Getting Stones
Printed From: Nasgaweb
Category: Nasgaweb Forums
Forum Name: Throwing Only
Forum Discription: This forum is only for discussions that relate to throwing such as results, technique, and records.
URL: http://www.nasgaweb.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=15797
Printed Date: 3/26/26 at 8:20pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 10.11 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Getting Stones
Posted By: strongmanjayh
Subject: Getting Stones
Date Posted: 11/19/12 at 5:19pm
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Hi i am new. I am a strongman competitor who has a contest coming up that is doing a WOB. While watching, researching, and practicing for the event i have started to really enjoy the highland games. so now i am thinking it might be fun to compete in a couple highland games and want to get the implements. i have the ability to make my own hammers and caber. my team is buying a 56#wfd/wob, and i will probably buy a 28#lwfd/lwob for throwing the light weights. what i need help with is gathering an open stone of different weights, and a couple breamer stones. where would be the best place to find these? |
Replies:
Posted By: s_hutch
Date Posted: 11/20/12 at 1:22am
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I'm not sure where you live, but I've heard of people pulling stones out of rivers, lakes, oceans, etc. Those stones are usually the best because they are smooth from having water run over them for years. I've also heard of people looking out in the desert, on a mountain, etc. Sometimes those rocks can be reasonably smooth, but often they are pretty rough. I think some people sand them down a bit to help that problem. I unfortunately don't live in an area where it is easy to find good stones in natural places, so I went to a landscaping place. They had a big selection of river rocks in this one area that they let me dig through. I brought a bathroom scale for an approximate measurement on the weight of each stone that looked good. I bought an open and a braemar for around $20 total.
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Posted By: JSiau10
Date Posted: 11/20/12 at 4:28am
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A river is a good place(and free!), but if you aren't so keen about the temperature the water is likely to be this time of year, you can also try a rock quarry / landscape supply. ------------- I'm just an idiot, pretending to be smart. |
Posted By: strongmanjayh
Date Posted: 11/20/12 at 8:31am
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i live in the Memphis TN area. I will head down to the mississippi and check around there this weekend.. I am trying to find a landscaping/rock place around here as i would like to get a 16, 19, 22, and 25 lb stone. |
Posted By: Sammy68123
Date Posted: 11/20/12 at 8:35am
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+1 on landscaping place. The one I went to locally had different piles of various types--some smoother, more regular, fancier than others--sold by the pound. They even have a big balance scale outside for you to weigh the stones on. I hunted around to find the ones that I liked the feel of in my hand. I ended up finding my stones in the piles with the lowest price per pound.
Once you get yours, you might want to take them to a scale where you can weigh each more precisely and then mark the weight with a Sharpie. I use UPS store nearby (I'm sure FedEx would do it too); they always get a kick out of seeing me come in to weigh my implements and accomodate me. ------------- Teresa Merrick Bellevue, NE |
Posted By: strongmanjayh
Date Posted: 11/20/12 at 8:54am
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just finding a landscaping place around here is hard to do. |
Posted By: rogerws76
Date Posted: 11/20/12 at 9:57am
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Shopping tip at a landscape place:
Wear your kilt to the place of business. Pick out your stone and take it up to the counter or cash register and say, "How much do you want for this rock?" In my experience they always look quizically at me and say, "Just one? What are you gonna do with that?" I say, "Throw it far!" And they invariably cock their head to the side, squint one eye and say, "Take it, it's yours!" ------------- Roger |
Posted By: strongmanjayh
Date Posted: 11/20/12 at 2:15pm
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roger that sounds good.. I am looking to order y first kilt after thanksgiving |
Posted By: JSiau10
Date Posted: 11/21/12 at 3:41am
This is the best shopping advice I've ever heard. ------------- I'm just an idiot, pretending to be smart. |
rogerws76 wrote:Posted By: Moosie
Date Posted: 11/21/12 at 1:12pm
 My son and I came up with these throwing items. The rocks we found in city easements as filler, so we borrowed a few. We plan to return them when we finish with them. The big one is 34.7lb, the second largest is 17.6lb, the smallest is 12.1 lb. I recently added a 20.8 lb and a 3.6lb for my 6 year old to throw. The hammer is an old sign post we found in a ditch at last years Salado games. Works great for practice. I love this game. ------------- Jim Dougherty Ned Pepper: I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man. Rooster Cogburn: Fill your hands, you son of a bitch. |
Posted By: strongmanjayh
Date Posted: 11/21/12 at 2:08pm
| very nice looks like what i am trying to put together |
Posted By: Moosie
Date Posted: 11/21/12 at 2:14pm
