Rigid Gravity Clamps | Cast lead and steel weights for the shop (Kubrick)

I have been wanting to make some shop weights for a while now. I decided to cast lead in these weights in order to maximize the weight. I could have just used solid steel, but then they would have to be nearly 2X as big for the same weight! Since they are welded shut, I will have all of the advantages of the lead, without all of the negatives.
2001: A Space Odyssey, Sprach Zarathustra - Richard Strauss
Breaktime - Silent Film Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...)
Source: incompetech.com...
Artist: incompetech.com/

[@ryPish]

Rigid Gravity Clamp sounds so much better than Heavy Hunk of Metal D:

[@Grunblau]

+Ry P I learned that from the Food Network

[@ericl.8645]

Ry P or excessive paperweights

[@drewx10]

Really enjoyed this build. Simple but really useful. The view from inside your welder's helmet was a unique for me. I've never seen that and it was so informative.

[@Grunblau]

Glad you liked it! I am about to make more of these…

[@samaker4]

dude that POV shot RULES. I'm totally going to use that.

[@buckstarchaser2376]

You either need eyes that are very far apart, or both crosseyed and nearsighted.

[@patplunkett7337]

Oh man, I laughed so hard at the intro, great reference to a great movie!

[@Grunblau]

+Pat Plunkett Thanks! I worried it might be be lost on a lot of people!

[@bronsonstephens5799]

Brian Oltrogge oh I got it!

[@MLFranklin]

Excellent! For those might not quite get it... Full. Metal. Jacket.

[@regansmallridge8040]

@@MLFranklin ....you were kinda on the right track with FMJ being a Stanley Kubrick film but you just didn't quite get it! :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/m160d51rbrWChJY

[@daviddavis1322]

Impressive vision and fine craftsmanship for such a primitive object. Inspirational as always, Brian.

[@mattelias721]

Brian, I know you're a metalworker, so there's that caveat. I make lead gravity clamps as well, but cast the lead in sand, then when cool, encase it in a plywood (i.e., mostly softwood) sealed box. Then I can not worry about rust tainting the wood surface, and it's probably easier to grip. Also, no need to do the whole detailed welding and grinding. Would likely work on metalwork as well. No trolling here BTW - love the 2001 ref, and your attention to detail and craftsmanship. I'll be googling local skeet & trap spots now.

[@Grunblau]

Yup whatever works! I use these weights almost everyday and I need about 6 more of them though!

[@RedHillian]

Lovely video work, and thanks for the POV shot inside the mask - riding along with you tells me so much about my own welding technique and what I need to do!

[@michaelaj4495]

Nice monolith. Great video Brian. The welding helmet bit was interesting, didn't look like you moved the welder at all o_O

[@Grunblau]

+Michael A J I am sooo glad someone got the reference!

[@demonknight7965]

Michael A J Brian i busted out laughing as soon as Blue Danube started playing knew exactly what you were going to do. Love that movie btw!!

[@zlatamilojevic5389]

Michael A J .

[@diskordianer]

Nice, never seen an in-helmet-shot while welding. Nice idea, nice video.

[@irritablearchitect]

Very slick. I bought a couple of solid-bar cast-offs out of a sale bin at my local supplier many years ago. Not nearly as heavy, but work pretty well.

[@JDeWittDIY]

Beautiful weights. They are not a replacement for clamps in all use cases--clamps will provide _much_ more pressure--but they are very useful for many applications. Excellent job, and great video!

[@TeachNoBS]

Impressively entertaining! You really live by the motto "If you're going to do something, do it right."

[@MadAussieMatt]

Nice work on the clamps, was a little disappointed you didn't go with the gold infill thou. Keep up the great work!!

[@denisl2760]

Personally I'd go with uranium, but that's just me.

[@tolvtaggarn]

Less dense than gold. I'd go with osmium, 2x the density of lead.

[@EcoMouseChannel]

Too bad it melts at 5500° F (Kinda hard to melt and pour in your shop)

[@mateusleon]

Guy goes on periodic table to find something above: BANG! Busted out by the melting point... so sad...

[@tracybowling97]

You should have your own bespoke shop. You can make ANYTHING!

[@HomeHaunter1]

I appreciate the pace of your videos.

[@ardvark84]

This video proves that you can make anything from a good piece of twobyfour.

