Making wooden cuttings is a great business idea! How to make a great shovel handle at no significant cost. What are rake handles made of.

The first step is to determine the ideal size. It is generally accepted that the height should be exactly on the shoulder of the worker, that is, approximately from 140 cm to 180 cm, depending on your height. You can make it a little shorter, especially if it is supposed to, because too long can cause you some inconvenience during subsequent operation. Naturally, for a sapper shovel, this figure generally decreases to 70-80 cm, perhaps even less if it is marching.

Now we need to choose a material. From its quality will depend not only strength, but also appearance your product, as some types of wood may warp when dried further or when wet in winter. Let us consider in more detail what is better to make a stalk for, and what is better to immediately throw in the trash.

1. Pine. The most primitive material, which is full on the market. It is a pleasure to make a holder out of it: it is fast, very easy to process, polished efficiently, looks beautiful. The only drawback is that it does not work for a long time, with a more or less normal effort, it will crack on the very first bitch or even on a “live” one. The amount of resins in pine is very small, it is fragile, brittle, with low density. If it is necessary to use it, it is better to glue 2-3 planks together and only then plan this object out of it - strength and wear resistance increase.
2. Birch. Strong, cheap, simple. Of the light species, birch is the best option. It is strong enough to withstand a solid load on the handle and not break when digging heavy soil. It is also good in processing, it is easy to plan, the fibers are removed evenly, the grinding takes a little longer, but its quality will be higher than the first option.
3. Ash. Expensive, but high quality. It is unprofitable to make dozens of cuttings from this material, since the cost is very high. But, if you need to make 1-2 holders for yourself personally, then you can fork out and buy a blank from ash. The density of wood is 1.4 times higher than that of pine or birch, it has longitudinal fibers, a very low coefficient of deformation (will not lead).
4. Oak. Expensive, durable, but heavy. One of the biggest disadvantages of beech and larch is their high density. It is difficult to work with such a holder, but it all depends on the purpose of the tool. If work is envisaged to pull out the foundation and cut the roots at the same time, then this product will be ideal for solving such a problem.

Based on the species described above, we will choose birch for our cutting, which can be found at any sawmill and buy an inexpensive billet. It will be best to glue a stalk of 2-3 strips, but if you are not particularly worried about a slight deformation over time, you can use a standard blank.

Step-by-step instructions for making a holder

In order to make a shovel handle with technical characteristics that will not be inferior to factory indicators, it is necessary to pay attention not only to its fit, but also to its anti-corrosion treatment. The easiest option is to buy a blank, but you can do it yourself, which we will do now.

Step 1 Material search.

In order to make a really even holder that would meet your requirements, you need to choose a branch that will be 2 times thicker than the required diameter. Try to choose without knots, branches, bends, so that the fibers are as even as possible.

Step 1 Fit to the right size.

First you need to dry. 20 days in sunlight will be enough. Then take a planer and remove the required amount of wood. Align to the bar or level, scroll and align with the axis. Extremely precise dimensions are not needed, but it should not be made curved either.

Step 1 Treatment.

Be sure to grind so that there are no nicks. This can be done with a special machine or manually. First go through coarse-grained sandpaper, then fine-grained. Next, we impregnate with a special suspension for wood, you can buy it at any store. We let it dry for 24 hours, then we go over the entire area with 2 layers of varnish so that the appearance is just perfect - this is not necessary, but wouldn't it be nice to work with such a shovel?

Now it remains to let the varnish dry for at least 24 hours and we can assume that we have figured out how to make a handle for a shovel. If necessary, it can be adjusted to size, sharpened under the nozzle in the seat on the bucket, or perform any manipulation you like.

Properly plant the cutting

A lot depends on this, and first of all - the comfort of work. If you don't have backlash and scroll, digging up the earth and digging trenches will bring you much more pleasure. Consider how to plant a cutting on a shovel.

Step 1 We sharpen.

Measure the hole diameter. As a rule, they are made under a cone, but they can be straight. In the second case, it is necessary to measure the diameter - this figure should be in the middle of the future sharpening or even at a distance of 1/3 from the bottom. At an angle of 20-25 degrees, we remove the wood on the emery, you can do it with a knife, and then sand it with a sandpaper for evenness.

