Daggy said:Thanks Greenhornet
I like the idea of the serrations on roots, great idea.
Yeh I would never walk into a park with a spade but I have permission to a couple of privately owned historical sites. One is a juice mill that was built in 1895 and was closed in 1915 due to a shortage of cane but the ground is so dry up here that I haven't even been chasing coins.
This is why I am making one of your spades, just for this site as I don't think there will be many coins but I'm hopping to fin a few relics.
Thanks
Daggy
Hello Darren how are you? You said you make knife. I was interested in doing that sometime in the future. Is there special steel you need to buy for knife? Or just mild steel can be hardened by heat treated? Can stainless steel be hardened? I am interested in making another small hand digging tool possibly with stainless steal.Daggy said:G'day hyperscott
I make knives and do all the heat treatments myself and can tell you that you will ruin the steel on your spade if you try to harden and temper yourself.
The steel in the spades are already treated and will be a medium carbon steel.
If you really feel the need to do it yourself you are going to have to heat the blade in a large fire or forge until it's just past cherry red ( or non magnetic, test with a magnet on a stick )
If you want to make it harder than what it was, quench it in water (ambient temp) but if you quench in oil it will be about the same as it was when you bought it.
Sump oil will not add carbon to the steel, that happens at a molecular level.
The easiest way to temper your blade without a furnace, is to crank the oven in your kitchen to about flat out or 300 celsius. Make sure there is no oil or any other contamination on the blade or the missus will tear you a new one! leave the blade to soak in the oven for an hour, take it out and let rest on the sink to cool naturally (best done when missus is away) and you cant go wrong.
Good luck
Darren
Daggy said:Make a knife out of a good piece of carbon steel and you will be surprised how it reacts, onions will make it change colour. But ease of sharpening and the hardiness of the edge will make you go f##k
Greenhornet_au said:Daggy said:Make a knife out of a good piece of carbon steel and you will be surprised how it reacts, onions will make it change colour. But ease of sharpening and the hardiness of the edge will make you go f##k
I have a soft spot for knifes and can confirm what you have said about carbon steel blades, we have two in the kitchen.
This is good stuff.
Daggy, would you consider doing a DIY with templates and pic's for making a knife like I did for the 'plug digga' and post it in a new thread? :Y:
I reckon I would like to try that, I have a nearby source for chainbars, in fact maybe 2 sources.
I did not know that about the steel in the bars.
Would a chainbar be suitable for making a field digging pick if shaped properly?
Yeah I think it got caught on the rock or metal piece... I will make another one. I dug today and digga held in one piece. 8)Greenhornet_au said:Holy cow Capa, you must have been levering on something solid to do that.
Your spade isnt really that thick but I reckon you have put it to good work so far,
these are for digging plugs mate, not lifting car bodies out of the ground.
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :Y:
Very nice one! It looks like cyclone oz one? It looks strong!Eldorado said:Just finished today's project,my plug digger.Cost all up was $10 for a cutting wheel and a flap disc.Love the satisfaction you get when you make something yourself and the fact that something that has been sitting in the shed for 5 years doing nothing is now going to be useful. Happy with how it turned out.Thanks for the template Greenhornet.
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