Modded shovels. Lets seem them

[greaser]

I love taking something that has become useless and re-purposing it. Here is the start of my custom relic shovel, unfortunately I have 4 months or so to finish it the ground is frozen solid.



I will be adding serrations and touching it up on the bench grinder soon I also want to try to put a bit more curve in the middle of it.

 

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[EccentricInTexas]

Here is what I built, the long one is out of an old US GI shovel, the handle is made out of steel gas pipe, and has another piece of steel sleeved inside for more neck support on the shovel. The smaller one is made out of cast iron water pipe, and bed frame angle Iron. Bed Frame steel is pretty hard stuff it has a good temper and you can't cut it with a hacksaw.

 

[greaser]

Nice and they look super heavy duty I know my etool when I was in took a licking so I would think it should be fine.

 

[rick67]

I think this originally came from the home depot 15 years ago. It was a narrow tree spade. I cut it down and narrowed it with a cut off tool when my lesche Sampson broke. That was last year and although I just ordered a replacement, it will probably be collecting dust for some time to come.

 

[greaser]

Nice that is pretty much what I want mine to look like when I am all said and done.

 

[TheHappyCanadian]

Bought a trench shovel for $10 and cut off the handle. Took some 1 1/4" aluminum tube and made a tee-handle.

Cut the shovel narrower and grinded teeth down both edges. Used polyurethane resin to set the handle and painted the whole thing black.

Added hockey tape for grip and... done!

Worked like a charm and weighs less than two pounds. Cuts through cedar roots effortlessly and isn't affected by prying against rocks. Easy to saw plugs a foot wide in 5 seconds but light enough to use one-handed for trowelling.

 

[greaser]

Awesome, nice work.

 

[jharhed]

This is just a chopped down trappers trowel ($19.99 plus ship) originally 23"to 15" added the yellow cap wanted something with length between a lesche hand digger and sampson mini shovel, and my plugger on the side

 

[relicmeister]

i took my sampson T-handle 30" shovel and cut it down and replaced the T handle with a D-one from a snow shovel.
It's now 18" long.

 

[greaser]

Nice Jarhead
How well does the plugger work?

That should work Relicmeister

 

[RobRieman]

I'm interested in the plugger too jharhed. That's a cool idea! Does the soil need to be moist to make the plug stay together after you plunger it back out?

 

[jharhed]

Thanks guys, yes semi moist, makes quick work when the time and place is right.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Not so much a shovel mod - but I did add a "guard" made from high-pressure steam hose to keep mine sharp when I'm wandering around and to protect the car.

 

[New Orleans Relic]

This is just a chopped down trappers trowel ($19.99 plus ship) originally 23"to 15" added the yellow cap wanted something with length between a lesche hand digger and sampson mini shovel, and my plugger on the sideView attachment 1104557

Quite the arsenal Todd! Especially the "plugger". Is that threaded aluminum going in the galvanize fitting?
Is it serrated? Sorta see a piston. Lol
Ray

 

[jharhed]

Hey Ray, hadn't followed this post in a while, yes there is piston action involved, debating on getting a mini sampson

 

[Baja]

Great thread, does anyone else have updated pics they can post of their modded digging tools?

 

[extractor]

Here are a few I built. Hand trowels, picks and short shovel.

 

[extractor]

Anyone else built a digger lately ?

 

[diggininms]

its not pretty but i built this from a broke shovel at work and a old piece of pipe i had. It surprisingly works well. I need to shorten the handle and weld a tee on top.

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[celtic fox]

extractor that short shovel is nice , did you make it from scratch or chop one