Yea, it works for me. I sepnt about $40 for all this. You can change the weights out to make for the Heavy weight or light weight. Same for the hammer. I'm on a very strict budget.  ------------- Jim Dougherty Ned Pepper: I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man. Rooster Cogburn: Fill your hands, you son of a bitch. |
Posted By: strongmanjayh
Date Posted: 11/21/12 at 2:18pm
| me to moosie, i need to get the stuff to make those. where or how did u make them? |
Posted By: Moosie
Date Posted: 11/21/12 at 2:36pm
The weights for distance is a large I bolt, washer, nut and chain I bought from home depot. The grip and weights i actually had from my home gym but you can get them from Academy Sports or any sporting goods store or even better a used sports store. In Austin we have "play it again sports" that sells used equipment. At one game I saw that a kettle weight was used for weight over bar so a 45lb Kettle weight was my most expensive cost at $30 (used). It's a little heavier than the Masters 42lbs, but close enough. The Hammer was a stroke of luck. After watching the Salado games last year I saw an old sign post in a ditch. It was strong metal. I cut it down to 4 feet, drilled a hole in one end, put a bolt threw it, the kind of bolt that will take a nut on both ends, and then put several bolts on both sides. The weights slid down the pole and rests on a thick washer that rests on the nuts and bolt. The centrifical force holds the weights down. I can make it 20lbs or 16lbs or 10lbs for my boy to throw. I even made a caber from a 13 foot barn pole. Sanded it and sealed it. It's only 40lbs, but is easy to transport and great for practice. Now i am going to a hardware store to buy a 3 tine hay fork. I bought a burlap bag online for $5 and heard I can fill it with playground loose artifical turf. I'll let you know how that works out. The rocks I found as filler in a divided road in town. I just borrowed them and will return them in the same shape I found them. One day that is. I figure in 20 years I may be done with them. Making this stuff is almost as fun as throwing it. My neighbors see me throwing in a drainage easement by my house and think I a nut i bet. ------------- Jim Dougherty Ned Pepper: I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man. Rooster Cogburn: Fill your hands, you son of a bitch. |
Posted By: strongmanjayh
Date Posted: 11/21/12 at 2:47pm
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lol yeah, I am looking to buy the weight over bar but migh take your approach to making the ligthweight one. hammers should be easy enough to make wit come pvc and weights. just finding the stones around here is the part i m having |
Posted By: rogerws76
Date Posted: 11/21/12 at 4:38pm
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For your hammer, when you go to home depot get some electrical PVC. (it has a bell on the end) to use for your handle. It should fit right into the plates you have there and will give you some flexibility.
If you are going to use a kettlebell for WoB, try to at leas put a ring handle on it so you get use to the pivot action and length (up to 18 inches) of the games time implement. ------------- Roger |
Posted By: Old Dude
Date Posted: 11/21/12 at 4:52pm
You will need to look for the gray PVC electrical conduit in the ELECTRICAL section of the store. Buy the schedule 40 stuff if you like a whippy handle. Buy the schedule 80 if you throw on hard ground as it might last longer. The electrical conduit comes in 10 foot lengths but it's cheap ($2-3 each) so you can buy a couple of them and have spares. Trim the flared end just before the transition where it necks down so that you now have a long conduit with a very short flare. The flare is keep the barbell plates from sliding off. Measure and make a mark 50" from the end you just trimmed. Slip the barbell plates over the handle and let them slide down to the flare. Now take that bit of cut off flare and slip down over the handle to keep the plates from sliding around. I usually wrap the handle just above that retainer with the narrow Gorilla Tape to keep everything in place. I also wrap the handle at the grip end with old skool electrical friction tape to provide a grip surface. If you really really want to use tacky, skip the tape. I have set of these hammers in 10.5 lbs, 12 lbs, 16 lbs, 19 lbs in addition to my regular 14 lb and 22 lb hammers. You can't have too many hammers. Hammer-rama, baby! ------------- Over Fork Over |
Posted By: strongmanjayh
Date Posted: 11/23/12 at 9:48pm
Here are some new throwing stones i found in front of a closed down Exxon. i got a 9lber, 17lber, and 18lber. I also snag what i thought would be a breamer stone but it weighed in at 42lbs so it is in the wife's garden for now. So when I am back out that way i will see if i can get another stone that will weigh in at 22 is lbs and then one in the 28 area 
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Posted By: wsciscoe
Date Posted: 2/05/13 at 3:28pm
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I got my stones today at my local landscape company. I got a 13,16 and 22 pounds stone for 16 bucks ------------- Old enough to know better. Still too young to care. |
Posted By: TomLawrence
Date Posted: 2/05/13 at 9:12pm
I got mine at my local landscaping company as well: 16, 21, and 29 pounds. I told them exactly what I needed them for and they donated them to me. Privileges of living in a small town.  Tom ------------- Aim high. Stay hungry. |