Fabricating a custom tool to retrieve a broken pipe

[@allanlindskoog]

Besides the ingenuity of the contraption and the execution of the idea, I really, really loved the telling of the story. You told so much of it without words, and did it exceptionally well.

[@brokenmano9]

Good job! I build water well fishing tools myself! That's what it's like visualizing the mechanics of how you want things to work! Straight from your imagination to working concept!

[@CaptK-py8rq]

Farmer/rancher's ingenuity! Part of the fun of ranching for us, great work again!

[@elijahtaylor8351]

Making specialized tools is one of the best things about having my everlast welder. I was so limited before I could weld things.

[@vincentflack34]

You really make me feel good about this country!

[@tknoerle1451]

Necessity is the mother of invention! Way to go Justin!

[@metaspencer]

I know it's an older video of yours, but I've just gotta say that ... this was awesome. The camera down the pipe was a nice touch, and great use of the human leg clamp there at the end. Well done.

[@mojitomaker]

metaspencer plus one for all of these comments.

[@jamescratt6273]

The Longest Vise-grips I ever saw. Farmers made some of the BEST problems solvers. Just think that problems he could solve with a engineering degree under his belt! From someone who grow up on a farm too.

[@charljoubert6993]

We have a saying here in South Africa in Afrikaans, one of the 11 languages, " 'n boer máák 'n plan" directly translated meaning "a farmer makes a plan" that was a brilliant idea of yours, and something that I would remember, next time. Much cheaper than having to redrill a borehole. Loving your channel. Greetings from South Africa.

[@SAXONWARLORD1000AD]

LIFE ON THE FARM - good work sir

[@buynsell365]

BRILLIANT !!! Very clever way of getting that out. Keep up the great work. Love the videos.

[@sparks101122]

Beautiful and skilled work. Your are a great asset to the business.....

[@Cherokee140Driver]

What a brilliant idea. Excellent craftsmanship too.

[@Fireship1]

Nice creative engineering! Knowing how to weld and do metal fab is a great and useful talent indeed!

[@johnbronson8928]

I love it. Good work. I'm impressed

[@adrianz9683]

Going back through your video catalog and came across this gem. I love custom tools. Looking at your design the only addition I'd suggest (although its older and you may not have a need again) is to add a lock-pin to the mouth to release the jaw once the retrieved item is out. Maybe change the fulcrum of the jaw at :30 to a quick release pin? I know its way after the fact but I really like this design and I'm a big fan of your vids. Good stuff! 👍

[@Bowman644]

Well done. One of life's problem solvers. look forward to your next exploits

[@Poss357]

Where there is a will, there's a way!!! Just discovered your channel the other day when you built the tool caddy for the truck. HAD to subscribe and start watching it from the beginning!!! Greetings from Conyers GA (just outside of Atlanta)!!!!! And LOVE the drone shots! Keep em coming!!!

[@horsingaround5353]

I enjoy your inventiveness.

[@timdodson367]

Nice, the pipe shot was a deff plus

[@aguerra1381]

Well ceafted video. Very good editing also. Good job!

[@hjonedmonds]

Great tool building skills. sure enjoy your videos.

[@Destichado]

You need to grind a hex or square surface down near the jaw. If you're concerned about strength, use weld to add material and then grind the facets. That way you can take an adjustable wrench and open the jaw from the bottom once you have retrieved the object.

[@adamholcomb5680]

Ive had to "fish" my share of pipes out of wells, working for a well drilling company in Pennsylvania. If i do say so, well done. Yeah, alittle over kill like you said but it worked very nicely. My fishing tools are very crude and, some say scary lookin. Im looking for a new design because im goin "fishin" in a few hours. Again, nice work

[@RuBaDuCkZiLa131]

I know this tool was a spur of the moment thought, sort of, I'm very impressed by how well it works. A suggestion for if something happens like again, have some sort system that can have two ropes to the surface, a lifting rope, and a tension rope, so that the only fabrication you need is a system that can be lowered by the lifting rope, and expands to the base of the pipe and make it when fully extended outwards, some what bigger than the largest pipe you may need it for, so that it can fit most pipes up to that size. this way you don't have the issue of removing it once the top is at the surface as it would be lighter than the tool that you made for this. I'm interested now, so I may mock up some 3d models for the hell of it.

[@-Kerstin]

Good job. I really wonder what a more elegant solution to this problem would look like.

[@scragglebum]

That was surprisingly really interesting

[@jmlcolorado]

I thought the same thing. After binge watching most of the other videos, this one was one of the last. I didn’t figure I’d get much entertainment from it. Turns out I was wrong. And learned a little engineering too as an extra bonus. Keep up the good fight brother!

[@WellHose]

Great job. Now next time go in with WellHose DIY Drop Pipe and you don't have to fish it out !

[@robbiegwinn]

i got the same problem with a 3" pipe casing. 2 water lines broke and are 16' down in the well pipe

[@Don.Challenger]

Pretty good contraption you fabricated there Justin. Yes once you had the pipe I knew you'ld have another puzzle to ponder but you solved that fast showing your ingenuity many problems are of the river, the boat and three animals variety - two steps forward one step the reverse. If still unnamed you can call it the Drake brand Retriever. I guess preengineering your pipe with grapple points might help but that failure is probably uncommon - would a nylon rope or strap around each pipe section last through the irrigation season might be a fair precaution if it wouldn't interfere with the pumping requirements.

[@murraydavenport3001]

Is there a way to add a picture in the comments. My son came up with a MUCH much much simpler home made tool that worked first time. Made in 15 minutes. Zero cost Would love to share a picture

[@croyfer]

@5:55 - Back your truck up to the pipe and stand on the tailgate?

