Questions about rebar

[M ELEY]

I have recently acquired a huge grappling hook/anchor whose central shaft is made from rebar. I know many of the modern types are made of such, but this piece looks very old, at least early 19th c.

With what little I could find on rebar, it's been around for a very long time, 16th c. and up. During the American Revolution, the statue of King George III commissioned in 1768 and destroyed by colonials in 1776 was a lead figure with rebar inner skeleton. (the yanks melted it down to make shot to use against the Brits!) I guess my question is does anyone know of any rebar used in architecture, structures, weapons, fencing, etc, during this time? I've tried researching and haven't come up with much...

[fernando]

Hi Captain,
If i understand what you mean ...
I see local anchors made with this type of steel ... although i guess this is saved from other applications, just to make it cheap for modest fishermen.
But where i see these being massively applied is for construction, in either concrete beams or solid pavement. They call it "pre-stressed" concrete. Frames are made with rebar (if i get it) and after, fresh cement fills up the the desired structure volume. It then works by contraction, gaining more resistance. I guess in some cases the bars are laid streched with hydraulic jacks, before cement is applied and when it dries, the bars are let loose, improving the beams strength.
I may talking nonsense; if so, forget the whole thing .
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bet%C3...g-Cables-5.jpg

[CSinTX]

Can you post some pictures? Sometimes in the US we use rebar to make hoopnet and trotline drags to locate our fishing gear that's been hidden out of sight of others. They look like grappling hooks and often get lost to tree roots, rocks, etc. It would be easy to see how one that was lost to a river, recovered a time later, and cleaned could look really old.

[M ELEY]

Thanks, gents, for your fast replies! I realize that I probably should have posted my question under 'ethno items'...sorry! Let me post a pic and you'll see what I'm talking about.

[fernando]

More like Miscellania section, i'd say, Mark.
Here we go .

[M ELEY]

Thanks, Fernando-

Still trying to resize the pics...

[Will M]

Does the "rebar" on your hook have a seam running the length of it? If not then I would think it's made from something other than rebar.
I have a fair amount of rebar in the walls of my ICF house. When building it the rebar seemed to be quite soft and bendable.

[Rick]

Whatever it's age it is nice utilitarian work; a much better use of rebar than this 'art piece'.
If it has a straight seam then it is either stamped or cast I'd guess; probably not twisted by hand.

[M ELEY]

Thanks as always for the replies.

Will, it's odd that you mention that because the ribbed bar is smooth and round near the 'eye' where the link is. About halfway down the bar is where it is more squarish, has the ribbing and has two seams on either side. I'm guessing that it was once ribbed all the way to the eyelet, but was hammered out to be more rounded. Note the odd thickened end piece where the spikes spread out. This doesn't appear to be brazed or welded on. It was part of the whole bar! The whole construction is fascinating and confusing at the same time. This piece is solid and not flexible at all like modern rebar.

Rick, your point is well founded. Of course something this thick undoubtedly wasn't made by twisting. I guess I was just thinking aloud. I had proposed cast, but hadn't thought about stamped iron. Still, considering its age, I'd assume cast more likely. The earliest stamping where from trip hammers used in the 1830's, I'm told It was the start of the Industrial Revolution.

[Rick]

If solely for grappling, I wouldn't think flukes would be necessary, and considering the tumblehome on most warships of the time, it would seem like a pretty heavy object to throw very far.

Can you take some better pictures of it in daylight Mark?

GIS for '19th century grappling iron' provides some interesting examples.

[fernando]

Strange beast.
Dimensions are well for a small/mid size fishing boat anchor. This morning i went lurk inside the local harbour and i saw one atypical (to me) device together with a classic anchor. I asked an old man what that was and he said: that is also an anchor, only a different type, with four 'unhas' (claws). Then i went to a local sport fishing store and saw some yatch type anchors with four flukes. They have this locker thing in the shaft that, when pulled up, allows the four arms to be folded in, to reduce its volume and agressive form. Question: would it be possible (once in time) for that section in your item shaft be also pulled up, to fold in the arms ? Another question: are the two flukes a separate piece welded to the two arms, or were the arms flattened to form flukes ?
However bizarre your example is, i bet my money on the anchor version


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