Making a Detecting Pick for Gold Prospecting ⛏️ Diggin' For Gold
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- Опубліковано 16 жов 2024
- Just a quick video showing how I made my prospecting pick. It's a bit (read: a lot) of a hack job, but should do what it's meant to do quite nicely. It was easy to make, and saved me a bundle, so I thought I'd share it.
A version of this vid without music: • Making a Detecting Pic...
Thanks for watching!
Feel free to leave a like and/or let me know what you thought with a comment. Thanks!
Cool man! Thank you for doing this. The fact that there is an “oopsie” actually helps show people it’s ok to try. That, or get your pieces together and bug a friend that welds.
Nice job gets it done
Mate top job as long as it stays together and does the job . 👍I’m going to make one myself
A worthwhile project 👍. I'm looking at making up a pick from a plow disc I've got that's almost new. Thinking of using a proper piece of handle timber as I think the pine would be too soft in the long run. I'll be stick welding the steel collar inside and out onto the pick blade, as MIG may not have good weld penetration - but I'll let a Welder mate of mine make that decision.
Thanks for showing how you did your version, it will be interesting to see how it goes.
Yeah pine is DEFINITELY too soft for thr long run. In hindsight I should have mentioned why I used pine in THIS video, but I mentioned why when I first showed it off in a detecting video. As I mentioned in that vid, i just couldnt find suitable handle timber of the right size in time for the detecting trip so just got some pine as it was the cheapest stop-gap...am also going to weld that pin in at a later date too once I find proper handle timber. Im quite interested as to how long the pine will last though...just out of interest.
Diggin' For Gold
Just remembered for hitting or striking, timber is the strongest if it takes the force against the grain, not with it. As in, flat side of the grain to take the force. That's why Base Ball bats have the makers Logo stamped on the side your supposed to hit the ball with, or 180 degrees opposite if you rotate the bat. Use your sanding disc to speed up timber removal, then finish off with the razor blade &/or sandpaper.
I made one out of and old car leaf spring.
The triangle pieces that were cut for the point
was welded on the side of the flat section in a manner
to create a slight curve / cupping affect.
I've been using the same pick now for three years
and have never had to sharpen it due the hardness of the spring.
Dennis
Those welds are 10 times beater than I did the after day, next time you make one try and get yourself a old leaf spring ie tram or truck, this will last forever, maybe.
Your pin should be on the other side to prevent it working it way out while in use, countersunk then beveled off the pin. Give you something to think about while those two wear down,10 or more years.happy hunting. Cheers Craig
Yeah a leaf spring was my first thought. Even sourced one. But then looked up welding em and decided not to. Higher carbon steel is hard to weld apparently and im the opposite of a skilled welder so though i had better avoid it. And re the pin, thinking of just tacking it in place at some point.
@@DigginForGold your right on the money it can be a prick to weld if you not using the right rods or in your case wire, one trick is to heat the area first red hot. I can't remember the type of rods worked the best, it was trial and error.keep a tub of water when welding pin, don't want you to skorch the pine to much.good luck and keep diggin
I really like your videos, you always make me smile.You are very creative.
Well done my friend , thanks for showing this :-)
Just wanted to say I hope you're all good dude, it's been a while and I know a lot of it was no way to edit videos etc so I get why there isn't anything new, but doesn't stop me wanting to check how you are man, you're a bloody legend
Yeah nah Im all good mate. Just stuck in lockdown in metropolitan melbourne...not allowed to go further than 5km from my bloody house. Im dying to get out there (as soon as I can without risking a $5000 fine) so as soon as Im allowed I'll be back out and making vids 👍
Great job! Thanks for showing!
Nice job mate and a well made tutorial to follow. It's always handy to have a spare pick in the car in case something breaks or comes loose out in the field so i might have a go myself 😁👍
You weld like I do! ;) Nicely done and great tutorial.
Hey mate, you weld like me. Im making one to now , good video .thanks.
Hey again 😅 just checking in once more cause I miss you and wanna know you're all good
Yep. All good 👍
Schweet! Seems simple enough
That was a great video 👍👍 I hope you pull out lots of golden nuggets with it!!!!!!
Me too! Thanks!
Nice work! Are those steel, mild steel?
Cool ❤️💛💚👍
Great job! You needed it.....you made it......my turn👍
You probably had the polarity backwards on your welder. It's one way for welding with gas and the opposite for welding with flux core wire. Also wear welding gloves so you can get down near the nozzle to control it. Trying to weld with your hands out on the end is like trying to write with your fingers on the back end of the pen. It's just too hard to control. Good luck!
great job mate should have used a triangle from the off cuts from the cut outs
WHAT HAPPENED ??? NO NEW EPISODE'S AFTER THIS ONE !! WHY ??? JUST FOUND YOUR CHANNEL A FEW WEEKS AGO AND WAS ENJOYING WATCHING YOUR ADVENTURES. YOU NEED TO MAKE A COME BACK !!!!! FROM A NEW FAN IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA.
all in all mate top job well done
Cheers 👍
Nice job! All you gotta do now is find a big nugget ⚡👍
Hi. You wouldn't have one of your homemade picks for sale at all? I can't source a little Walco pick from anywhere at the moment.
I'm just in Croydon.
Bob.
Unfortunately not. Sorry. I've only got one spare and I really do need it since I'm extremely prone to losings things.
Good job.
