This guy takes pride in his shovels!

The Evil Twin

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I never knew there was so much to shovel maintenance. Guess that's what I get for being a young Gen Xer.
 

D2Cat

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I went to the scrap pile and found some SS tubing to make a handle for my spade/sharpshooter. My neighbor, who's retired from the gas service co, said it was a no-no. Can't have metal handles. But it hasn't broken yet and I've not been electrocuted.
 

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Steve67

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B2601-fel, 60"mmm, 5' rear blade, balast box
Jan 20, 2017
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St. Louis, mo.
My father inlaw was a stickler for keeping shovels cleaned and oiled between usage
 

RCW

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I keep a few broken handles.

We had a spate of stray dogs wandering into our yard few years ago.

One went after Ollie in my own garage.

Ollie was having some serious health issues, which a few months later killed him.

He didn't need that. ...:mad:

Shovel handles are good at "re-purposing" the stray dog's intentions...... ;)
 
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Russell King

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NCL4701

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I keep a few broken handles.

We had a spate of stray dogs wandering into our yard few years ago.

One went after Ollie in my own garage.

Ollie was having some serious health issues, which a few months later killed him.

He didn't need that. ...:mad:

Shovel handles are good at "re-purposing" the stray dog's intentions...... ;)
For years now the crossbow, Remington 870, and a sledge handle that busted just behind the head have all been within arms reach of our basement door. Some things need to go away permanently but quietly (bow). Some things need to go away permanently and I don’t care if half the county knows about it (870). Some things aren’t bad to have around, they just have a misconception that they’re in charge and there’s nothing like a busted axe handle to sort out that misunderstanding.

Unless it’s a bear or mountain lion that thinks they’re in charge. That’s the .308 from a window that’s open no more than necessary. That hasn’t happened yet, but I’m not totally crazy.

And I’m talking about bears because after watching that, until I have an opportunity to spend some quality time with my angle grinder and my shovels I’m kind of ashamed to admit I own a shovel. My wife probably wishes I gave her as much attention as that guy gives his shovel. Impressive…
 
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Biker1mike

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Our town had a summer program for high school seniors and college students for the summer. I spent the summer operating a hickory handled excavating device.
None of shovels get the care that this guy's do.
 
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Kurtee

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Oct 3, 2013
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I spent more time with pitch forks than shovels in my youth. If you broke the handle you were misusing the tool. It is a shovel, not a pry bar.
 
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D2Cat

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I spent more time with pitch forks than shovels in my youth. If you broke the handle you were misusing the tool. It is a shovel, not a pry bar.
If you've ever used a shovel or spade you probably also used it as a lever. Age on a wooden handle and usage will cause a handle to brake! Pitch fork, not so much.
 
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Biker1mike

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If you've ever used a shovel or spade you probably also used it as a lever. Age on a wooden handle and usage will cause a handle to brake! Pitch fork, not so much.
lever - yes
hammer - yes
weapon - yes snakes
leaning post - yes
snow sled - yes
 
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NCL4701

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A different thread brought up log tongs and cant hooks. I haven’t used the log tongs since I got a grapple. They’ve been in the family for at least three generations, maybe more, which got me to thinking I haven’t seen the tongs in a while.

That got me to thinking about this handle video and the cant hook that’s also been a multi-generational family logging tool. Handle broke due to dry rot back in the 80’s. There are probably handles readily available now but back then we couldn’t find one. Didn’t have a lathe to make one.

So one of my after school chores as a teenager was to carve a handle out of a chunk of shagbark hickory, primarily with a draw knife, copying the old one as best I could. Took about a week of evenings. I doubt my efforts would meet Wranglerstar’s standards, but it’s still working just fine.
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