Step 2 Sealing and protection.

Fill the treated surface with impregnation - this is necessary in order to so that the attachment point does not rot after a few years and does not lose its strength. Let dry for 12 hours and soak the cutting in epoxy resin. It will be a kind of sealant.

Step 3 We score.

Immediately after pouring with resin (you can use bitumen), you need to hammer the holder. To do this, we insert it into the seat, turn the shovel upside down with a scoop and hit the handle with a hard surface (concrete or thick metal). The blow must be sharp. After 5-7 strokes, the bucket will sit on the handle to the level of the beginning of sharpening. We let the resin dry for 24 hours (you can’t pour a lot of hardener) and you can use it.

The length of the handle for a shovel should include possible changes after the work is done (we will put 10 centimeters in a bucket), so take this into account and do it with a margin. Then it will be possible to saw it off without any problems, but with a short handle you will not do anything.

Garden equipment and tools are indispensable in any area where soil work is carried out or where trees or shrubs grow. With our own hands we can only collect fruits or single pests, and we do everything else with the help of garden tool. Now when good shovel and high-quality rakes are quite expensive, more and more gardeners and gardeners prefer with the advent of cold weather, when work is completed in the garden and in the garden, to take care not only of plants, but also of garden tools so that it lasts as long as possible.

Prepared for winter storage garden tools and inventory. © James

For some, the whole care of garden tools, absolutely any type, from a simple shovel to a complex pruner or lawn mower, comes down to placing it in the garage or shed in the form in which it is in this moment is located on the site. With such negligent owners, even expensive shovels, rakes, hoes begin to quickly rust, their wooden elements dry out, sharp knots of secateurs and saws become dull, and all irrigation elements begin to flow in the wrong place and crack.

So, in order for a garden tool to last as long as possible, so that it is convenient to work with it for a number of seasons, it must be properly prepared for long-term storage, which, even in the center of Russia, where it is relatively warm, can last from the beginning or mid-November to early April, that is, almost half a year.

Content:

Preparing for winter storage of metal garden tools

So, before you forget for half a year about the existence of such garden tools as a shovel, spade, rake, chopper, hoe and ax, it is necessary to remove the soil from their surface and plant remains, then rinse thoroughly, completing the cleaning process with a metal brush, and then dry well and lubricate with ordinary machine oil, wrapping all metal parts with oiled paper at the end.

As for the handles of the above tools, all that threatens them is severe withering. Dried handles may not hold metal parts or simply break at the most crucial moment. First, inspect this or that inventory: if the metal part dangles, then it can be fixed with additional nails, chopsticks can be driven in from parts of wood, or the handles and handles can be stuffed deeper.

Important! There should not be any backlash, if the metal part of a shovel, pitchfork, hoe or, which is very dangerous, an ax, is hanging, then such problems must be eliminated. Not only will you dig longer in the garden later and the work will be less efficient, but you can still get calluses on your hands, and when cutting branches, the dangling part of the ax can come off, which can lead to sad consequences.

In some cases, from frequent use or if the tool is already quite a few years old, the handle at the very base of the metal part can simply become rotten, then two things can be done - either replace the handle entirely or make it shorter.

Cleaning and preparing for winter storage of a shovel. © Dorling Kindersley

Important! It is better not to make the handle of the ax shorter, it should be of such length that you can comfortably hold on to it when chopping.

The handles of other tools - choppers, shovels, rakes are often referred to as cuttings, and so, the handle, after placing a shovel or hoe in a metal nest and fixing it with a nail (screw) with a large hat, after installing a shovel or chopper on the ground, in height should reach the worker's shoulders . If assembled tool will have a handle exceeding the described length, then it will be inconvenient to work with such a tool, just like vice versa, it is even more difficult to work with short handles on shovels and choppers.

An unpleasant problem that needs to be solved with an ax handle or a chopper handle, a shovel, and other things is the appearance of burrs on them. Burrs can arise from careless handling of tools, that is, if you drop them, throw them, fold them randomly - with metal parts up and down. In this case, in the future, burrs when working with such a tool can lead to painful calluses on the hands.

Most the best way getting rid of burrs on a garden tool is cleaning it with sandpaper. At first, you can use rough sandpaper to quickly clean off the burr, and then finer (gentle) to level even small roughness.

