Refurbishing rusty history so I can recover historys mysteries:cheers:

[DirtDean]

I was on the prowl for a new shovel. A "sharpshooter" to be specific. So I went to wallys and priced a brand new one for $25 after taxes So I bought the last one they had... The design and feel of this thing just felt all wrong for detecting so i had it in mind to modify it. Now where's that grinder? Then I thought, "why chop up a perfectly good shovel that I just spent $25 on brand new"? So I took it back 2 days later untouched and went to Rex's saturday warehouse sale. (Local guy who wheels and deals in all kinds of stuff) I found these rusty beauties and took them home to my mad scientist laboritory (my garage) Finished the last one last night...

These haven't even seen the dirt yet so there might still be some design changes for them but overall I am pleased. Now I know these are not a "Lesche" or other namebrand, Bad A digger.... unless you consider "Ridgid" or "Ames" LoL and maybe in the future I will invest in such but for now, I am a non-conformist

 

[ezra]

Very nice job of resurecting those shovels. They look very sturdy and now you need some targets to dig with those babies. Good Luck Ezra.

 

[tabman]

Excellent work! Those are some really nice looking shovels.

tabman

 

[BarberBill]

Nice job - if detecting isn't producing maybe you can do well re-cycling shovels. I'd certainly consider one of those if I had the need.
BB

 

[DirtDean]

well, I do seem to have a surplus now LoL and I acquired another Rusty digger today (another sharpshooter)... I plan to remodel it as well I would consider selling one or two.... I just enjoy bringing them back to life! thanks for the comments!

HH

 

[Steve O]

I do a lot of digging both in the hobby and on the job.....nothing like a good shovel and those are some beauts!

 

[Archimedes24]

Wow. I can honestly say I've never envied another persons shovel. But you sir, are an artist. Care to share any of your refurb secrets? Oviously you start with a full tear down. How do you get the steel so clean?!?

 

[fongu]

Nice job on those shovels.

 

[DirtDean]

Wow. I can honestly say I've never envied another persons shovel. But you sir, are an artist. Care to share any of your refurb secrets? Oviously you start with a full tear down. How do you get the steel so clean?!?

Thanks for the comments everyone. I actually put quite a bit of work into these but since I enjoy it so much, it feels more like fun

I enjoy dabbling in the garage and usually have one project or another going... These are the first shovels I've ever refurbished, and I will share with you some of my "secrets" so I basically started with a full teardown. Grinding the heads off of the remaining rivets with an angle grinder and pounding them out. Then I determine if the handle is serviceable. If so, then I cut to specs, sand and refinish... If not, then Wally's has shovels with good full size ash handles for less than $10. They are unfinished which is perfect for this project. (Apply my own stain and finishes)

I start on the business end of the sharpshooter by cutting it to rough design then taking it to the wirewheel on a benchgrinder or using a sanding disc on an angle grinder. Next comes design and final sharpening... I get it all polished up then spray several light coats of rustoleum metallic spraypaint ... Everyone has been different so far, so the steps can vary somewhat but that's basically it. Reassemble with heavy duty screws instead of rivets. (pre-drill of course)

Got one dirty for the first time today and I must say, I like it

HH

 

[tabman]

Here's a project you might like to do, since you're so handy. I really like the Wilcox's 2 inch by 18 inch digging trowel, except the steel is so soft it won't hold an edge for entire day of digging. The trowel is not all that good for hard dirt digging, but it can't be beat for digging in soft dirt. It's cuts a neat plug in grass when the blade is sharp and extracting deep coins with it is a breeze without making a big mess.

Take an old hoe blade and cut it down and straiten the steel shaft that comes off the blade. Most hoe blades are about 4 inches deep, so you should end up with the digging blade itself approximately 4 inches deep by 2 1/4 wide. I'd leave the blade itself straight or slightly rounded at the cutting end for better dirt scooping. Attach the steel shaft to a wooden handle by drilling a hole and epoxying into place. I'd leave some of the steel shaft exposed. A good high carbon steel hoe blade can hold an edge all day long chopping cotton or hoeing in the garden, so it should last a long time digging holes.

It's just a thought.

tabman