folding shovel
- Thread starter om2ae
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The one that I have planned to make for some time but not got around to doing yet has a very short handle (only the length of the shovel head so about 5") but made of tube that you could slide a decent hazel shaft into (and a tightning bolt) to turn it into a two-handed shovel without carrying the handle around with you all the time.
Sorry, not even got around to drawing it up yet - so not much help!
Sorry, not even got around to drawing it up yet - so not much help!
Look at the cold steel shovel, something like that but all metal. Not sure whether I would want a cross piece at end, or just hollow, so could be made longer?
Might be worth searching for threads on best folding shovels, and riping them off for your design.
Learn ye some real metalworking skills and grab a hammer 
What sort of folding shovel -- something like the tri-fold NATO/British entrenching tool or perhaps a single-shaft design or perhaps a small single-handed thing like a gardening trowel? What are you planning on digging with it -- sand, clay, loam, manure... And also what other skill-sets do you have besides welding -- can you forge, file, grind, drill, tap, rivet? Finally what sort of welding is it -- stick, MIG, TIG, O/A, O/M etc. -- this greatly affects the materials you can use.
What sort of folding shovel -- something like the tri-fold NATO/British entrenching tool or perhaps a single-shaft design or perhaps a small single-handed thing like a gardening trowel? What are you planning on digging with it -- sand, clay, loam, manure... And also what other skill-sets do you have besides welding -- can you forge, file, grind, drill, tap, rivet? Finally what sort of welding is it -- stick, MIG, TIG, O/A, O/M etc. -- this greatly affects the materials you can use.
Well Matt
I do a little bit of pounding hot metal as well, but as I got a new toy I whated to have a go at something.
I was checking out the British army one but also was looking at the German/dutch one, probably going with the German one so theres no need for a handle just cut a shaft from the woods.
I do a little bit of pounding hot metal as well, but as I got a new toy I whated to have a go at something.
I was checking out the British army one but also was looking at the German/dutch one, probably going with the German one so theres no need for a handle just cut a shaft from the woods.
My suggestion would be to make the blade from something moderately tough rather than mild steel, so that the thickness (thus weight) can be reduced while keeping decent strength. A medium-carbon plain steel like EN8 ought to do. Give it a slight curve along the axis of the blade using either a large-radius bottom swage or the other way up over either the horn or edge of the anvil. Weld on two 'ears' at 90 degrees to the top surface of the blade and parallel to the main axis, these ears being drilled for the pivot (for which a suitable length M6 machine-screw plus nylock nut and washers will probably do). Ideally the handle socket/tube would be a hollow truncated cone transitioning at its narrower end to a square section where it pivots between the ears on the blade, but this would be tricky to fabricate by hand. It could probably be done by wrapping a suitably-shaped piece of sheet and (fire, TIG, MIG or gas) welded at the seam, like a socketed chisel. This would give you a 'friction folder' shovel where you could add a suitable shaft when needed. Replacing the nylock with a wing-nut would give you a 'friction-locking' folder.
Or if you just wanted something to shovel stuff (e.g. coal) with, weld two sides, a back and a piece of thin-wall tubing to a piece of sheet-metal. Thin black mild would probably do.
Or if you just wanted something to shovel stuff (e.g. coal) with, weld two sides, a back and a piece of thin-wall tubing to a piece of sheet-metal. Thin black mild would probably do.
I have got some steel from an old clearing saw blade, but it will be high carbon. what I was thinking was to anneal and shape, hardern and temper the edge only so that the bulk of material was still soft and good hard edge for the business end. instead of mucking about with a folding action, I was going to weld on a cone shape and when out and about cut a stick to fit in.
I don't think I would harden the edge - it will chip and crack when you hit stone. Just be prepared to wipe a file across it now and again to sharpen it when you need it sharp - which will be rarely I suspect.
Hardening and tempering is the right way to go. If you get it right for the grade of steel you have it won't chip. That's what proper heat treatment is all about. That being said, even annealed medium-carbon steel would be better than mild steel. Even lower chance of it breaking then. It's anyone's guess as to exactly what steel composition that blade is, manufacturers use all sorts even for the same application; it might be high carbon, low carbon, chrome-moly, tungsten, mild... If you contact the manufacturer they might tell you exactly what it is. Otherwise you can try spark testing and/or quench testing. Welding on an unknown steel grade is... haphazardly successful.
As you wish - I know I prefer a shovel that I can take a file to. It probably depends on what you intend to use it for.
- I know I prefer a shovel that I can take a file to. It probably depends on what you intend to use it for.
