About the shovel. A few thoughts about the main weapon of a treasure hunter

A shovel is rightfully considered the most popular and frequently used garden tool. Caring for it is simple, but requires certain skills. Not every gardener knows how to sharpen a shovel correctly. Meanwhile, this matter is simple and not labor-intensive. You just need to familiarize yourself with the rules and features of the process. Question of preparation and sharpening gardening tools especially relevant at the beginning of the spring season. But even during the operation of the shovel, it has to be adjusted (sharpened) several times.

This can be done with:

• file;
• angle grinder (angle grinder);
• grinding machine.

Types of shovels and features of their choice

The effectiveness of straightening garden tools largely depends on the material from which it is made. There are 3 classes of shovels: gardening, construction, loading and unloading. All of them, according to the shape of the blade, are divided into 2 main types: bayonet and scoop.

Gardening:

• digging;
• excavation;
• universal.

Construction:

• copal pointed;
• digging rectangular;
• selection;
• selection faceted;
• mortar

Loading and unloading:

• sand scoops;
• scoop grains;
• coal;
• metallurgical;
• snow removal

A special type of shovel is sapper shovel. They are similar to a garden bayonet, but have a unique blade shape that allows this tool to be used as a bayonet and shovel. This inventory has standard sizes blades and handles, which are strictly observed during the production of the product. Therefore, a mining shovel can be used as a tool for measuring distances.

Sharpening is required only for those tools that are equipped with a bayonet-shaped blade. Shovels are used primarily for moving bulk materials, so the sharpness of the edge of the metal blade is not so important for them. The success of sharpening a blade largely depends on what material it is made of.

What are shovel blades made from?

The manufacturer of gardening and construction equipment does not always indicate what material it is made of. On shovels it is most often noted that they are made of rail steel (that is, from a rail that has served its purpose).

This material is not bad, but does not provide any guarantee of the quality of the canvas. In most cases, it is used to produce bayonet-type pointed digging shovels.

When choosing a tool, you need to pay attention to the thickness of the blade: it should be at least 2 mm. Optimal thickness cutting edge – 0.5 mm.

It is extremely important that there are no flaws on this part of the blade. It is recommended to choose shovels made from the following materials:

• carbon steel;
• stainless steel;
• alloy steel;
• alloys.

Preparatory stage

It is important to remember one rule: sharpening a shovel should only begin if the blade is securely connected to the handle. This will allow you to avoid injury to your hands during work and perform it efficiently, which is especially important when using power tools. If you decide to sharpen using a grinder, it is recommended to prepare a bench vise, disconnect metal sheet from the handle and securely fasten it between the jaws of the tool. While sharpening, you should not hold the shovel blade with your foot, pressing it against a block or stone: this method of fixation is dangerous.

Protective measures should not be neglected. When working with metalworking tools, glasses and gloves are required. It is recommended to check the integrity of the electrical cords of the grinder or sharpening machine. The blade of the shovel is thoroughly cleaned of dirt and wiped with a dry cloth, after which the edge is carefully inspected and the sharpening side is selected. It is best to carry out metal processing from the side on which it was done at the manufacturer.

Knocking the shovel blade

Before sharpening, it is advisable to beat off the metal blade (rivet it, pull it off). This process is similar to beating a braid, but in the case of a shovel it is not performed as delicately.

For this work, they used to have special tools on the farm: an anvil (“grandmother”) mounted on a massive block, and a hammer, one side of the head of which was made in the form of a cone.

Today, many craftsmen use improvised tools for beating or completely abandon this preparatory process.

However, it is he who largely determines the correctness and quality of sharpening the shovel. Experts assure that a “pulled” blade is much easier and more convenient to process.

IN modern conditions For beating, you can use a regular hammer. The process looks like in the following way: the metal blade is “pulled” with light blows of a hammer towards the cutting edge. If you plan to sharpen the side ribs of the shovel, they should also be beaten off.

How to properly sharpen a shovel with a file

The simplest and most commonly used method of sharpening a shovel is filing the cutting edge. Since this method is the most accessible, you should familiarize yourself with all its nuances. Among its advantages are low cost and small sizes tool, which allows it to be used in field conditions. In addition, when working with a file, it is much easier to control the thickness and uniformity of the metal layer being removed.

The shovel should be sharpened using the side of the file.