Next comes the processing of handles and cuttings. To do this, they must be treated with a composition consisting of a mixture of lacquer gasoline and linseed oil in equal amounts. After such processing, the service life of the handle or handle can be at least doubled.

The tool must be stored in a dry place where moisture does not get. A barn or garage is also quite suitable, as is garden house, and in extreme cases, you can use the balcony. Note that ideally, the tool should be in a horizontal position, lying on specially designated shelves or suspended. So that the metal parts are close to the ground (3-4 cm), so that when they fall, they cannot harm a person.

Cutting tool storage

Cutting tool, which is used in the garden - these are garden shears, garden knife, pruner and garden saw - they also need to be cared for before wintering. To begin with, all the cutting parts of the tools must be cleaned of dirt, parts of wood and vegetable juice that has accumulated on them. All these substances not only spoil the appearance of the instrument, but can also quickly render it unusable (in just one winter of improper storage).

The sap of various plants and everything else from any cutting tool can be very easily removed with steel wool generously moistened with ethyl alcohol. After such cleaning, you can proceed to check the sharpness of the cutting tool, and if it is dull, then be sure to sharpen it.

Important! It is better to entrust the sharpening of cutting tools to professionals. Such a service costs several hundred rubles, but the master will do everything right, you definitely won’t get hurt when sharpening and the tool will faithfully serve the whole next season, until a new sharpening. In the workshop, the cutting parts are not only cleaned, but also checked for defects that you may not notice - chips, dents, cracks, etc.

After you sharpen your tools yourself or receive your tools from the master, all cutting parts will need to be lubricated with machine oil or (and) wrapped in oiled paper. The cutting tool should ideally be in a suspended state and not touch other surfaces, especially metal ones.

Cleaning the secateurs. © Dorling Kindersley

Lawn mower storage

Happy owners of lawn mowers sometimes do not know what to clean this complex tool, which can also be attributed to the series garden tools, necessary after each mowing of the lawn. It happens that lawn mowers are designed in such a way that this does not need to be done, but absolutely any model of lawn mower must be prepared for winter.

First of all, it must be disconnected from the network, drained of all gasoline, unscrewed and dried the spark plugs. Before working with a lawn mower, it must be secured as much as possible so that in the process of cleaning it, the cutting parts could not work and injure you. Next, the lawn mower must be completely cleaned of grass, even small blades of grass, which can dry out or rot inside and, in some cases, even lead to failure. individual elements lawn mowers.

To clean the entire lawn mower, it is not enough just to turn it over and clean all visible parts, it is advisable to remove the housing, which is held on by several bolts and is sometimes removed very easily. It is most convenient to remove the grass from a lawn mower not with your hand, but with a fairly elastic brush, but not an iron one, but preferably a plastic one.

It is advisable to wipe all the cutting parts of the lawn mower with alcohol, then, after letting it evaporate, lubricate with machine oil and wrap, if possible, with oiled paper.

As for the lawn mower blades, you can also turn to professionals for help, first carefully removing them, and after sharpening by the master, being very careful, also carefully attach them back.

The final work with the lawnmower is to replace all existing air filters and engine oil, as well as check electric cable(if the lawn mower is powered by electricity) for integrity: if the wire is exposed, either replace it (which is better and safer, but more expensive), or insulate it with insulating tape (which is less safe, but cheap).

Cleaning and preparing the lawn mower for winter. © CCCI YG

Carts and wheelbarrows

Wheelbarrows and carts, which facilitated our work throughout the spring-summer-autumn season, should also not be ignored. To begin with, at the wheelbarrow and cart, you need to dismantle the wheels, if they are inflatable, and fold them horizontally on top of each other. The bodies of wheelbarrows and carts will then need to be thoroughly cleaned of dirt and other debris accumulated in them, washed, dried, lubricated with a layer of machine oil.

You need to pay attention to all the moving parts of wheelbarrows and carts, if there are rolling bearings, then if they are scattered, replace them with new ones, and if everything is in order with them, then generously lubricate them with grease. When storing wheelbarrows and carts on the street, which is not so rare, they must be turned upside down: this way water will not accumulate in the boxes and they will not rust.

