Do you sharpen your pick

Hi all,

After time the old pick gets a little dull? Makes it hard to to dig if the edge is rounded off

I love a nice sharp cutting edge.. It makes digging into the hard baked clays sooo much easier. I try not to get too much of back rake so to give the edge some longtivity.

Sharpen it up.. If you need to cut through some tree roots it will make it a breeze.

This is my cutting edge at the mo -- A little worn but still Ok..

Good tip....pun intended.

...and yes I do it really helps the digging part.

I first grind the cutting edge back, then run a weld of hard surfacing across the full width, and then sharpen it again and it will stay sharp a lot longer.
There is in my opinion, nothing worse than a digging tool that slides over the surface without biting in

Ron

if you are using a grinder just don't keep grinding it all in one hit as if you heat the metal up to much and it will weaken it and break.
cheers
stoppsy

Yeah you do have to be careful.. I'm a Toolmaker by trade >> still doin it>> still love it..

You can grind or linish but just be carefull not to get to much heat as it can temper/soften the steel..

A spankin new file - second cut maybe - will do the job beautifully..

I lucky that I have access to some cool engineering equipment and stuff

Some of my handy work..

Hi Ararat ,

Some beautiful examples of workmanship ... " still doin it & still lovin it " ... Certainly shows Bro !!

Cheers
gully hunter

G'day Ararat

Thats some nice work there m8, what is the item in the pic above the big cog/gear.

cheers dave

davsgold wrote:G'day Ararat

Thats some nice work there m8, what is the item in the pic above the big cog/gear.

cheers dave

Its part of a Clutch setup from 16 of our 24 stamping Presses - dammed hard to remove as they were a pressfitted onto a crankshaft.

Much rather than driving it on/removing with a portapower. I cut a split using a EDM Wirecutter and machined a couple of Socket head cap screws for clamping.

The maintenance blokes appreciated it as it made the servicing job easier..

Thanks for your interest
Paul

What's your first pick on the tooly section Dave! Looks like a die but made from ally?

someday wrote:What's your first pick on the tooly section Dave! Looks like a die but made from ally?

Hi someday...

The support block is made from good old Duraflex..a tough Mild Steel....Its just a support for the working components of the Presstool..

Regards
A

G'day Ararat, nice work mate!

Thanks dave. Duraflex, I have been out of the game too long, looks like it machine's up exceptionally well or is there a lot of hours spent to produce the finish?
I used to have an exceptional eye, now I look at a mike and say to myself "What a small clamp"!!!!

Hey Ararat, those are works of art mate.

A good quality file should be part of every detectorists kit.
If your pick is made of spring steel,as others have said,dont grind or weld it as it will de-temper the steel.
A quality file will get that edge back and give you a good workout to boot

Wish I had read this 8 months ago,my pick is now only half as big after 5 sessions with the bench grinder.
Steve

As an apprentice, we could cast and machine our own tool makers vice. I was in an apprentice training school for the first two years of my apprenticeship . We did nothing but make test pieces. For about every 5 apprentices there was a tradesman looking over our shoulder. You are using that hacksaw like a "butcher" is one that will always remain in my memory . Bill, sat at the front of the benches, smoking his Woodbine non stop. I never made a vice.

YOUR Smoking BRO../// but can you cut a 8 inch ceda federation skirting board on a forty five bevel and scribe it tightley into the corner of the room your looking good ararat have a good xmas ex kiwi123

Home made pick fabricated from a plough disc.
**Note** and extra tip point has been welded, "sides only", to help prevent breakage.











A smaller version to carry with you.

Only one thing better than turning guns into plowshares, and that is turning plowshares into gold picks. Excellent work there Nightjar.

Bloody nice job Nightjar..

Like I say when you make a thing that works.. Its very satisfying

Regards
Paul

I never sharpen mine because I know, one day, I am going to spit the dummy and shoo a fly off my face while holding the pick. I think it will cost me at least an eye, even if the pick's blunt.
Jig.

Very good work Ararat. Precision stuff!

Nightjar: Great results on your pick. You could sell those in the stores if ever you wanted to. I'll be they'd be popular!

Hi Nero,
Have made two, one to go and that will be the end of the production line until we either break one or wear it out digging holes.
Happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.

Cheers
Peter & Carol

Now there's a couple of blokes that know what there doing nice work boys.

Now back to the how to sharpen your pick I was always taught never to sharpen a pick or wear tools with a grinder. What you should do ( and Im surprised no one here has seen this ) is you get it re sharpened in a forge ie a blacksmith etc. now before someone makes a comment a lot of tools you buy now are made overseas ie china and not worth two knobs of goats ****. so buy good quality and look after it. lots of horse people will put you on to a good blacksmith.

If you want to fix an old blunt soft tool (pick, axe, chisel, etc) then grind it to shape with a point close to what you want, then heat an area near the edge to a cherry red and cool it quickly (oil or water). The red part will now be very hard (maybe too hard/brittle) and may chip if you hit something hard. We now need to toughen it up a bit. Use a sander to polish the steel from the edge to well back from the edge to reveal an even shiny finish and then slowly heat the body of the tool and chase the colours (blue and straw) toward the cutting edge. Go slowly, and be ready to quickly dip the tool into water as soon as the right colour gets to the tip. I would suggest that a straw colour is very tough and will hold an edge for a long time.

NOW, sharpen the tool without heating it to change the colour of the steel - file is best - or grind and dip very often but never let it get hot.

This will work best on good steel. Cooling in oil will cool slower than water.

I hope this helps

Happy diggin'

Bruce

Wow!! You so clever!!! That is really cool work

Hmmmm ... I can't find a 5th gear cog for my little truck ... wonder if you could turn me up one?

Is OK ... just jokin' Had my 5spd gearbox rebuilt ... idiot said the 5th gear cog -3 teeth ratio wouldn't make ANY difference! He's not paying the fuel bill OR having to listen to my little 4cyl diesel motor rev rev rev rev

Nice work Ararat ,
I dabble a bit in that sort of stuff as well....... only at home though.
I am lucky enough to have a CNC workshop, as I make a bit of race car stuff....long story, but its part of a previous life hahah , I love looking at other peoples work....very cool
I am missing it all a bit at the moment, as we moved about 12 months ago, and the workshop I have here is only 200Sqm and it takes about 400 to be able to get all my gear in.... funny how you miss it when you haven't got it setup....shed extensions soon I hope !!

Hi Nightjar, Nice pick mate. I use a CC Prospector pick, not bad, need to modify it to suit. {customize} it. Longer point 150mm, longer blade 100mm and same thickness spring steel cleated over top. Aternately a bigger pick.

Cheers

the-A-man

i use a flap disc, thats done a bit of work on a 5'' angle grinder and it works good.they dont heat the steel and for the most part you are just taking off the dings in the cutting edge which is what they are designed for (dressing discs)they are layers of interlocking coarse emery set on roughly a 45 deg angle

HI everyone , I have bene making a pick some what similer to nightjar, now for 2-3 years bene selling on ebay for 12 months under ALOS fast recovery gold picks. i sharpen the side wings to make them cut and clean dirt out like a shouvel, a gold pick should be sharpend like a cold chisle, stop it from buring, i make mine from truck springs, i sell them quier cheap for the work in them. Ron