Stages of work:

1. It is advisable to disconnect the shovel blade from the handle, but this is not absolutely necessary.
2. Next, you need to fix the blade in a stationary position. A bench vise is suitable for this purpose. In field conditions, you can use heavy stones or hold the canvas with your foot, pressing it against a strong support.
3. Primary metal processing is performed on the front side of the cutting edge using a file with a coarse cut. The direction of hand movements is from the edge of the blade towards the handle.
4. Finish sharpening is done with a finely cut file. At this stage, the thickness of the treated surface is adjusted to 0.5-0.6 mm. It is important to maintain the optimal sharpening angle: 40-45°.
5. The height of the cutting edge should not exceed 5 mm.

How to sharpen a shovel with a grinder

When using power tools, you must comply with the safety requirements described above. The main difficulty of this sharpening method is the high probability of overheating of the metal, which leads to a change in its physical and chemical properties.

The blade becomes more flexible and the cutting edge quickly becomes dull. The advantage of this method is that preparing the shovel for further work performed quickly - within 1-2 minutes.

When sharpening a shovel with a grinder, you need to make sure that the material does not overheat.

When working with a grinder, it is difficult to achieve uniform removal of the thickness of the metal.

Moreover, burrs and chips will inevitably form on the edge, which will have to be removed with a file.

Using an angle grinder is the most traumatic way to sharpen a shovel, so you should be extremely careful while working.

Basic rules for the sharpening process:

• the blade is securely fixed in a vice;
• the grinder disk should rotate towards the handle;
• the pressure should be weak and uniform;
• sharpening reverse side blades are performed only for shovels of the scoop type.

Sharpening a shovel using a sharpening machine

This method is more acceptable than the previous one, as it allows you to obtain high quality cutting edge processing. Modern machines are equipped with a disk rotation regulator, which helps to fully control the metal sharpening process.

The most uniform cut is obtained when using massive abrasive wheels. You should start the work with a rougher one and end with a finer notch. The main difficulty of this sharpening method is fixing the blade of the shovel. The use of a bench vice in this case is unacceptable, but modern models The machines are equipped with a special stop that allows you to absorb vibration as much as possible.

When roughing, a layer of metal 0.3-0.4 mm thick is removed. The shovel blade is held at an angle of 40° relative to the rotating emery wheel. Make smooth movements with your hands in the direction of the edge (up and down). Finishing is carried out until the tip thickness reaches 0.5 mm. Upon completion of the sharpening process on the machine, the edge is refined with a finely cut file.

Sharpening a shovel is funny, right? Who sharpens the shovel, tell me? If the ground is like fluff, then you can dig with a felt boot, but you can’t get into the ancient road, trampled by thousands of feet, spikes and runners, with a felt boot, nor with a sapper! Now, gentlemen, it’s time to drag around a compressor and a team of hard workers in orange sweatshirts. If you find a signal, you whistle, they will instantly hammer it with jackhammers, the main thing is to be careful not to scratch the swag, so what!
Seriously, a shovel needs to be sharpened and it needs to be done wisely, efficiently; a new one needs to be sharpened and then regularly maintained in proper condition, as it is prone to damage and dulling.
If we take the good old shortened Fiskar as a basis, then from the factory it it's already underway with a sharpened “tip”, but this is not even sharpening, but a method for cutting out the workpiece itself and the required sharpness there is no.
Over the years, the cop tried different methods, but the main thing remained the good old file.
Wanting to speed up the process, I even used a grinder, but this is not at all the same: the disc spins at breakneck speed and it is impossible to sharpen a shovel with it correctly and evenly, traces of the blade being burned are always visible, nicks and burrs appear, and this is not gut.
The ideal tool, of course, would be an emery wheel with a slow rotation speed, such as can be found on special household sharpening machines (one small wheel rotates quickly, and the other, large one, rotates slowly, and some models even have a gearbox to change the speed).
But I don’t have such crap, so I take, as I already said, an ordinary triangular fine-section file and - go ahead! I put the spatula on the table, clamp it with a clamp (if you don’t have one, then just press it with your hand, and if you can reach it, with your knee) and - squeak, squeak, squack, squack. What did you want? No, the twenty-first century has nothing to do with it! Immerse yourself in the moment, feel like a real samurai, charging your sword with the necessary, correct and all-conquering energy!..
What is important to consider. The first is the sharpening side. The shovel is sharpened on the side on which you pull out the soil during digging - in fact, the factory sharpening will tell you this.
The second thing that is very important is to maintain a sharpening angle of approximately 45 degrees. An angle that is too obtuse will not allow you to dig into hard soils; an angle that is too sharp will force you to adjust and sharpen the shovel too often, since even small stones will cause the blade to bend.
The third thing that is especially important is to ideally maintain the tip of the shovel - the place that is located in the middle of the blade and looks like a corner - it is the one that sticks first into the ground and its condition and sharpening will determine whether you will come home after digging like a squeezed lemon , or you will remain a cucumber...lightly salted.))
What else? Well, as far as sharpening goes, that’s it. And, according to the frequency of “sharpening procedures”. There’s no telling, it all depends on the intensity of your digging - just inspect the blade and as it becomes dull, don’t be lazy, sharpen it!

