On Dec 30, 2:35*am, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Wed, 29 Dec 2010 23:12:21 -0800, Winston
wrote:



John R. Carroll wrote:
Winston wrote:
During fence repairs, I sometimes need to
retrieve 3-5 lb. 1"- 4" diameter chunks of
concrete out of a ~15" - 24" deep hole in the ground.

(...)

What is the name of the tool that will do this please?

Thanks!

Fireplace Tongs.

I should have been clearer. *Sorry.

Most of the time, the chunks are entrapped by our famous
Bay Area Adobe Clay. *Some only budge when I stand on
the end of my slate bar. *(ca. 1300 lbs. of force)

By the time I've loosened them, they still require
substantial convincing before they agree to come along.
So I need a tool that has a wide ratio for a firm grip.

(Note the post hole digger's 5:1 mechanical advantage
*for example.)

I cruised but didn't find a pair of tongs that could
do that.

Most were 1:1 at best and some were a lot worse.

Thanks for looking into this, John.

Check out the videos...

http://www.fencepostpuller.net/index.html

As a side note..the few times Ive had to pull "plugs"..Ive simply used a
wire cable lanyard, looped around the plug and a boat winch on a stand
to simply suck them out of the ground.

Gunner

"Usenet is like a herd of performing elephants with diarrhea -- massive,
difficult to redirect, awe-inspiring, entertaining, and a source of mind
boggling amounts of excrement when you least expect it."

* * --Gene Spafford, 1992

I'd use a webbing sling but I agree.
Karl