Make a practice throwing weight

[o1d_dude]

Actually, the chain link welded to the top of the weight is somewhat weak. The chain link can bend fairly easily if the weight hits the dirt just right.

A stronger solution is to have your welder/blacksmith bend 3/8-1/2 length of cold rolled steel rod into a loop with the tails sticking out. This provides a LOT more welding surface. Unfortunately I have no picture of such a weight.

My own 42# weight for Weight over the Bar has a forged 5/8" eye-bolt drilled and tapped into the top of the weight and the maker welded it into place. That puppy is never coming loose. The handle is length of 5/8" CRS bent into an open loop. I left it open so that I could add a few links of chain to convert it into a HWFD. Overall cost back in 2000 was about $100 and will no doubt be higher at this time. It was worth it to me at the time as the WOB was my specialty.

[Alan H]

My 42 HWFD is a 6 1/2 in diameter, 8 inch long steel rod, that just so happened to be lying around at the local steel junkyard....and it's drilled, clean through, end to end with a 1/2 inch hole. I put a half inch eyebolt through it. It's beef. That part of the weight is about 42 pounds right there, so adding chain and handle brings it up to about 44. But that's OK for practice....makes the 42 at the Games feel light..