[@WrenagadeWorkshop]

One of the best tribute intro's ever.

[@joblessalex]

The idea of holding the end plates with a magnet was the coolest part of this for me.

[@veganschoice8486]

Were you tempted to paint them gold? :D

[@MakerOnTheMove]

Oh man, when you started welding in that POV shot, I could almost smell the ozone. Those are some high quality weights you made!

[@tomsdreamshopworx]

Loved the SO intro! Another great project from you. Thx for all the video work!

[@LoweWetterstrand]

Top notch cinematography as always! It would be fun to get an "exact" number on how they compare in clamping pressure compared to your other clamps.

[@Grunblau]

+Lowe Wetterstrand Interesting! Sometimes you can apply too much force with clamps and only around the perimeter but I wonder how much lbs of squeeze the clamps have.

[@schannor]

easy to figure out... just clamp down on the bathroom scale

[@denisl2760]

Even light duty clamps can hold hundreds of pounds, the clamping force will almost always be greater. The advantage of the weights is they are quick and easy, for gluing wood you don't need alot of force.

[@stefantrethan]

I was hoping you'd paint a realistic wood grain texture on them.

[@Rich_ard]

that would look cool.

[@Rich_ard]

that would look cool.

[@stefantrethan]

I was thinking more of the surprise when someone tries to lift them.

[@kurtfattig9370]

That's immediately what I thought of - the "oh, snap!" look on their face.

[@PleasestopcallingmeDoctorImath]

Clearly you've not seen 2001

[@buckstarchaser2376]

As expensive as dumbbells are to order, this gives me an idea for casting my own copper dumbells.

[@kkg9299]

I like the way you make things Mr Oltrogge!

[@dbeanmail]

Nice work Stanley Kubrick!

[@alanchapman6170]

My only suggestion would be to add some threaded attachment points. Have made them from long nuts welding up one end. Really have enjoyed your work! Mark C

[@Peztilence]

wow, a solid block... and you manage to make it interesting, good on ya!, love the dramatic intro!

[@grahameemberton9728]

very well presented and organised.Thank you for an enjoyable project

[@dobrzpe]

LOVE IT! so simple and elegant. nice!

[@Grunblau]

Yeah, I need to make like 10 more of these!

[@jonas852]

like the phone in the helmet look awesome

[@leapnlarry]

I love your videos i have watched 5 today, I think that you should use a hook in the beginning of your videos to keep viewers watching, like in this video 10 seconds or so of how the finished product is used. Or maybe 20 seconds of short clips of the process. Larry

[@Grunblau]

You might be right! I am needing to reevaluate making content for YT. A lot goes into the projects and I am happy it is documented, but I need to figure out how to make better long-form content in a world of short-form attention spans.

[@argyleworkz]

Quality workmanship!

[@rparker069]

Gravity Clamps: also known as "Giant F-Off Hunks of Metal"

[@TravisSchoening]

Films vertical with his phone in the welding helmet, still correctly displays the video in the final form, it's the little things that win points!! Cool video...

[@Grunblau]

+Travis Schoening I tried filming horizontal on the first welds... Didn't work as well.. Thanks!

[@TravisSchoening]

Brian Oltrogge I know it's petty, but it just makes the videos so much better, so you did it exactly right, even if filmed vertically, your final product didn't show that, again the effort for the little things are much appreciated and really makes for a better video!

[@Grunblau]

+Travis Schoening My favorite saying on the subject is that if we ever do make contact with a being from another world, it will undoubtedly be filmed in vertical format.

[@samr7717]

Found your channel a couple of days ago and watched all the vids. 1) you're awesome 2) you deserve to be in the 100's of thousands subs 3) your custom creations make the KZbin subs plaques look positively amateurish 4) wanna take on an intern ? :) keep up the cool work sir!

[@redbird1824]

Newton would be proud!!

[@henryworkswoodandmetal]

really great build, they will be very versatile!!

[@AddictedtoProjects]

Very nice work and great finish to the final product! I'd be keen to see how much these 'clamps' would weigh if you used just a cement and water mix (no sand!) to fill them? Lead is incredibly expensive here in the UK, so I'd be inclined to find a cheaper alternative.

