Crawfish pot basket missing a handle - any DIY solution?

improvise baw ...

drill a hole near top of basket, call metal supply warehouse that sells aluminum or s.s. rods. Cut to length and bend so it will work as the handle

Lowes sells 1/4" x 3 ft aluminum rods - $5

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Is there any way I can make one, or purchase one, that wouldn't require any very specialized tools?

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rope, knot on each end

I’ll check into the fab shop route. I just assumed the cost to do such a small job may not be worth it.

What about this. Get 1/4” aluminum rod or however small I need to fit through the holes where the previous handle was. Heat up the rod with my crawfish burner, then use the curvature of the basket to bend the rod into shape. Trim off the edges, then bend those to hook into the handle holes in the basket.

Any thoughts?

You can also use stainless steel chain (bolt ends to basket) or SS wire rope (either crimp-on ferrules at each end or SS split bolt connectors). No bending, only a cut.

All great ideas. Thank you all. I’ll post an update once I get around to doing this.

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I would think the basket would bend before the rod unless it's one of those heavy gauge baskets

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Why would the basket bend? I'm not heating up the basket...just the rod. Are you just saying that pressure applied from trying to bend the heated rod may warp the basket?

I'm gonna see if I can get a quote at a local metal fab shop.

I found a local metal bending place that made a handle for $20.

Thanks all for the help.

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Unobtanium

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You sound handy as hell, Baw

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You're gonna need some type of heat source for the end bends I would think.

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FWIW, the baws at the metal bending shop made it without any heat application. The aluminum rod they used was 3/8". They mostly used a contraption that had a wooden semi-circle to make the large curve, and vices to make the bends where the handle hooks to the basket. They bent everything by hand.

Basket with no handle at the shop


Basket with new handle


The top of the handle rests slightly above the lip of the pot, however the lid of the pot is convex, so the handle still rests inside once the lid is put on top. Also, the new handle was a tad too large for the pre-drilled holes for the handle at the top but it fit into the other basket holes.