Another take on a custom cant hook

I’ve needed one of these for years, so with the Connecticut GTG looming less than a month away, I got to work. I made the handle from some ash I had milled a couple weeks ago, the hooks from 4140 pre hardened steel, and the body is some (very roughly) polished aluminum tubing. For a little style I added the FHC logo. It’ll work!

Edit: thank you metalcuttr for sending me the .DXF file for the FHC logo a while back, and buzz-saw and buZZsaw BRAD of the Connecticut FHC contingent for the inspiration to make this

 

Looks Good! Another tool you can never have too many of.

 

When are you going to get it dirty?

Looks good!

 

Thanks Mike. I’m going to try it out this weekend to make sure it grabs the way I want it to, but really I won’t use it much until the GTG. I have another couple coats of boiled linseed oil to wipe on until then. Don’t want the first ash handle I’ve ever made to crack.

 

I hate to tell ya BUT ash cracks are common

seriously ash as a wood cracks pretty easily

 

Originally I was going to use black locust but I heard that was brittle. After some research I saw that ash is common for tool handles as well as baseball bats so that’s what I went with. I didn’t have any hickory lumber otherwise I would’ve used that.

 

your right… but if ya watch baseball those bats break a lot..

it’s a pretty tool though

 

Wow! Very nice Eric.

 

Great job! That tool looks excellent.

 

Looks great , almost exactly like the one I made myself that BRAD is now the owner of.

Nice work!

 

I have some hickory slabs that have been drying for 5+ years if you are interested in making a hickory handle.

 

Thanks for the offer
Let me see how this ash handle works out over the next few months. I may take you up on that offer...

 

I see the ash turned nicely on the lathe. Any suspicion with wood shavings on the floor at work?
That would be a nice door prize for the GTG. Just saying!

 

For those FHCers who didnt see that thread here is the link.
Custom Made Cant Hook

 

That was my first thought too. Maybe I'll make another one for next year. I kind of need this one for me

 

Can you forward me that DXF file , I assume that would be OK with metalcutter . He was nice enough to send me a file for my waterjet a while back.
If you would rather I contact him myself I can do that too.

 

PM me your email address and I'll send it over. The file I got from him was a bit messy with a ton of tiny arc and line segments. That's just how CAM softwares convert JPEG/picture images into geometry. I simplified it a bit to make it easier to work with.

 

Thanks Eric.
All cleaned up = even better.

Our waterjet will clean it up like you are saying.
I found it easiest to clean them up on waterjet then send it back to the CNC once cleaned up.

Thanks again. PM headed your way.

 

Wow ! Nice workmanship