Prospecting / Miners pick information and questions

[Wintersnake]

Don't get me wrong not saying plough disc's are no good, just saying they are hard to find and harder to get people to part with them. Leaf springs on the other hand are a dime a dozen. Unless your using parabolic leafs they should already have a curve in them.

 

[MJB]

And that's the problem wintersnake...everyone I ask always says hey have just taken 5000 of them off to the scrap metal bloke...
Goldtarget seems to have come to the rescue though and has a few left. I will keep an eye out for those springs your talking about and check them out...where theres a will theres a way

 

[thedigger]

I have just made 2 picks from plough dics and truck springs,and a fibre glass handle from maddock.I like fibre glass handles takes the jar out of digging,and is much lighter than wood,and has a rubber grip.
I lost my last pick some where,which had a yellow fibre glass handle.

Regards Frank

 

[Jaros]

Looks the goods mate.

 

[Goldtarget]

nice work....I'm still trying to find a good supply of old plough discs so I can make my own too

Let me know if your in the area mate. Pulled a few dozen brand newies aside back in the scrap yard days, bloody amazing what people will bring in. Got them for a disc plough but old mate sold the tractor before favours could be swapped (wanted some fire breaks) and the Centre is too small for the old man's one. Cost me a fifty if I remember rightly I've built a few picks, a couple of disks and you'll pass from this lifetime before getting through them. Send word next time you're in the vicinity of bendigo.

Thanks GoldTarget,

If my plans go rightly I may be heading up to Beechworth/Yackandandah for a fossick and so will head through Bendigo on the way up.

Cheers mate

Even closer if you're on the way to beechworth just pm me before you head I've moved again and depending on which way you're headed you could go right past my front door or the office! Also any excuse for me to travel to beechworth is fine by me

 

[dwt]

If my plans go rightly I may be heading up to Beechworth/Yackandandah for a fossick and so will head through Bendigo on the way up.

Flip me a PM if you have time on the way through, I'll be floating around somewhere doing immature things I guess, that's if work don't get in the way

 

[MJB]

Thanks fellas, will keep that in mind.

Nice pick too Frank, will keep an eye out for a yellow fibreglass handled pick

 

[Magilla]

I was checking out the digging tools at Bunnings the other day and came across the range of "Hart" picks. The 2.2 KG model looks like it could do some serious damage especially if the fiberglass handle was replaced with a good wooden one. Has anybody had anything to do with them?
http://www.bunnings.com.au/hart-2-2kg-mattock-pick_p3360343

 

[noncents]

Hi I've used the smaller one only and does a good enough job. Deepest hole was about 1.5 feet I had to dig and that was a bit of an effort for a small handled pick so the extra length might make it easier.

 

[PabloP]

I looked at them yesterday as I am looking for a new pick and yes they could do a lot of damage. I ended up deciding that although I liked the fibre glass handle that it was a bit heavy to be carrying around all day. I will probably go for a Walco from Miners Den, when they get them back in stock.

 

[Magilla]

I looked at them yesterday as I am looking for a new pick and yes they could do a lot of damage. I ended up deciding that although I liked the fibre glass handle that it was a bit heavy to be carrying around all day. I will probably go for a Walco from Miners Den, when they get them back in stock.

The handle was the only thing that put me off a bit, way too heavy but easily replaced. The cost of a new handle pushes the price up a bit but the head does look good.

 

[spikegold]

Today was cut short with a pick blow out, Walco pick has been amazing but price tag sucks. Off to bunnings

 

[trents99]

hi guys,
I own both the small and large hart picks from bunnings and a walco std pick.
the large hart is faaaar to heavy, the small one can do some damage but the walco wins hands down.
having said that the small hart can make light work of hard ground.

 

[Magilla]

hi guys,
I own both the small and large hart picks from bunnings and a walco std pick.
the large hart is faaaar to heavy, the small one can do some damage but the walco wins hands down.
having said that the small hart can make light work of hard ground.

Thanks for the feedback mate.
Have you replaced the handle of the large Hart with a wood handle? The specs put the large Hart between the two largest Walco's in weight, a wood handle should drop the weight quite a bit.
I haven't done much prospecting but I have done my share of pick and shovel work and I think the Hart would leave the Walco way behind in hard ground, my concern is it may be a bit of overkill most of the time.

 

[Metamorphic]

Hi Magilla.

Use the small 1.5kg Hart which is a real goer, slips easily under the belt on my pants and very comfortable with stock handled rubber grip.

Haven't tried the bigger ones cause i also have the No.1 Standard Walco Pick for when the going gets a bit tougher!

Cheers

 

[Magilla]

Hi Magilla.

Use the small 1.5kg Hart which is a real goer, slips easily under the belt on my pants and very comfortable with stock handled rubber grip.

Haven't tried the bigger ones cause i also have the No.1 Standard Walco Pick for when the going gets a bit tougher!

Cheers

Thanks mate, I thought the handle might be a bit short on the small one, how do you find it?

 

[Twapster]

Ive got the short one, I find that my wrist gets a workout, on the heavy side. Its the only one i've ever used, it can do a lot of damage but the sacrifice is weight and the arm may be hurting at the end of the day. The longer one using two hands may be fine?

 

[Magilla]

Maybe the light one with a longer wooden handle may be the go? I will head back into Bunnings and check them out again and also suss out the available handles.

 

[Twapster]

Def a pick that wont crumble under pressure, who wants to be out there and all of a sudden, no pick!

 

[trents99]

the hart def is the go for hard ground, i wouldn't recommend the large one though unless you considering a gpz7000 can dig a big whole in seconds .
the smaller hart is a goer but as twapster says by the end of the day your wrist has been given one hell of a workout, that is why i purchased the walco.

for the record i always take the walco and the small hart, hard ground start with the hart, finish off with the walco