Well done lad
I hope you’re well mate 🙏🏻
I am 👍 And same to you
@@DigginForGold I am too. Cheers mate 👍🏻
If you would like a more durable point heat it up to red hot then quench in some old engine oil
Great video and great picks, more practice on the welder will help with esthetics
A lot more practice haha. It is only the 3rd or 4th thing I've welded though so yeah...
Very nice. What stops the pin from coming out?
Nothing except friction currently. If or when it comes loose (its holding up alright after 5ish days out), then I'll just use the welder to tack it in there...wont need much, just a quick daub.
@@DigginForGold I would recommend cutting the pin a little longer so that it sticks out both ends and then "peening" it on each side with a hammer to make a sort of rivet. That way it is easily removable if your handle breaks.
have you packed it all in i haven,t seen you on here for a long time
My "grand return" is imminent 😉
New sub 😋 Great channel
Couldn’t hurt to run some more welds. Turn up the heat a lot so it purposely folds/curves the blade.
nice job boy the sharp edge is called a bur i bet i spelled it wrong ha ha
Sorry, but the materials used are really poor. That flat bar will be mild steel and will be relatively soft..You need a flat bit of tool or spring steel as these will be decent quality hardened steel. Some people will cut down a flat spring off say a 4x4 or use an old plough disc. You need to keep the steel cool as you cut and grind it otherwise it will loose it's temper...The pine dowel for the handle is also a poor choice as it is far from strong. Hickory or Ash are the usual choices...if you go to an agricultural supplier you can round hoe or folk handles of about the right diameter and for a similar price.
Find an old plough blade small one use that' ITS best steel cut slots in the pipe for handle put the handle inside weld up the slot stick it in water no bolt it weakens the handle.practice your welding .
Hope you're keeping safe dude
Yeah Im all good mate. Keen as to get out before it gets too cold. Next weekend and I'll be back at it 👍
Oh sweet, looking forward to it man! Glad you're good tho
Good job mate
How's lockdown going for you mate? I'm absolutely dying to get out bush 😭
Well its still going which is the problem. But yeah am not loving it. At least as a driver i get to go more than 5km from my house but other than that its tough. Will be tsking a few days off to head our bush when its all calmed down, thats for sure.
@@DigginForGold I hear you mate, I haven't opened my shop in months and absolutely hanging to get up to reedy creek for a weekend and sink cans eat steak and maybe run a sluice if I find time 😂 fingers crossed were free soon.. I'm in mornington 👎
A hint , next pick handle , get an old shovel handle ,cheers
Sledge hammer handle is best
Where are you??? Really miss your vids👍👍.
Stuck in lockdown mate. If i could get out i would
@@DigginForGold yea mate I forget cos I'm in country.this corona is crap. Miss ur vids and look forward to it being over so we can get on with life normal
Hey have you ever been right up stony in Warrandyte? For a pan
Nah never been there...let alone right up it
Thanks for the reply-my friend’s property has definite old diggings -near the creek been going up since I was a kid
and never took notice till a few weeks ago..it freaks me out how the old timers dug up everywhere
I know right. Once you know how to recognize them then you see em everywhere in gold country. Its crazy to think how tough it must have been to do all that by hand way back when
👍👍👍
👍
What are the measurements
Still getting out there mate?
Yes, but sort of no for the time being 👍 Got caught in all the lockdowns being in metro melbourne. Have been out a couple of times since but first time I didnt film as I just wanted to get away and not have to worry about filming. Second time I filmed but lost my phone half way through so footage was lost. Lately I've been surfing and am making a surfboard right now so until that project is done with I probably wont get out prospecting. Hopefully within the month though.
@@DigginForGold ahh true, nice! You any good at surfing 🏄♂️?
Thought you might have gone off the radar or given it away.
Beginner would be an appropriate term for my surfing ability. I have fun though. Do you surf?
@@DigginForGold yeah, I’m a beginner too.
Managed to break some ribs a while back in a big stack, shouldn’t have been out in the first place so my own fault. All good fun.
Gold is a lot safer ! 🤣
You still alive bro?
Yes. I live in metropolitan Melbourne so am stuck in hard lockdown. If I was allowed to go more than 5km from my house I would be out and about making vids 👍
@@DigginForGold That sounds rough. Getting outside saved me in lockdown. Hope you can get out soon, I really enjoy your content!
Where are you
My man where are u? I don’t care if I have to hold the camera get back out there!!!
No really really let’s gooooo
Yeah its beyond ridiculous isnt it. Sorry. Fingers crossed the next one isn't too far off.
HAVE YOU STOP MAKING VIDS.
Only because I haven't been allowed to go more than 5km from my house for the last 4 months. Now Im allowed, but have a few things to take care of before I go trapesing around the bush 👍
WOW - $24 for a metre of dowel - I myself am a tightarse and would have got a metre of basic square section wood and planed it into a roundish shape , but yeah , not everyone has a plane I guess
verdict... piece of trash. you need to use spring steel from old car or trailer leaf springs. not a piece of mild steel
Yep. Completely useless. As soon as I hit the ground it just bent and was ruined. Or...I've used it countless times in the last year and its as good as gold. Yep, not as good as spring steel, but its not like im digging through concrete, or getting nuggets with the 2300 that are 40cm deep. But no, its completely useless. I definitely havent dug up like 50 nuggets with this pick. I mean...it just couldnt do it because...well, its useless.
Chume you suck! Love your vids Matt!