8-915-420-1941

Online Mozhaisky

Just try to beat off (a shovel) like a scythe, the result will surprise you

Sergey! So, I don’t rip articles off the Internet for myself, but, so to speak, for general development and help forum members, I have a shovel sharpened, lying in the car and rushing into the fields.

Offline Maximys

Just try to beat off (a shovel) like a scythe, the result will surprise you

Sergey! So, I’m not ripping off articles from the Internet for myself, but, so to speak, for general development and to help forum members, I have a shovel sharpened, it’s in the car and rush into the fields.

Hello, Tolya! How are you doing in the fields? Isn't it time to start? Otherwise, all the details have been itching for a long time. I tried to wash myself, but it didn’t help!!!

It is simply impossible to work in a garden or vegetable garden without a well-sharpened shovel. Although appearance These instruments are practically the same from each other, but the materials from which they are made can be completely different. Well-known manufacturing companies often produce products that do not require sharpening at all. These properties of the tool at hand are due to high quality steel used, which leads to a high cost of the product.

Tool selection

There are several types of shovels for their purpose. Simple gardeners are accustomed to dividing them into two varieties:

• bayonet (for digging up soil, digging planting holes, ditches);
• shovel (for loading and unloading, carrying those materials that are free-flowing).

It should be remembered that it is necessary to sharpen, first of all, the tools that will be used to dig up the earth on the site. They usually have blades that are rectangular or slightly tapering at the top. In this case, sharpening is carried out using approximately the same technology.

The most difficult thing is to decide on the selection of manufacturing materials, since these tools do not have parametric technical instructions.

You should know that they are made from carbon steel, stainless steel, alloy steel, titanium, and a variety of alloys.

The cutting is made from the most different materials, starting from a birch pole and ending with a special aluminum alloy.

The metal blade itself can be made different ways. Quality work, When good metal they are heated strongly, but not melted, and in a softened form they are stamped with a special press. Poor quality - simple stamping from a tin.
Sometimes it is indicated directly on the metal that the shovel is made of rail, although in reality this does not at all guarantee the high strength of the tool.

Very popular thanks to the use modern technologies use products from the manufacturer Fiskars, which differ good quality and wear resistance.

You need to immediately put aside the shovel, on the surface of which cracks, scratches, and even more so various types of shells, creases, and bruises are visible.
In terms of thickness, the metal used should not be less than two millimeters, and the edge knife itself should not be less than half a millimeter.
It is very important that the surface of the entire instrument is properly hardened, is not subject to damage, does not bend under slight pressure, and the handle is not loose. The weight of a high-quality metal workpiece should not exceed one kilogram.

Selecting a sharpening tool

It would seem that everyone knows how to sharpen a shovel, but it is impossible to do it efficiently without having special tools at hand.

Note: how well this work will be done is determined not only by the sharpening material, but also by the skill of the performer.

Among suitable tools can be called: various kinds of files, whetstones, grinding machines such as grinders, sharpening machines.

Most suitable in this case sharpening machine, equipped with two discs for coarse and finer sharpening.
Files and whetstones should be used. if the household does not have suitable electrical appliances.

And yet – how to sharpen a shovel correctly?

Before doing this work, you need to make sure that the cutting is planted firmly enough. Indeed, in this case, the handle will allow you to secure the blade itself well. In another case, it is possible to clamp the tool blade in a bench-type vice, and place the handle itself in a special socket after sharpening is completed.
It is not difficult to determine the choice of sharpening angle using factory processing, strictly observing its parameters.

Before starting this process, which threatens the possibility of injury, you should prepare protective equipment and, above all, special glasses, as well as canvas gloves. Check electric wires, supplying electric current so that there are no shortcomings in the insulating materials.
Then thoroughly clean the metal sheet and the handle from adhering soil, or wash it with water and wipe it with a dry cloth.

