Low budget ‘Gear Puller’

It’s amazing what you can come up with to save a dollar… 2 old G clamps, a rusty file and about 12 minutes of synchronized turns.

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Nice!

just when you think you’ve seen everything, someone comes up with something new. what a great idea, one question, does the file have to be rusty???

As dick .g . said just when you think you have seen it all ,
I cant think of something better to blind you than that image .
A file is high carbon and Brittle it is more likely to shatter and bits fly everywhere , yes a good idea indeed.!!!!!
However not wanting to be a complete bastard the idea in principle is good just dont use a damned file !!

Thanks for your concern Peter… I think you’ll find this is a case where ‘common sense’ prevails. Am well aware of the high carbon content in files and other metal tools.

This ‘set-up’ required little or no effort, in another words, no resistance, just a bit of patience.
If you can shatter a file with a couple of hand turns of a Gclamp, your a stronger man than me… or anyone else for that matter.

For the record: This procedure is not recommended without adult supervision.

… and yes, a rusty one. Steel hardens with age :)

I wont deny having done such things in my time !!
I just would have removed the file from the equation as common sense does not seem the most used thing on some of these postings ! you could do the job using quoins too ,a bit fiddly but have found quoins most useful for spreading loads . As for the age hardening you cant beat having old files some of the new ones really are garbage !

well i have the rusty file but where am i going to find adult supervision???

Ahhhhh… well said dickg!

It’s becoming more and more apparent that this industry doesn’t age… Just lives! (Peter Pan Press??)

And to Peter… Agree and agree and loved the suggestion of utiising quoins!! A superior improvement on my ‘Lowbudgetometer’ invention… and safer. Think I’ll hold off on the patent. Cheers

Clever idea, neveroutofsorts….
but Peter is correct about the risk.

Positioned as shown, the risk is lessened but as the file begins to bend, the clamps can slip outward on the file increasing the stress at the center. The teeth on an old file aren’t likely to reduce the slipping much.
Hardened carbon steel is more brittle and your hands are stronger than you think—particularly in combination with two C-clamps.
Annealed, the file will bend a ways before it breaks, if at all.
Hardened, it may not show any give before it suddenly snaps.
Grab a beefier piece of scrap steel instead.
U-channel if you have it will keep the clamps centered
and is itself less likely to bend than flat stock.
If your clamps begin to splay,
back off the screws immediately or you’ll ruin them..

NB: Don’t try gear pulling till you’ve first applied a high-quality penetrant like Kroil or Tri-Flo or Pink Slipper and tapped around the joint…. and, of course, not till you’ve removed the key.

Calvert
KC

Ahhh , now about the woodruff key that i once didnt realise was there , two hours later ……….

Thanks for the advice and recommendations.

This exercise was a case of utilising what was at my disposal, especially after pricing Gear pullers with a maximum reach of around 4”. (clamps open to 8”)

For the record: The key was removed, the gear was drowned in penetrant and their was no pressure or resistance when I started winding the clamps, in fact, they fell off a few times in the process.

Will definitely heed the advice given.

Cheers, Andrew

In Australia, we wear eye protection.
Alan.