Want to make a cant hook

[JohnBoy]

I have some logs that need moving and have seen these online, not something I've ever seen in the flesh over here.

I found a dimensioned drawing of a replacement hook (attached) and took for the shed.

I see them made in various different ways so was mostly using the drawing for dimensions.

I rummaged about and the first "suitable" thing I found was some 16mm (5/8) round stock. I put it in the vise and put 4 foot of pipe on and started pulling. by moving it back through the vise and bending bit by bit I made a nice wide radius bend and was suitably pleased with myself.

Then a thought occurred to me. If I can bend it with 4 foot of pipe in the vise, will I just bend it with 4 foot of hickory hanging out of it too?

In use it wont be as fixed as in the vise, and the logs should give to roll, but... will it just straighten out again pretty much the first time I try move something too big?

My brain is saying yes, but part of it is wondering if the forces will be as great because it wont be rigidly held or being bent right at the vise.


I've nothing invested yet only a foot of round bar so nothing much to lose but will any material I can bend without heat just straighten back under load.

[Ironman]

John I would use 10 x 35mm flat bar and bend it hardway so your wide profile is what gives it strength. You have a nice bend there, and if I were making this I would put a piece of stock welded on opposite the pointed end, so when or if it won't bite the log, you smack it with a axe to drive the point into the wood.

[digr]

A lot of ideas

[toprecycler]

Short answer is yes it will straighten back out, if you have enough weight trying to straighten it. But, can you bend another piece and weld it on the back to make it stronger?


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[Scratch]

I needed a cant hook a few years ago since I cut about 15 cords of wood a year, so I decided to get one. I used my brothers which is in the picture, but it does not work very well at all.

I did some research online and found a company that made cant hooks that get great reviews and a lot of people liked them so I decided to make one as close as I could to the same dimensions. I can't remember the name of the company but if I do find it, I'll post up.

I bent the hooks with some heat. It is made from 3/8" x 3/4" stock.
It has bent almost to a 45° once on a huge log, but I just heated it up again and bent it back, and haven't had any problems since then. It has moved a lot of logs. The main bar is 4 feet long. The ring that is welded onto the main bar is just a reference so that when I carry it, my hand wont go any further up the bar and let the hook swing down and hit me in the knuckles.

I'll post a picture of my brother's store-bought cant hook that does not work nearly as well as mine as well.

[digger doug]

I simply plasma cut one on the 4x4 torchmate at work from 1/2" thick plate....

[greywynd]

I have two in storage in Onterrible....don’t think I’ll ever need them in the area of Alberta I’m in, it’s all leetle wood.


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[Ironman]

Originally Posted by toprecycler

Short answer is yes it will straighten back out, if you have enough weight trying to straighten it. But, can you bend another piece and weld it on the back to make it stronger?


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That's a good suggestion, best one yet I think.

[JohnBoy]

Yeah doubling up is definitely an option.


But, I've been thinking about doing this for such a long time in various formats.


This morning on the way to work I bought a bunch of fire bricks. Gonna knock up something like this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS7wumQt0s8


Sadly the hardware store seem to think that fire bricks should be stored outside. In Ireland.

So lord knows when they'll be dry enough, gonna be sitting them on the radiators for a few days I think.

Always good to have an excuse for a new toy!!

[LKeithR]

Are you looking to make a cant hook or a peavey? A cant hook has a blunt end with a small dog on the inside edge; a peavey has a long, heavy, straight point. A cant hook is designed primarily for turning cants in a sawmill while a peavey is used when you're working raw logs.

Lumbering was such a big thing here on the coast and you could find peaveys everywhere--when I was a kid just about every household had one or two laying around. My dad never worked a day in the bush but there were still 2 or 3 peaveys in the shed. When we bought our place in '72 my father-in-law and I did a lot of logging and we had 4 or 5 peaveys around all the time. They made them in a variety of sizes from little short three footers to what we used to call "bull peaveys" which had handles at least 6 ft. long and almost 4" thick at their largest diameter. Three guys with one of those could turn a pretty big log.

Too bad you're not closer JohnBoy, there's almost always a peavey or two on Craigslist--I could round one up for you pretty quick...