Chinese Shovel Repair

shumakerscott · 08-23-2009, 07:00 AM

A friend of mine told me that he broke his shovel and was going to buy a new one. I told him to bring it by since I haven't welded in quite awhile. I like to weld! I'm not a pro but my stuff holds. I reenforced the neck with a bridge weld. Here are a couple of pic's. Dorf dude...

PaliBob · 08-23-2009, 07:15 AM

Better Than new

Bob Mariani · 08-23-2009, 03:03 PM

you must value your time at almost nothing. A handle or even a new shovel is only $38 for the best ones. This one is more like 22 model. So unless total time is about 10 minutes it seems not to be worth the effort.

Tscarborough · 08-23-2009, 03:08 PM

It is always worth the effort. Have you never heard of "Grandfathers Axe"?

shumakerscott · 08-23-2009, 03:58 PM

He used it this afternoon and it didn't break. Of course he wasn't trying to dig up roots like when he broke it! I agree with the thinking that a tool that is meant to last should be a quality one to begin with. Avoid cr@p junk. $40 for a shovel is a big bite in the pocket book at this time to dig things up. That is why a $10 shovel gets bought 9 times out of 10 over a $40 one. That gives people like me something to do and maybe a couple of beers in payment. Dorf dude...

shumakerscott · 08-23-2009, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Mariani

you must value your time at almost nothing. A handle or even a new shovel is only $38 for the best ones. This one is more like 22 model. So unless total time is about 10 minutes it seems not to be worth the effort.

Bob, It was a Sunday morning and I was bored. I don't put my time on the clock for every thing I do, esp. to help a friend out. It is a dorf way of thinking. dorf dude...

Tscarborough · 08-23-2009, 07:56 PM

My Grandfathers hand-plow has had the tip brazed 4 or 5 times, by the look of it. It is a $30 dollar plow, but thirty bucks in 1935 was a pretty serious deal. He used the same plow to run 2 acres of vegetable garden up until he died in 1998, and I use it still, although it is due to be re-brazed (Texas dirt is a lot harder than Mississippi dirt).

I also still use Pawpaw's axe, which has had the handle replaced 3 or 4 times, and has had the head replaced at least twice since he bought it in the 1920s.