Compact Grappling Hook
by Mrballeng in Workshop > Metalworking
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Compact Grappling Hook








When I was a kid I made little grappling hooks out of paper clips. No G.I. JOE was complete without one! Now that I'm all grown I've graduated from paper clips. Last year I made my son a Katana Letter Opener for Christmas. This year I made him a grappling hook. It screws apart for compact storage and even has an N52 Neodymium magnet. It's tied to 50' of paracord.
Gather Materials




Everything you need is at the hardware store.
1, 3/4" bolt
1, 3/4" nut
5/16" steel rod
Neodymium magnet.
Over all it all cost about $11.00.
Turn the Body







All the work is done on a Harbor Freight Mini Lathe. To start I machined a flat face on the head of the bolt. This allowed it to sit square against the chuck when I flipped it around. Next I drilled a hole in the end so I would have a place for the live center (a live center is a support that spins along with your work piece while supporting it).
I machined the threads off leaving just enough for the width of the nut. I followed by machining in a cool shape.
Finish the Head






Taking the head of the bolt from six sides to a circle takes some patience. It helps to use gear oil to keep things cutting smooth. I turned all the sides round and used a file to bevel the edge.
Since the magnet is 1/2" x1/4" I used a 1/2" drill bit to drill a hole that was just shy of 1/4".
Prep the Nut




I used a ruler to mark the center of the nut and drilled a pilot hole. I followed that with a 5/16" bit.
Form the Eye Bolt









Every grappling hook has to have a way to tie off. I took a section of 3/16" steel rod and wrapped it around the 5/16" rod. This made a spiral which I could cut down to one loop. I inserted the eye bolt into the same hole that supported the live center. I then cross drilled a hole and hammered in a pin to keep it in place.
Making the Tines






This is not the sanctioned way to use a pipe cutter but I do it all the time and it works great. I cut out 3 sections of equal length from the 5/16" rod. I set my lathe to 10 degrees and machined a point onto each tine. Next I used a piece of wire to help determine the final shape.
Bend and Weld







I put each tine into a vise and bent them to shape with the help of a pipe. I welded them into the holes I drilled for the nut. I cleaned up the welds with a deburring tool.
Powder Coat






I powder coated the everything and baked it in an old toaster oven. I glued in the magnet with super glue and and finally tied it off with paracord. Thanks for reading.