wet gravel shovel

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This shovel helps keep the bulk of gravel on the shovel in wet gravel. Never under estimate having a narrow small shovel as well. They are great in tight spots.
Chalking a line down the edge of the shovel to a depth of the closed jaws of a shifter. Depending on lip you desire. Cut 45deg angle out at foot rest, Heat with map or lpg gas, and work outside edge upwards slowly using shifter closed to about 3mm. 1mm plate to fill in back and the frog underneath is plenty. Welding the under side frog will increase strength heaps. Remove handle first before starting. 2/3mm alloy pipe works great. Cutting a long v wedge the legth of throat of the shovel in the alloy, tap to close and use SS 5mm rivets to secure. Spot weld spline. Almost unbreakable. I previously had a fiberglass handle that had a timber peice inside it at shovel end and it split the handle after constant water on it, swelling the timber in the handle. Nasty splinters to when chipped. Avoid fiberglass is my opinion.
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This shovel was about $12 + $15 for 1600mm of 3mm wall alloy pipe.
the other one I made is about 150mm wide, and it gets a work out equally.
a good strong shovel will cut down on pick and bar work!!
 
That looks great, and is also a great idea.
Can I ask if it was yours or borrowed ?

I might try it with one of these shovels as below image, all steel but square mouth and maybe just try to cut
the point into the shovel after raising the edges/sides ?
These are common and only like $20, so it is worth a try.
Will pick one up tomorrow. :Y:
Reminds me of the old Coal shovel for fire places, just bigger.

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mudgee hunter said:
This shovel was about $12 + $15 for 1600mm of 3mm wall alloy pipe.
the other one I made is about 150mm wide, and it gets a work out equally.
a good strong shovel will cut down on pick and bar work!!
 
Well I took the principal off a trenching shovel, and just did the mods. My second one I made I got from bunnings, it was like a short camping shovel, I just threw the handle away, and it was cheap. I personally wouldn't use or try to adapt a square mouth shovel design for digging.
When V slotting the new allloy handle. Try and copy the curved tapper from original handle.
 
I also considered just cutting off the sides and welding a piece of flat along the cut edge and across the back and top.
The folded edge is cleaner though and likely lighter, harder steel too.

I will also explore the thinner shovel too, I take it you just made a smaller version of the big one ?
 
Yeah, I did. It was like 70cm long. Sometimes the big shovels grab to much compacted river rocks and they wont budge, the thinner shovel seems to pop them better. Less friction I guess
 
I cant see anyone shovelling much with a square mouth shovel .

Round mouthed shovels are the go , they penetrate better in rocky ground.

I prefer the fibreglass handles , never broke one but I have broken plenty of wooden and steel handles.

If you have really hard compacted gravels then loosen the top 8 inches with a pick then shovel for a while and repeat.
 
My fiberglass handle shovel started splitting from the timber core swelling from being in the water too much. The maker used timber down in the taper. And fiberglass splinters are so charming hey.
I have a couple of different size shovel heads. The smaller one is brilliant for tight spots and popping compacted rocks . It gets under them a lot easier.
and I would never recommend digging with a square mouth shovel. Rounded or spaded only.
the square mouth pictured above is not my picture, but has my quoted text pasted below it.
I've actually since seen a much older post where another member had came up first with a very similar idea.
 

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