[@Grunblau]

+mictho100 at most, I paid $0.50 per pound at my 'expensive' scrap yard. I think I'd be inclined to just look for solid steel blocks if lead is at a premium. Just won't have that "am I weak or is that heavier than it looks" effect

[@AdamNunnDes]

I agree that it's worth the extra work for the "wow, that's heavy" effect. I've always wanted a baseball sized chunk of Iridium(denser than gold/probably more expensive too) that I could ask friends to pass to me, and watch them struggle!

[@Ferelmakina]

That was a great video! it had a little bit of casting and some welding. I enjoyed it a lot

[@Jaburesu]

I get the sneaking suspicion that you made these weights just so you could throw down an epic 2001 reference.

[@SeanLumly]

I *really* appreciate the welding PoV. I think I'm going to learn to weld..

[@stuvs830]

I grew up around people who came up with clever solutions, but were of the "Cut once, measure, put an extra nail in it" school of craftsmanship. I have yet to see you use a chain saw in a vise with its safety guards removed... As I learn how things are properly done, I am wondering how you protect yourself from the gasses coming off these metals, finishes and glues. Giant, solar -powered exhaust fan -? If there was a vid, I'd love to get a link. Thanks in advance

[@denisl2760]

Maybe a respirator?

[@Zoidberg227]

Good thing I wasn't watching this on mobile, wouldn't have gotten past about 30 seconds. Nice clamps, definitely look like they have a little gravity in 'em.

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Cool video. I need some of those too sometime. But I think all those clamps would have exerted more pressure.

[@Grunblau]

+Max Maker Yes, but only around the edge. Over 100# is a pretty good start, though :)

[@MaxMakerChannel]

Thats true!

[@paulrm_7917]

That.... was..... Awesome!!

[@williamengels8216]

If you touch the monolith, do you instantly understand how to TIG weld?

[@justintremblay7657]

You would get better results by pushing the weld bead instead of pulling it. More penetration and flatter bead for less grinding.

[@benjaminblake6821]

Justin Tremblay I was looking through the comments for this, cause I was thinking the same thing

[@garcj108]

You have a lot of awesome fun toys! :-)

[@ronh103701]

I like your videos can you tell me more about the blackening solution and where to buy it

[@asvarien]

Clever intro

[@stemer1149]

Excellent build. You could've painted them golden, for effect.

[@neilyeag]

Takes a real tool guy to appreciate a rectangular hunk of steel filled with lead. Great video! What Bandsaw set up do you use?

[@Donceepapi]

Nice mig welding

[@rockyyamaha8649]

If you are Welding that fast Then your need to ADD more heat/volt to get a strong and Nice weld

[@СтепанТарасюк-в1с]

Like for the reference to the Space Odyssey! Where are the monkeys?

[@jaydenosmialowski4795]

Is the wood on the belt sander so it doesn't get caught between the sander and the tool rest?

[@Grunblau]

+jayden osmialowski Yup!

[@zanpekosak2383]

What is the metal bandsaw called? Great vid and awsome idea!

[@realybadboy16]

have you finished the Domino box....I really like boxes.

[@colebeyer6606]

What welder are you using for your projects?

[@brothyr]

Does that blacking fluid protect the steel in any way? I'm guessing no since you added lacquer.

[@Grunblau]

+Adam Rivera It does protect a bit. Essentially blacking is like a controlled rust. Lacquer is more to protect the things the weights will come in contact with!

[@gregthorne4292]

Thanks for explaining the part about blacking. I knew there was something you could put on metal to darken it, but I didn't know what it was called.

[@Volte6]

Could use a handle though... sucks picking up/putting down so much weight and pinching fingers :)

[@MarceloPereira-ll4go]

E um grande profissional parabéns

[@asvarien]

Does the visor really go that dark when welding or is it just the phone camera dimming?

[@AtomicFire19]

Not Dave He's using an autodarken helmet, which is becoming very common. And yes, they darken to that degree. If anything, the camera increased the brightness. If he'd been using a passive shade helmet it would have been that dark all the time

[@WreckDiver99]

OK...so...where did you get lead? I'm on the east side from you, and no shop will let me take it (I've offered to pay), and the scrap yards near me refuse to sell it (it's a dangerous material)....so where are you finding lead???

