Pyramid Drift Anchor

I have one 8 lb pyramid anchor and one 11.6 lb anchor available.  

After New Years, I am upping the price up to make it worth my time looking for lead.
It isn't cheap or easy to find anymore.  

8lb currently is $16 ($24 after Jan 1 2010)
11.6lb currently is $23.00 ($35 after Jan 1 2010)  
(No shipping, pickup only)







Here is the business end of the 11.6 lb'r.  


Also the height of the 11.6 lb.


And for giggles, here is the 11.6 lb 3 side, sitting next to my 27.6 lb 4 side.  It technically has the same foot print and bite surface, but less than half the weight and possibly a better bite with the recessed face I designed into it.

Nice design and great deal too.

Z

That bigger one has quite the "pucker" 

That is the way the Tin from the wheel weights shrinks when cooled too quickly.  This wasn't poured to actually be used, note the lack of eye on it?  It just happened to be my dummy run from a previous casting mold I made about 5 years ago for power boats.  I keep it around as a trip hazard in my garage. 

I made a mold in the bodyshop I work at. Its a 4 sided pyramidal weight but it just has a flat top surface. How did you get the top surface reccessed like that? Very cool as it will definetly create more drag on the bottom. I use 3/16 ths copper grounding wire for the loop with some turns in it too avoid slipping out. I use a rosebud tip on the torch to melt right into the mold to avoid having to heat the lead in a pot. Im still perplexed as how you get the top area like that. Is it a 2 piece mold? Thanks, Craig

Craig,

Can I borrow your mold?   

-Allen

What weight do you need Allen and I will make you one. I have a bunch of lead from a plumbing retrofit out of a San Rafael house built in the 1880's. All lead plumbing. Wierd huh?


Now I might get that top part. Do you press a top piece into the mold while the lead is still molten and then the overflow goes down into the grated area of your work area?

I made a mold in the bodyshop I work at. Its a 4 sided pyramidal weight but it just has a flat top surface. How did you get the top surface reccessed like that? Very cool as it will definetly create more drag on the bottom. I use 3/16 ths copper grounding wire for the loop with some turns in it too avoid slipping out. I use a rosebud tip on the torch to melt right into the mold to avoid having to heat the lead in a pot. Im still perplexed as how you get the top area like that. Is it a 2 piece mold? Thanks, Craig

Yes, it is a two piece mold.
I thought about just pressing a die into the top and push the excess lead out giving the intended shape on the top, but instead I took the harder/longer route. 
I'll PM ya the picture of my mold, so it doesn't just go "mainstream" for outside lurkers to copy.  A guy has to have his secrets.   

I made a mold in the bodyshop I work at. Its a 4 sided pyramidal weight but it just has a flat top surface. How did you get the top surface reccessed like that? Very cool as it will definetly create more drag on the bottom. I use 3/16 ths copper grounding wire for the loop with some turns in it too avoid slipping out. I use a rosebud tip on the torch to melt right into the mold to avoid having to heat the lead in a pot. Im still perplexed as how you get the top area like that. Is it a 2 piece mold? Thanks, Craig

Yes, it is a two piece mold.
I thought about just pressing a die into the top and push the excess lead out giving the intended shape on the top, but instead I took the harder/longer route. 
I'll PM ya the picture of my mold, so it doesn't just go "mainstream" for outside lurkers to copy.  

with a patent, you could sue the lurkers & maybe make lots of money (maybe not) 

I made a mold in the bodyshop I work at. Its a 4 sided pyramidal weight but it just has a flat top surface. How did you get the top surface reccessed like that? Very cool as it will definetly create more drag on the bottom. I use 3/16 ths copper grounding wire for the loop with some turns in it too avoid slipping out. I use a rosebud tip on the torch to melt right into the mold to avoid having to heat the lead in a pot. Im still perplexed as how you get the top area like that. Is it a 2 piece mold? Thanks, Craig

Yes, it is a two piece mold.
I thought about just pressing a die into the top and push the excess lead out giving the intended shape on the top, but instead I took the harder/longer route. 
I'll PM ya the picture of my mold, so it doesn't just go "mainstream" for outside lurkers to copy.  

with a patent, you could sue the lurkers & maybe make lots of money (maybe not) 

 

Not worth the time and money to file a patent on a VERY VERY low profit item.   
I made these anchors to just throw out there for some of our NWKA's to easily afford and go use and test my design out.  Interesting to note, that over the years I have created from scratch many individual items that were-or-are probably worthy of a patent, and could effectively make me or someone very rich.  I hate the paperwork side of inventing enough that becoming rich doesn't even register in my brain.  I actually get more satisfaction knowing that what I created actually helps another person, vs. any monetary gain that I could make from that person.  Most of the time, I cut myself completely short on any profits by not even calculating in my man hours it takes to make something.  This is my choice on when and where I apply this, and usually I can earn a strong friendship from it.   Hey, but don't get me wrong.  I do alot of horse trading with folks and it's amazing what a guy can get when both parties eliminate the man hours, and focus on the need of the trade.  This is how America was started back in the good old days, right?  Trade fur and meat for textiles, building materials, or even medical help.

dude, you remind me so much of a former coworker who invented a set of injector service and suspension tools for the GM 6.2/6.5 deisel family and the Hummers it was put into. he'd sell individually, but always resisted the patent. so, it wasnt long before a dealership that bought a bulk order of his tooling, and GM Hummer Division, served him cease and desist papers on THEIR patented tooling..

short version, it might do ya better to file the patents apps than to not ever had.  ask around the group. i think there are at least 5 members , including our founder , who have been down the patent road and may be able to assist ya.

dude, you remind me so much of a former coworker who invented a set of injector service and suspension tools for the GM 6.2/6.5 deisel family and the Hummers it was put into. he'd sell individually, but always resisted the patent. so, it wasnt long before a dealership that bought a bulk order of his tooling, and GM Hummer Division, served him cease and desist papers on THEIR patented tooling..

short version, it might do ya better to file the patents apps than to not ever had.  ask around the group. i think there are at least 5 members , including our founder , who have been down the patent road and may be able to assist ya.

Seriously if it came down to someone telling me to quit making and selling something that they hacked my design from, I can easily horse trade my way around it.  No money trail, and no way to ding me for making money (which I don't really do now) on it.  

I met with Buzz Siler at his home in Lake Oswego years ago, and he gave me alot of great advice on how to go about dealing with patents.  He also showed me the way he made his millions just coming up with ideas and taking them all the way to market.  He is a musician by trade, and an inventor by default (and now it looks like he is into painting some pretty expensive art).  Very sharp guy, and very down to earth.   He had invented so many items by the time I had met him, and he had yet to ever be taken to court, or served papers on anything from another greedy person or company.  He just let them roll with it and moved on.  He had no problem coming up with something else.  That kinda stuck with me.  

maybe if somebody helped ya w/ the paperwork, you could both get rich!

fair 'nuff.