Irrigation devices

All irrigation devices can be destroyed by frost even at 2-3 degrees, therefore, before the onset of frost, all irrigation equipment must be dismantled without fail. The irrigation system must be freed from water by blowing, it is better to do this with a pump (maximum efficiency).

Further, without fail, in order to avoid defrosting, all watering taps should be opened immediately after the water supply from the room to them is stopped. After opening the taps, it is advisable to wrap them with ordinary cling film to prevent dirt and snow from getting into them, and fix it (with an elastic band for money, tape or electrical tape).

If possible, the irrigation system can be flushed special formulations, relieving dirt or limescale accumulated over the season.

Let's move on to the hoses. Wintering them under the snow is the worst thing that one could think of regarding, it would seem, such a primitive part of the irrigation system. It is better to twist the hoses into bays and fasten them with cable ties. In the process of twisting, excess water will come out of the hose itself. Then they should be brought into any room and laid horizontally on a flat surface (it is not worth hanging, the hoses can be severely deformed).

In conclusion, take a look at your site, what else is left? Usually this is one or a couple of watering cans, several buckets or barrels. It is unlikely that there will be enough space for them in a shed or garage. Of course, if the room is large, then buckets, watering cans, and a barrel can be placed exactly there, after washing, cleaning it of dirt, and drying it on a fine day.

And if there is no space, then it is enough to simply turn them over and leave them on the street so that neither snow nor rain gets into a barrel or bucket and defrosts them during the spring temperature difference.

Advice:

All those metal tools, which for some reason have become unusable, should not be saved: over time, all this will turn into a huge amount of rubbish that you will drag from place to place and will never use anything else. It is better to hand over all this for scrap, gaining at least some money, or just throw it away.

That's all the preparation of garden tools for winter.

Mass production of spade handles, as is common in purely profit-oriented economic models, constantly sacrifices quality and technological details of the process in favor of quantity. Of course, everyone benefits if you buy a new shovel every season, and not every few years.

A shovel handle that is not made correctly will quickly lose its necessary qualities, and, as usual, it will have to be manually brought to condition again and again. Until one beautiful moment it just won't crack along its entire length or just won't break. Therefore, today we will understand the mistakes of mass production that leave us without a handle to a shovel. And we will solve the problem: from what and how to make a handle for a shovel yourself.

1 Shank for a shovel - flaws in mass production

Woodworking companies, as a rule, will never tell you that, in the pursuit of profit and quantity, they are constantly forced to violate necessary steps technologies for production wooden products on at least a few points:

1. Instead of solid solid wood, shovels were made from waste.
2. Transport humidity is the maximum degree of drying, which is absolutely unacceptable in the production of high-quality and durable garden tools. The result - drying out, the handle from the shovel is covered with cracks, the diameter decreases, and the holders become loose.
3. Sharpening of the working end is done on the arithmetic mean diameter of "any shovel". The result is a loose fit of the shovel on the handle.
4. Any "decor" applied to the handle from a shovel: paint, putty, thermal film, etc. are designed not to extend the working life of the product, but only to mask production flaws, increase the final cost or hide the original material from which the shovel handle was made.

2 A good handle for a shovel with your own hands

We will need:

• a hammer;
• saw;
• plane;
• sandpaper;
• glue;
• impregnation;

For a shovel with a handle, you first need to determine for yourself two things: your diameter and length. Initially, gotta get this thread, (if you make a solid, not a glued stalk), so that its diameter is almost twice the required.

Naturally, the fibers should be as straight as possible. That is: there should be no knots, no bends, no forks on it. Then dry in the sun for about 15 days. The diameter will decrease slightly. Then, making sure that the wood is dry, we remove the extra layers with a planer, bringing the diameter of the handle to the final thickness we need.

Now we sand it with sandpaper, impregnate it, let it dry for as long as it is written on the impregnation bottle, varnish it and let it dry again, following the instructions. It is better to cover with varnish twice, thereby increasing the tensile strength of the handle.

Now sharpen to right size, we process the cut point with impregnation, let it dry, then coat it with epoxy around the circumference, and put it on itself. We fill it with resin, and hit the handle on a hard surface several times, allowing the shovel to sit at the desired depth. After a day, the resin will dry and.