Some people preface the process by beating the shovel blade by tapping it with a regular hammer, which makes it easier to sharpen the working edge of the shovel. This is easy to do by grabbing the tool by the handle and securing the blade to a small anvil.
It should be taken into account what is required here certain experience, otherwise you can only ruin everything.

If you use a sharpening machine, the shovel and handle must be securely secured. Pressing with the help of a leg rest is ineffective and, moreover, quite dangerous.

In this case, you need to maintain a sharpening angle of approximately twenty degrees for the blade itself. Don’t forget that the metal is only five millimeters thick, and if handled improperly, you can simply grind off the blade without improving its sharpness.
When working with a file, you need to know that you will have to spend a lot of time, although, in principle, this is the only disadvantage.

While the advantages are much more significant: this tool is small in size and can easily fit in a workwear pocket; it is easy to check how much the metal layer has been removed and sharpen it in full accordance with the need; the metal surface does not overheat, which could cause it to lose its properties.
The sharpening process itself consists of several stages: cleaning the surface from soil and plant fibers; strong fastening to avoid injury; sharpen from the front side of the blade - from the edge to the wooden handle.

It is better to start sharpening with a coarse-grained tool, and then go through it thoroughly with a fine-grained one.
At the same time, you need to monitor the uniformity of sharpening so that there are no very thin places, otherwise they will quickly become dull.
You can check whether you have achieved the required sharpness by taking the shovel by the handle and trying to cut a regular paper sheet with the blade or sharpen a wooden stick. If this does not work, then sharpening the shovel has not been completed. In this case, it is better to contact a specialist.

You should know: when the metal blade of a shovel is made of poor-quality materials, it quickly becomes dull and bends instantly - in this situation, sharpening will not have any effect.

If you are using a shovel to divide a bush, a sharp blade will provide you with an even cut and reduce injury to the plants. A dull shovel won't cut root system weeds, which means it will reduce your chances of fighting weeds.

Sharpen the shovel can be done in several ways:

traditional manually . Skeptical young summer residents believe that the “ancient” methods of processing metal with a file have long since sunk into the past. However, this method has more advantages than shovel sharpening using power tools:

• high quality of the edge, which cannot be achieved at high speeds of the grinding wheel;
• there is no overheating of the canvas - the most important advantage manual sharpening, since the physical and chemical properties of the metal do not change;
• high mobility - a file can always be nearby, especially if there is no electricity or work is carried out far in the field.

Work procedure according to sharpening a shovel:

grinder The processing speed cannot be compared with the method of the dinosaur era - a shovel can be sharpened in 1 minute. But negative consequences negates the entire result:

If you decide to prioritize speed, there are a few rules to remember:

on a grinding machine. For impatient gardeners, we can recommend the optimal combination of quality and speed - a grinder for sharpening shovels. It’s good if the wheel has a lot of weight and a speed regulator - then you can track the thickness of the sharpening.

The procedure for sharpening a shovel:

· remove 0.2-0.5 cm to remove visible defects;

· move the blade up and down in relation to the abrasive until the edge thickness reaches 0.5 mm;

· Cool the blade with water from time to time so as not to overheat the metal;

· remove burrs by hand using a fine abrasive file.

Many people do not trust the traditional “grandfather’s” method of sharpening, which has existed for hundreds of years. However, a hand file has many “advantages” in the process of processing garden tools. Let's take a closer look at why it is more profitable to use it.

1. Excellent edge quality. You will not be able to achieve exactly the same levelness when using a power tool, especially if it has a high rotation speed of the wheel. You will be able to regulate the thickness of metal removal and make uniform processing not only of the cutting front part, but also of the side planes.
2. No metal overheating. Perhaps this is one of the most important advantages, since a regular grinder or electric emery heats up metal surface up to a temperature of +200 degrees and above, changing physical and mechanical properties material. With the slightest resistance, it will wear off or become dull, making it impossible to cultivate hard soil.
3. You can take it with you “on the road.” You can adjust the shovel directly at the workplace if large-scale work is planned far from a source of electricity or a vice.

And the most important thing is that a file can be found in any owner’s workshop, so you don’t have to spend a large number of money for purchase electric emery or any other device. Let's take a step-by-step look at how to properly sharpen a shovel.

