A little help please


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Tragedy struck over the weekend. I don't know if this life can be saved but if anyone has a suggestion, I would welcome it.

While digging out a big rock, the handle of my favorite pick broke! I mean it just shattered! I wasn't prying on the rock or anything destructive. The point hit the rock just like it has thousands of others, when SNAP!, I was holding half of it in my hand. It even cleanly split the friction tape I had wrapped around it.

The head is rivited on so I don't know how to get the old one out or how to attach a new one if I can find one. Doc, any ideas? Can it salvaged? Do you carry spare ones? I imagine it would price prohibative to send it back to Coiltek or whereever it came from, but I couldn't bear to throw it away, especially when a new one is almost $100. So, I appeal to the masses of handymen out there, can this beautiful piece of workmanship be saved?

Digger Bob

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Bob, I changed mine out by grinding off the head of the rivet, punch it out, pull out the old handle, go to home depot and get a fibreglass maul handle, grind it down to fit the neck of the pick, pour some heavy duty glue in the hole, drive the handle down in, drill a hole through the rivet hole, put a bolt in, tighten the bolt real good, round off the nut and bold head with your grinder and you're good to go...Simple, eh? Cheers, Unc

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Bob, I changed mine out by grinding off the head of the rivet, punch it out, pull out the old handle, go to home depot and get a fibreglass maul handle, grind it down to fit the neck of the pick, pour some heavy duty glue in the hole, drive the handle down in, drill a hole through the rivet hole, put a bolt in, tighten the bolt real good, round off the nut and bold head with your grinder and you're good to go...Simple, eh? Cheers, Unc
Ya, What he said.
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Best to replace with good straight grained hickory but if you can't for whatever reason there is a good fix. First prep it to insure it fits back together well. Apply liberal amounts of well mixed 1 hour epoxy to both sides and clamp for 24 hours. Clean or sand of the glue that squeezed out and wrap the break in two layers of 1 oz fiberglass cloth. Mix and brush on glass resin and let cure, then go try to break it again! Won't happen!

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Tragedy struck over the weekend. I don't know if this life can be saved but if anyone has a suggestion, I would welcome it.

While digging out a big rock, the handle of my favorite pick broke! I mean it just shattered! I wasn't prying on the rock or anything destructive. The point hit the rock just like it has thousands of others, when SNAP!, I was holding half of it in my hand. It even cleanly split the friction tape I had wrapped around it.

The head is rivited on so I don't know how to get the old one out or how to attach a new one if I can find one. Doc, any ideas? Can it salvaged? Do you carry spare ones? I imagine it would price prohibative to send it back to Coiltek or whereever it came from, but I couldn't bear to throw it away, especially when a new one is almost $100. So, I appeal to the masses of handymen out there, can this beautiful piece of workmanship be saved?

Digger Bob

Gidday Dig, an ole bloke told me years ago, that a good pick can be fashioned from a old leaf spring, They are curved, fairly wide and can be easily have a pipe for a handle welded on. Surpose you can grind a point on one end and won't cost you five bucks..arahi...

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Tragedy struck over the weekend. I don't know if this life can be saved but if anyone has a suggestion, I would welcome it.

While digging out a big rock, the handle of my favorite pick broke! I mean it just shattered! I wasn't prying on the rock or anything destructive. The point hit the rock just like it has thousands of others, when SNAP!, I was holding half of it in my hand. It even cleanly split the friction tape I had wrapped around it.

The head is rivited on so I don't know how to get the old one out or how to attach a new one if I can find one. Doc, any ideas? Can it salvaged? Do you carry spare ones? I imagine it would price prohibative to send it back to Coiltek or whereever it came from, but I couldn't bear to throw it away, especially when a new one is almost $100. So, I appeal to the masses of handymen out there, can this beautiful piece of workmanship be saved?

Digger Bob

Thanks to all who replied. I think I will try to find a fiberglass handle to replace it. I may have to burn out the stub from the head. If I can't find one, then I'll try the glue and fiberglass approach.

Actually, I may try that first. If it doesn't hold, I can always put in a new handle.

Digger Bob

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