Yeah, they're for bird feeders andplants and whatever else you want to hang in the middle of nowhere. Would steel make a good sheep catcher? The wife andI have been talking about getting some sleep, so this could be helpful to know for other purposes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klorinth Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Only the working ends. The shaft should be light and flexible. The ends would need to be thin but still have strength. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Yup tons of people selling "Shepherds Crooks" but have never seen a leg hook or neck hook in use. I particularly like to look at Bishops' Croziers which are supposed to be stylized shepherd's' crooks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rthibeau Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 When I worked as a shepherd, we used an aluminum crook with a funky bend that could be used on either necks or ankles. It also had the advantage of being very lightweight, and thus quick of handling. I suspect a steel hook might be a bit on the heavy side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Picture of a traditional UK shepherds leg crook, These were competition pieces at one of the shows on the National Blacksmiths Competition circuit here in the UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankySmith Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 John, I really like the shape on those hooks. Nice. xavier, we had a guy at our local forge council demonstrate a simple jig he'd made for these hooks, using a car brake part (whose proper name is escaping me, think flat plate with a raised piece in the middle). Anyway, he basically just welded a stop onto it to catch the scrolled end, then pulled the hook around - easy, please. Jigs are definitely a plus in my book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Flywheel, clutch plate? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyw Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 brake rotor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Rotor I'd think,or Hub. not a bad idea. Thanks Spanky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 A thin steel hook works well for catching chickens by the legs in the open. Works best with three or for young'uns to drive the chickens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klorinth Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 John, those are exactly what I was thinking of. To be honest I'm glad I came across this thread, it has given me an idea for another project. I need a leg hook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlotte Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 40 minutes ago, Nobody Special said: A thin steel hook works well for catching chickens by the legs in the open. Works best with three or for young'uns to drive the chickens. Grandad used coat hanger. He was kind of sneaky, They never knew they were on the way to dinner until it was too late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 My grandmother didn't bother catching them. Back in the days that she kept chickens, she'd step out on the back stoop and blow their heads off with a pearl handled .38. She eventually stopped when her little farmhouse became part of suburbia. Something about repeated visits from people calling the police. (not illegal there, yet apparantly disconcerting...) I don't do it that way, it makes the feathers harder to get off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothBore Posted March 26, 2016 Share Posted March 26, 2016 On 3/16/2016 at 10:12 AM, Nobody Special said: On 3/16/2016 at 10:12 AM, Nobody Special said: My grandmother didn't bother catching them. Back in the days that she kept chickens, she'd step out on the back stoop and blow their heads off with a pearl handled .38 When I was growing up, it was a "rite of passage" when GrandMa called on you to help collect the chickens for Sunday dinner. She always had a lot more roosters that she needed, and was constantly "culling" them. When you had become sufficiently proficient with your .22 rifle, she'd take you out to the chicken yard fence, and point out the roosters that she wanted. It was up to you to shoot them in the head, without creating a big disturbance. Since both my cousins and I routinely burned thru a box of .22 bullets every day, the chickens never paid any attention to the sound of gunfire. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.