If instead of a solid branch it is decided to use boards, then do not forget about a few points. The board is taken dry. Then cut circular saw on the bars, and put to dry.

If you took a raw board, then after sawing the bars you need to tie them together along the entire length so that the drying blanks are less deformed. Then the bars will need to be glued together, dried well and then done according to the previous scheme.

In addition, there is the question of the moment, which is constantly discussed: whether to cover the handle with paint or varnish. On the one hand - to increase the service life and in terms of corrosion resistance - yes, it's worth it.

But users note that additional processing surface gives a considerable moment of sliding and scrolling in wet palms. And this is the cause of dropsy, calluses, etc.

Professionals, however, advise using impregnation and sanding the surface instead of varnish and paint. First in large fractions, then small ones to polish the cutting natural way. Then, gradually absorbing moisture from the palms, properly selected wood will only become stronger and harder over time.

2.1 Making a handle for a shovel using a drill (video)

To begin with, a few main reasons why it is desirable to make shovel handle with your own hands. The first reason: for the manufacture of cuttings on an industrial scale, waste from the woodworking industry is used. Secondly, very often manufacturers do not bother with drying, or they dry only to “transport” humidity. As a result, as it dries, deformations and cracks may appear on the handle, or at least it begins to hang out in the garden tool holder, and we have to disassemble everything and adjust it. Thirdly, the handle for landing in the holder is turned on the machine as universally as possible for any tool, after all, mass production, it does not sit deep enough in the groove, and for example, the bayonet of a shovel does not receive additional rigidity. Again, self-development. Fourthly, it is difficult to identify flaws in wood, which they just do not do to mask them in order to increase the price of the holder: they putty, and paint, and cover with thermal film. And lastly, if I, like many others, distinguish trees, then what material is it made of? ready product I can't always determine. And the sellers garden tools often shamelessly used. If you think that the above reasons are far-fetched, then just visit some forum of woodworkers, in "their environment" they raise questions that they will never hint at to the buyer.

Do-it-yourself shovel handle

Of course, often models do it yourself» will yield to their industrial brothers in the aesthetics of manufacturing, but, with a thoughtful approach, they will bypass in quality and functionality. To get a strong and comfortable handle for a garden tool, we start with the choice of material. Advantages and disadvantages of traditional types of wood:

1. Pine is light, due to saturation with natural resins, it is not afraid of moisture. Disadvantages - due to resinousness, it does not absorb sweat from the palms, soil until it dries well, one of the most fragile materials.
2. Birch is the “golden mean” in terms of strength and weight, it is easily processed.
3. Beech is the closest in virtues to birch, but there is a significant drawback: it has very little natural resin, and requires additional processing to protect it from weathering.
4. Poplar - light, durable, easy to process.
5. Oak is the strongest material, but heavy in weight and handling.

Because of the availability and ease of processing, manufacturers massively use birch. I recommend a slightly non-standard material, mainly: hazel (hazelnut), aspen, maple, ash or mountain ash, it is rare and expensive for production, but you can always find another one for yourself. We check the workpiece that is suitable in length for the absence of knots, cracks and decay.

It is best to look after the trunk of a tree, the product will come out of it stronger, and it will hardly need processing. If you pick up the diameter, then it remains only to sand and dry. In addition, there is no oblique layer, often inherent in the processed workpiece from the board. You can pick up a bent barrel to reduce the rotational moment.

We dissolve the board with a circular saw

The main thing is to carefully fit the finished cutting and secure it in the tool holder.

If we use a board, then we choose a stale one - well dried. We dissolve the workpiece with a circular (circular) saw into bars. If the board was damp, then it's time to tie the blanks to minimize deformation, and send them to dry.

Directly to the manufacture of the cutting for household inventory Let's move on to the next...

Do-it-yourself handle for a shovel. Part 1. Material selection and preparation updated: March 27, 2016 by: Elena

A shovel is the tool without which both gardening and gardening are inconceivable. construction works. However, in the process of using a good shovel, few people thought about such a detail as a handle. As a rule, we begin to pay attention to it only when it makes work difficult, that is, it begins to stagger, dry out, or even become unusable for one reason or another. It can also cause inconvenience, both too short a handle and too long.

