Sharpening up the pointy bits on the tripod legs...

[Brian Stein]

Effects of heat build up will depend on whether the steel has been hardened. If it has, then overheating will anneal it and leave it nice and soft. If it hasnt then it wont make any difference. For a knife chisel or similar you can rely on it being hardened and tempered, for leg tips in a tripod, dunno.

[Brian C. Miller]

If you aren't actually having a problem with tripod slippage, why bother?

[Vaughn]

If you aren't actually having a problem with tripod slippage, why bother?

I am going for the optimum grip on uneven rock surfaces above steep drop-offs or raging waters -- and when 10 to 25 feet above the ground on fallen redwoods. So yes, I have notices an increase in slippage.

And of course, for protection against cougers, bears, elk and mad rams.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gEDUDmZkyc

Vaughn

[Jay Drew]

That is funny.
Last week we were driving past some rather odd looking sheep (to us, anyway), & I joked something about killer sheep.
JD

[Jay Drew]

Oh! BTW Dip it often. Say every 5 seconds to start. It's amazing how faxt small parts heat up. Don't ask me how I know this.
If you should over heat a spike & soften it, please feel free to ask me how to reharden & temper it. It's not difficult except for determing ~550 deg. F.
My guess is that on tripod as good as a Reis(sp?), the spikes would be hardened, JD

[Vaughn]

That is funny.
Last week we were driving past some rather odd looking sheep (to us, anyway), & I joked something about killer sheep.
JD

When I was going to university in New Zealand in 1975, there were 3 million people and 60 million sheep. That would be every twenty sheep targeting one person -- a coup de grass in the making, so to speak. Fortunately they have a hard time finding leaders.

Thanks for the suggestions! I might just use a hand file. Thinking on it, I do not need spikes that narrow smoothly down to a point -- just take the rounded tip and put a point on it. I'll try to take off a minimum amount of metal.

Vaughn

[John Bowen]

Vaughn,

Before I started on this project I'd call Ries and see how much it would cost to purchase 3 new feet/spikes. :-) I guess that is because I've got 16 left thumbs...

Please let us know how it turns out.

[sun of sand]

my spikes and older ries spikes to compare with the modern ries

[Frank Petronio]

Wonder what Darius Kinsey did? His giant tripods never settled in the duff like that amateur Weston's did.

[paulr]

I'm bookmarking this thread in case the next project takes me into vampire country.