[@Bird76Mojo76]

Old video, I know.. If you use this tool again, grind two flats on the shaft of your tool so you can loosen it with a wrench at the end where the jaws are.

[@KKhhoorrnniittee]

Or just use a pipe wrench (-;

[@bg73]

The problem is that its not the shaft that needs to be turned to be loosened. The threaded rod with the handle at the end is what turns and it's not attached to the shaft - it pushes the shaft to close the mouth.

[@DuncanAitken]

Or just use a linchpin instead of one of the for one of the articulating joins. Then you just pull/tap it out when you want to release the clamping pressure.

[@toddsheffield4271]

You need to go to engineering school. I would hire you in a heart beat.

[@sRockstuff]

Todd Sheffield, engineering school? Psh...He doesn’t need school... unless he’s the one teaching..

[@krea_knaegten]

Aha..... It's the strong silent type in the intro 😉😉

[@harleco1]

In the oil field we call that a fishing tool.................. good job

[@shodanxx]

So your next build is a jib crane for your pickup so you can do this again without crushing discs in your spine when you're older.

[@Don.Challenger]

And many hands make light work but Drake your usual partner only has four feet. But I suppose your videoing is usually best accomplished when you're working alone and you're working light. Still you can fit that vehicle of yours up to be pretty much another hand if you think about needs intelligently.

[@kevinpoore5626]

That was a WELL-made idea get the pun

[@tazman4855]

I can use the grabber. Just clear my main street sewage drain and saw a small pipe trapped by the elbow join.

[@TheMetalButcher]

Nice tool!

[@BrokenRRT]

Genius! You got my sub... Now figure out how I can retrieve my pump that's sitting 306 feet in bottom of my well.

[@KKhhoorrnniittee]

Ask the oilfield guys about fishing (-; They do it all the time.

[@dmfc04]

Do you offer any kind of step by step on building this? I'm currently going through the same situation as you and I need help.

[@jwiereng]

Do you normally use a foot valve at the bottom of the suction pipe?

[@scummyinoz]

gday nice i would of drive the ute up and stand on the tailgate cheers

[@Sikorsky66]

in the Oil and Gas drilling industry this is called "Fishing"

[@KKhhoorrnniittee]

I second that.

[@NPR47]

Smart & Lucky dude Im next , WML VT

[@jaketomkins5694]

just saying with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight and no time stress, an easy way to solve the issue could have been just a long piece of rebar with a short right angle point at one end. you then heat up the point to red hot, drop it down the hole, punch it through the side of the pipe, drop a bucket of water on it, then drag it up at your leisure. But then again these sort of ideas come easy sitting at a keyboard.

[@DuncanAitken]

"extended" version - brilliant! Haha...

[@anonsup]

nice skills bro

[@arrowandrew2613]

Damn that white pipe was way longer than I thought.

[@me5768]

That dog was thinking to himself what is my human doing now

[@mattcasdorph]

I got a similar problem in my 50'+ well, I had a pvc hand pump on it and bought a submersible and was taking out the handpump, pipe snapped right in two and fell to the bottom, looking online for videos, didn't figure looping around it would work I thought about that and don't figure I'll waste my time, my problem is I don't have welding equipment to make anything..lol. Nice touch on the well cap, is that an old brake rotor?..lol

[@gunterhausfrau]

I thought I posted this, but didn't see it. I've done something similar, but simpler? essentially a balloon on the end of a pipe/hose. Deflated balloon on the end of the hose, fish it down into the pipe you can't get to, inflate inside and it should (may) hold well enough to pull it up. Granted, when I had to do this it was pretty small, but maybe worth a shot?

[@mattcasdorph]

I ended up getting it out, that wouldn't have helped in my situation since the pipe had a foot valve and was about 20 feet long, there was still water in it because of the foot valve, it weight probably 30-40 lbs and was also sunk in some sediment in the bottom.

[@Channel4029]

Nice tool! I would have just taken a cordless sawzall and cut the pipe off just below the tool. Needed squared up anyway.

[@bobbuttman1324]

Looks good, but the top of my pipe is 374 foot down....

[@justindouglas5928]

Did you get it out yet I have some experience with this job

[@Longbow53]

I need to retrieve a PVC pipe in 3 inch from inside of 4 inch vent pipe. I am 18 miles from Boston. Can someone help, please?

[@Lokiwho]

Nobody caught the Silence of the Lambs reference for the video thumbnail? Lol

[@maruthupandian3728]

ingenius

[@JamesWilkins-c3y]

Down 30 meters is a bit different than 20 feet!!!!

[@NPR47]

so lucky

[@KAESowicz]

What about a rope with a loop attached to a wooden pole? Similar to what they are using to catch stray dogs or crocodiles. The loop might be inside a rubber hose. Overkill is his second name. I see it, even though I have little practical experience, only a degree in mechanical manufacturing... not even fabrication. OK, he has a point that this tool might be useful later. But still

[@rogerdrum5936]

Drakes Noodle Clamp

[@steenfraosterbro3268]

Great video. Ended up looking like you peed your pants

[@Kevin-is-here]

Looks like you need an extra set of hands, here ya go 🤲🏻

[@peacejoy8155]

Talk about ground water pollution 😝

[@FlintstoneZzz]

hey buddy my friend ran a snake threw the roof of house the breather and the frickin snake came out the machine so now its about 3 feet down laying against the pipe do you know a way to get it out

[@reddlane7778]

Why post a video without showing how to build it?

[@Kardall]

Patent it and sell it to UFA :)