Anyone made their own gold pick and advise?

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Goldtarget

(AKA OldGT)
Joined
Jan 12, 2014
Messages
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Location
, VIC
Picked up some Walnut, jarrah, apricot, spotted gum and red ironbark in the last couple of days and after doing a plow disk pick a little while ago thought I might give one with a wooden handle a go. This is not as easy as welding a handle on and I'm pretty green at attaching wooden handles. So here's the question, how to attach the handle? I can probably eliminate the tapered style slide through like the cheap stubby ones you can get, was thinking along the lines like the two styles of attacthing a hammer head, neat or wedges. Considered a pin driving perpendicular to the pick had through the pick shaft through the handle but worried about it splitting out in the long term. So over to the wood workers here I can fit a hammer handle with proficiency but not sure what type of setup is best on a pick .
 
A piece of exhaust pipe welded to the plough disc will do ,with the handle it must be a very tight fit into the exhaust pipe ,i like using a sludge hammer to put the handle in. The pin I use a large nail drilling a small hole then with a large punch put a indent in each side of the exhaust pipe where the nail will sit. Lubricate the nail and hit it home ,cut the excess nail of leaving enough to be hit into the indent and file it smooth .I have used this method for many years and have never hand any handle troubles :) hope this helps regards john
 
I attatched two small rare earth magnets to the "exhast pipe" on my Walco pick a few days ago.
When i drilled through the steel and into the handle a green powder came out, suggesting that walco use a glue ( didn't smell like epoxy ) but more like an ester, such as Car bog.
 
UTraveling to work today pulled out the saw and grabbed a bit of seasoned Ballart cherry several inches thick, (commonly known as native cherry or Chinese cherry) thought this might be fitting for a handle. Had a bit of experience with builders bog, never really gave ita thought but a handy idea. Might try a flush fit with compressed head then into the linseed for swelling, and if that falls through I might try the exhaust option very well explained so thank you both. Can't wait to get started.
 
I used a wooden tent pole off an old canvas tent which rotted away years ago.
The hardwood is a tight fit into the tube which I welded to the pick head.
The only thing that holds the wooden handle in the tube are some deep center punch marks in the tube.
It has never come loose and I have given it some SHYT.
 
Plow disk, 50 mm pipe squashed oval in vise, good squirt of PVA glue and bash a block splitter handle in best pick I ever made.
 
Here's some pick pic's :D
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You can just see the center punch marks in this pick pic.
2 this side 2 opposite.

Cheers
Mick
 
That's the beauty of this forum, all manner of excellent examples, anyone else trying their hand will be well informed ,take a bow lads.
 
Goldtarget said:
That's the beauty of this forum, all manner of excellent examples, anyone else trying their hand will be well informed ,take a bow lads.
Yep i agree Goldpick, it is a "Mens Shed" of ideas and views.
Ditto Congratulations fellas.
 
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Will take the rough sawn to a table to get some straight edges, beautiful heartwood in these trees.
 
yeah im in the process of making my own one but its not like a normal one its a strait pick not curved and will have a hammer part welded onto one end and a strait part about a ft long for the other end the handle will be a steel pipe will get pics when I finish it
 
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Table sawn and rough sanded. The largest one will be no go the borers have seen to that ornamental purpose only be I might use it to do a demo for anyone thinking of giving ita go.
 
Wasn't sure about the Ballart so went with ironbark. Will coat with linseed tomorrow.
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Used the orbital with 60 grit to get a taper to push in with a bit of hammer force. Finished to 240 grit nice smooth handles with a bit of character. Quick black gloss epoxy coat completes the picture. Nothing hard in that for a diy bloke. Thanks for looking.
 
nice work GT :D , "stylin" ;)
Have a couple of old truck leaf springs laying around if you would like a piece to knock up another one, and or some off cuts of bizz sheet, be home tomorrow, i'll catch you up :)
 
Those handles look the goods and will last longer than the block splitter handle I got last week - 3 days
 
Thankyou for the inspiration. I hadn't given thought to making my own picks and bought 2 recently. I will definately have a go at making my own now.
 

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