[@Grunblau]

+WreckDiver99 There was one yard in Flint that was going to sell it to me for 5 cents a pound. They changed their policy a couple months ago and will no longer sell any metal to people. I got this lead awhile ago at Dixon scrap yard near Clarkston. I paid $0.50/lb

[@WreckDiver99]

Yea...Finding the same issues here. I can't even go to the shooting ranges around here to collect Brass and clean out their bullet traps...I've asked, they refuse...they want the scrap for themselves...seems like a Michigan problem because other people I talk to have no issues getting lead or going to a shooting range to collect brass/lead. :(

[@azbonsai]

Do you ever do work for hire?

[@klcjmarc]

what is your normal wire speed

[@billmoss401]

Impressive!!!

[@animalmother2242]

where did you get your milwaukee band saw stand

[@animalmother2242]

never mind! found it!!!

[@dbstelly]

What was the black for? Just looks or some level of rust protection?

[@Grunblau]

+damon stelly Basically a controlled rusting of the surface. That and I like black.

[@sonOFchance]

very cool!

[@ahmetyapman]

put rubber coating would give nice look and easy grip

[@MotoBugalter]

Kubrick rules!!! :)

[@keithcarlson6038]

Where do you get your lead?

[@SunkSubmarines]

What about mercury?

[@-Sean_]

monolith?

[@martinceron3749]

cool idea. those weights look pretty good too. whats your weld setup? 120 v? wire diameter/gas? just curious.

[@Grunblau]

+Martin Ceron For these, 220v, 0.030", 75/25 argon/CO2 all funneled through a Hobart Handler 210MVP

[@martinceron3749]

Brian Oltrogge thanks

[@Bravo-ry9st]

I have some of those, I called them dumbbells!

[@urjnlegend]

what kinda welder is that?

[@squat224]

I was going to subscribe and noticed the button was already grey D'oh.

[@DBELLTREE]

Awesome

[@scott98390]

Where does one acquire lead shot?

[@Grunblau]

+Scott Baker Cabellas or similar ammo reloading supplier. Or online... Or make it yourself...

[@whirledpeaz5758]

You can also buy radiation shielding bricks and sheets online. Bet the shipping would be hefty.

[@Tshizzle42o]

Go to a skeet or trap range and ask if you can rake the back sections. My dad never buys shot for reloading. he rakes at the range, cleans it and reuses it. Setimes he melts it all down into ingots to make new shot

[@_Korinzu]

5:32 ow... caught me by surprise man...

[@PieterSchreurs]

the intro only was enough for a like :D

[@cvoisineaddis]

You also could have used platinum. Than it would have been ~48 pounds. And around $1,740,000.

[@kalemercer7053]

Nothing like having an extra 100lb of dead lying around when you need it

[@jamesedward44]

I filled mine with gold.

[@ElliotBougis]

u n d e r r a t e d

[@ingar83]

Did something wonderful happen?

[@denisl2760]

Was it full of stars?

[@ammagato]

Ottimo!

[@sanjaysami4315]

I use dumbbells

[@sergstroble3245]

what you did there at the beginning, i see it.

[@sergstroble3245]

good morning brian

[@Grunblau]

+Serg Stroble Good morning!

[@tluanem]

👍👍👍

[@markdaniel8740]

I would have watched, but took too long to get started.

[@YichenWang]

More dominoes please!!!

[@abrutility]

A bit fetishistic to make something so humdrum so immaculate ;¬) Not a complaint - I subscribed! Could have just filled a few tin cans and sealed it off with a topping of epoxy, but no, had to be done right. You should make some fake gold ingots like this and rent them to the movie studios - I always laugh when the guys in the heist movies throw gold bars around like they're Danish pastries...

[@Grunblau]

+abrutility My thought as well! Stuffing ten bars into a saddle bag and throwing it over their shoulder. Probably weighs 200lbs!

[@abrutility]

And what about The Italian Job with all those minis full of gold bullion! They would have just sunk to the ground and never moved again!

[@TheNeteiksu]

That's one way to hide your gold.

[@erlinghagendesign]

RGC ...i just threw a bone...

[@esarworks4963]

I don't think working with molten Lead is a good idea, its toxic stuff.

[@Grunblau]

Yeah started when I was 9… Used any money I got to buy plaster of Paris for molds. Kinda hard to quit now, unfortunately.

[@intjonmiller]

Very cool. Consider it copied. :)

[@fred98321]

It's really enjoyable to watch someone skilled work. Thank you for making the videos.