Anybody ever *break* a wrecking bar?

[Norm in Fujino]

While getting my container ready for shipping to Japan last month, I found a neat Dasco Pro Bar (wrecking bar) at a going-out-of-business sale at a local Ace Hardware store. The neat thing about it is that it has two nail pullers on one end, at slightly differing angles, thus allowing you to use whichever one suits the job at hand.


A local friend came over yesterday and was helping me dismantle my front stairway, and he was using the wrecking bar with a small sledge, trying to wedge apart some pieces. Well, he made the mistake of hitting the bar on one of the nail-pullers, and it broke off.


Would it be possible to weld this back together?
(BTW, I would never have hit it where he did; the guy is a great friend, but I don't think he has a sense for the Zen of materials).

[aggrex]

Welding it back together again is possible but I would not trust it as a nail puller because it it could snap off and injure the user. The other end of the bar is still useable as a breaker. I cannot bring a nail clipper/file on a plane but stuffing that heavy bar in a container will pass customs?

[charliex]

From what I can see it's cast bar and while welding (brazing) it will make it whole, it will not have the strength of the solid casting. First time someone pushes it to it's limit it will snap, catch the operator by surprise and where he lands is any ones guess. I would not use this bar for any heavy task because it could just as well fracture in use and throw you off balance. I'm sure our offical fact checker can give you the increased breaking strength of forged over cast. Good forged will bend before it breaks.

[Norm in Fujino]

Welding it back together again is possible but I would not trust it as a nail puller because it it could snap off and injure the user. The other end of the bar is still useable as a breaker. I cannot bring a nail clipper/file on a plane but stuffing that heavy bar in a container will pass customs?

When I said "container," I meant a 20' container.


And I passed Japan customs by myself. When the container got to my town, the customs seal was still intact, so they hadn't even opened it for the most cursory of checks.


It could have held anything.

I figured the same thing about the welding; I can still use the one side, but I'm sad the two-headed nail-puller is gone.

[Norm in Fujino]

From what I can see it's cast bar and while welding (brazing) it will make it whole, it will not have the strength of the solid casting. First time someone pushes it to it's limit it will snap, catch the operator by surprise and where he lands is any ones guess. I would not use this bar for any heavy task because it could just as well fracture in use and throw you off balance.

Thanks. I figured the same. I can't figure out why they start out with a nice idea and then ruin it by making it cast instead of forged.

[LCHIEN]

Thanks. I figured the same. I can't figure out why they start out with a nice idea and then ruin it by making it cast instead of forged.

saves money

[Norm in Fujino]

saves money

Who'dathunkit?