We select the size and material of the workpiece

First of all, you need to decide on perfect size. As a rule, the height should be exactly on the shoulder of the worker, that is, depending on your height overall size shovels should be 140 - 180 cm. But you can make it a little shorter, especially in cases with shovel when the handle is too long during subsequent operation can cause some inconvenience.

And for a sapper shovel, we reduce the size to 70 - 80 cm, but if this is a field shovel, then even less.

Now we need to decide on the material for the handle, because it depends not only on how durable the future product will be, but also on its appearance. Some types of wood, with further drying or when wet, can even lead.

What wood is better to make a shovel handle from?

Birch. Strong, cheap and simple material. Of the light breeds, the most best option. Strong enough, will not break even when digging heavy soils. It is also good in processing, it is easily chipped, and the fiber is removed evenly.

Pine. It is the most primitive material, which is full on the market. It is easy to process, polishes effectively, and looks quite beautiful. But unfortunately, the handle from this breed also has its drawback. Namely, with a more or less normal effort, it can crack on the first bitch.

Ash. Quite expensive, but high-quality wood species. It is not profitable to make cuttings from this material in large quantities, since the cost is quite high. Compared to pine and birch, the density of wood of this species is 1.4 times higher.

Oak. It is quite expensive, durable, but at the same time heavy material. The main disadvantages of the material from this breed can be called high density. But in this case, it all depends on the purpose of the tool. For example, if a shovel with an oak handle is to be used when leveling the foundation or when cutting roots, then this product may be the most suitable solution.

How to make a handle for a shovel with your own hands?

In order for a do-it-yourself shovel handle in your own technical specifications not inferior to factory performance, attention must be paid not only to its fit, but also to anti-corrosion treatment.

by the most simple solution Of course, the purchase of a blank is, but you can do it yourself.

1.Search for material

To make an even holder that would really satisfy your requirements, choose a branch with a diameter 2 times larger than the required diameter. If possible, choose without knots, bends and ramifications so that the fibers are as even as possible.

2.Fit to the right size

First of all, the cutting must be dried. 20 days in sunlight will be enough. Next, with a planer, we remove the required amount of wood. Align under the bar or level, scroll and align with the axis. In this case, there is no need for extreme exact dimensions, but at the same time it should not be made curved.

3.Processing

To avoid chipping with a special machine or by hand, we grind. First, we pass with a coarse-grained sandpaper, then with a fine-grained one. Next, we impregnate with a special suspension for wood, which can be purchased at almost any specialized store. During the day we let it dry, after which we pass the entire area in 2 layers with varnish and again during the day we leave it to dry.

It is worth noting that the last procedure is not necessary, but it will be much more pleasant to work with a shovel with a handle treated with varnish.

How to properly plant a cutting?

First of all, comfort during work will depend on the planted handle. In cases where there is no backlash and scrolling, working with such a shovel will be much more pleasant. So, how to properly plant a shovel handle?

1. We sharpen

We measure the diameter of the hole. As a rule, they are made under a cone, but they can also be straight. In the second case, it is necessary to measure the diameter - this figure should be in the middle of the future sharpening or even at a distance of 1/3 from the bottom. Next, at an angle of 20 - 25 degrees on the emery, we remove the wood. You can do it with a knife, but for evenness it is also recommended to sand it with sandpaper.

2.Drowning and protection

So that the attachment point does not rot in a few years and does not lose its strength, we fill the treated surface with impregnation. Then let it dry for 12 hours, after which we soak it in epoxy. It will act as a kind of sealant.

3. We score

Immediately after pouring the resin (you can also use bitumen for this purpose), we hammer in the holder. To do this, insert it into the seat, turn the shovel up with a scoop, and then hit a hard (thick metal or concrete) surface. At the same time, remember that the blows must be sharp. After about 5-7 strokes, the bucket should sit on the handle (to the level of the beginning of sharpening). During the day, let the resin dry (pouring a lot of hardener is not recommended) and can be used.

When you decide on the length of the cutting, also include in this size possible changes after the work is done (about 10 cm will sit in the bucket), and therefore it is recommended to do it with a margin. You can saw off the stalk at any time, but you can’t build it up.