# MMaking wooden padlock shackles Part 1 Part 2



## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

After the first series of pad locks , Stick suggested I explore laminating the shackle so as to eliminate the weakness at the top bend where the grain is short and vertical.

So here is my results and conclusions as 6 Part thread.

The first part is how I made a form and laminated the shackle out of thin strips of veneer wrapped around the form.
I made 2 this way, the first didn't come out very well as I broke 4 pieces and came up short to give me the width I needed to make a 3/4" diameter shaft.

I made a form out of 2X8 and covered it with packing tape to keep the glue from sticking.
Then I made a jig to rip the walnut veneer to 7/8" strips. Making 24 strips.

The jig worked good I wrapped the veneer around the male form and then slid the female form around it. The clamps worked good to draw it together then clamps were installed across to clamp it sideways. 

After the glue dryed overnight I removed the rough shackle and inserted a block of wood to hold the shape while milling it down.

Here are making the first two out of walnut veneer.

Herb


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

The next one I tried was to take a solid piece of Ash and lay out a shackle on the board then split it down the center of the shackle . Then wrapping the inner piece with veneer and clamping it back together and then cutting out the shackle. 
As you can see a chunk flew out of it when I was milling it down. I repaired that later and can still use it. 
This one is the hardest to make as I broke several pieces and did not get good results in the end. Not recommended.

Herb


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

thank you...

.


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## Roy Drake (Feb 10, 2014)

I'm watching. I may learn something yet.


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## firstmuller (Aug 28, 2014)

Did you steam or soak the wood or just bend it? This is very informative. 
Allen


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

firstmuller said:


> Did you steam or soak the wood or just bend it? This is very informative.
> Allen


Good question Allen, it was just walnut veneer strips 7/8" wide X20" long. I don't do steam bending, and I didn't want to soak and prebend then dry them before clamping them up it would have taken at least overnight. So I tried to dry bend them. It might have just been the strips, I did dry bend the same strips on the form I made and only broke 5-6 strips out of 48, so it was very possiblby weak strips on this one.
Herb


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