Step 1 Secure the work surface.

The first step is to fix the blade so that it does not move under significant physical impact. It is best to use cleats, but do not be too fanatical - do not tighten too much, so as not to deform the stamping - they are quite fragile.

Step 2 We process it with a “rough” file.

Now you need to take a coarse file and go through it inside edges. You cannot sharpen the back side of the shovel (the one on which the holder comes out); we only process the front side. It is preferable to sharpen towards the holder, that is, the file stroke begins in the direction from the edge to the holder.

Step 3 Jewelry fitting.

Now you need to work with an ordinary, small file, with which you can adjust the blade to a thickness of at least 0.5 mm, and at an angle of no more than 40 degrees, so that the metal does not quickly wear off. Sharpening of the shovel should be carried out until the entire blade is no more than 0.5 mm thick at the very edge, and before that it should be processed with a fine-grained file.

Step 4 Removing sharp areas.

Now we take a square file and run it several times along the very edge to remove thin sections that will become dull at the first contact with the ground. 5-10 wires will be enough, after that, move it several times at an angle of 40 degrees to remove possible chips.

We figured out how to sharpen a shovel with a file, now you can go and try out the acquired knowledge in practice. But there are other ways to process garden tools, which have their own advantages and disadvantages; let’s look at them in more detail.

How to properly sharpen a shovel with a grinder and is it worth doing?

A modern tool allows you to automate the “grandfather’s” method as much as possible, but is it worth using it and is everything as smooth as it seems? The most suitable and quick option- handle grinder. Using standard cutting disc You can adjust the entire blade to the required thickness in 1 minute. This is perhaps the biggest and only “plus” of this tool. There are many more disadvantages:

1. Overheating of the metal. ABOUT n becomes very soft and easily dulls during work in the garden, you will have to adjust it again and again, every week or even every 2-3 days. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that the abrasion of the shovel itself will be very fast and with a high intensity of its use, the tool can be destroyed in 1 season. Not recommended for use on garden tools, first of all – to.
2. Uneven edge thickness. It is almost impossible to adjust everything to the same thickness, especially at high speeds. So the slice will have poor quality, the holder will “pull” somewhere in one direction. The work is much harder and more inconvenient.
3. A large number of chips and burrs will need to be adjusted with a file to avoid injury during transportation of the tool and subsequent work.

If you decide to give preference to this method and rely specifically on the speed of sharpening, and not on its quality and durability, then you need to securely secure the shovel in the grinders and start sharpening. The rotation of the grinder disk should only be towards the holder when processing the blade frontally. Only the front side (the front part of the shovel) is processed, the direction is from bottom to top (the back part is sharpened only). This way it will be possible to reduce the force (as much as possible when processing with a grinder) when working in the garden bed and cutting off large weeds and dense soil.

How to sharpen a shovel using sandpaper and what you need to know

Electric emery represents the optimal ratio of work speed and quality of sharpening. Best option– with the ability to adjust the rotation speed. It will be even better if abrasive wheel will have a lot of weight so that work can be carried out evenly without taking into account the vibration of the abrasive (as in the case of a grinder, when it is practically impossible to predict the thickness of the removed layer of metal). In order to sharpen the edge of a shovel with high quality, follow the advice experienced craftsmen, you need to follow these step-by-step instructions.

Step 1 We secure the tool.

Since it will not be possible to use cleats in this case, it is necessary to limit the vibration of the shovel as much as possible during this operation. This can be done using a special metal bar, which is installed on almost all electric sharpening machines. If there is none, find a stop for the holder.

Step 2 Draft.

It is necessary to remove 0.2-0.5 mm to remove all contaminants and eliminate possible mechanical defects. Next, we sharpen everything as usual, only we change the angle by moving the tool itself up/down, and not the abrasive, as was the case before. The minimum blade thickness is 0.5 mm. It is recommended to periodically spray the metal with water to cool it. An ugly color may appear when sharpening, but physical and mechanical characteristics metal will not change.

Step 3 Fit.

Anyone who knows how to sharpen a shovel will say that without adjustment it won’t work. No matter how you sharpen the edge, you will need to sharpen it with a regular file, eliminate possible chips and over-sharpened areas so that the shovel serves faithfully for a considerable period of time. If this is not done, it will have to be sent to “service” in a few days when working on difficult soils.

We looked at several sharpening methods, now you can choose the one that suits you and go to the workshop for practical experience!