shep Posted May 31, 2007 Report Share Posted May 31, 2007 Had an idea on making a pick. Bought the material and made up a prototype. Pardon the welding (need a lighter lens; couldn't see where I was going). Breakdown of cost paying full retail approx. $18.50 + labor each. Too expensive at that price to market, but got to see how the idea holds up. Weight is hefty @5#15 oz, but that's also with an 8" blade and length of 14 1/2".Grubby's not sure if he wants to go out this Saturday; anyone interested? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grubstake Posted May 31, 2007 Report Share Posted May 31, 2007 Grubby is sure, going to be too tired and too hot, for me. But then theres next weekend.shep Jerry's going to be busy too. Grandsons birthday party, for him.But! Make sure you come by the house on your way. I will be up. Grubstake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota Slim Posted May 31, 2007 Report Share Posted May 31, 2007 You can do some serious digging with that pick Shep. You may want to add about 3 of those magnets across the top of that 8" side. I'd go Saturday but I woulda had to leave a couple days ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whats4supper Posted May 31, 2007 Report Share Posted May 31, 2007 wow, sort of a wicked looking monster. I could envision a bad accident if left lying around. But your steel has to be better than the breakoff kind on cheep cheenk chit at home depot or somewhere. speakin of cheep chink chit, I broke down and bought a welder hood at Harbor freight that has a clear lens, that goes dark in about 1/24,000th of a second when striking a weld. You can see all the joints, fitups, and everything, without a hitch, and as soon as you'd think you'd see the flash of the arc, the lens is dark. nifty swifty. I wish their steel were just as good....It's not like US Steel is all that easy to find either. Even DOD is buying c c c bolts and hardware- no skin off their back when a pilot goes down....We'll all be in the down and outs if the gold we're pickin up ever goes chinese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whats4supper Posted May 31, 2007 Report Share Posted May 31, 2007 on another subject, I need some ceramic tile advice:I want to replace the old sanded floor tile grout and replace it with new grout on a floor in a house that one of my relatives bought. Reason is the old owner used whatever grout that was on sale, different colors, brand, and then tried to recolor it, twice. looks good after someone smoked 5 joints, and drank a 12-pak, listening to the blues, then they just wouldn't care how it looks. most of the joints are cracked, though some joints are in as good a condition as it gets. I realize the job may be very labor intensive, but the tile looks nice and they would want to keep it. Tearing out the whole floor wouldn't be a walk in the park either, and would probably require 5 mexicans (or something), using quality SHEP tools, about 1-2 weeks to get everything up. I think the previous owner found some NASA-Brand mortar to set the tile. It's tough (I already worked at redoing the entryway- about 4' x 6', and I don't think nuking it with the bomb would've taken off 5 minutes of demo time, which took me 2 days to get it cleaned up enough to lay the new tile). The old mortar had these little nodules that were nothing short of miraculously difficult, and strategically placed, so as to hinder any sort of level floor work. I would almost think is was an Obama (or is it Osama) plot to keep someone away from the polls, and/or slamming Hillary at one of her rallies. I would've thought that the flushing action on the veins, especially the Carotids, would be keeping me out of the hospital, but maybe I'll end up being there sooner than planned (double-edged knife syndrome). (while we're on that part, if you've had an angiogram, call the hospital and request a copy of the films. They are copied onto a CD, and are completely compatible on a home computer. see what life looks like with shots of Iodine, and piano wire. You don't have to return them, and if you have a cd burner, can make copies of it and send it out. Some portions have a narrative that you can listen to the doctor telling what's going on. The included viewer has 6 different languages, in case you want to play around. Neat, and a sort of family home movie that only cost something like $20,000 to produce...)).Their options (as I see it): [1] remove enough to regrout a veneer layer; [2] remove all of the grout and replace entirely; [3] sell the house and get another one that has a better flooring situation; or [4] burn the house down and collect the insurance, then start with a new slab. Tools: I was looking for a diamond cutter to remove the 3/8" joint. maybe a 4-inch grinder. If not that, I have a diamond blade, a skilsaw, and a shop vacuum cleaner to keep the dust and dirt down while using it as a wet saw. I had tried oxiClean to clean the grout, which did pretty good, but the original color variation, ...well, that was mentioned already. any suggestions? thanks. Hoping that some of the hobbyists out there with a day job in Tile could help me out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridge Runner Posted May 31, 2007 Report Share Posted May 31, 2007 whats4supperYou can use a small grinding wheel that fits between the tile to remove the grout. I think you can buy a tool that is made for the job to remove it.If you take up all the tile you can rent a sander to get the floor clean and smooth. It's like a big floor polisher but you put a big sanding disk on it and it will remove anything. The only thing is you get alot of dust,so cover the walls with plastic first.You can wet sand and mop it up.I've re-grout my bath room and I had the tool.I didn't have to remove much because I was going back with the same color.Best of luck! Chuck Anders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridge Runner Posted May 31, 2007 Report Share Posted May 31, 2007 ShepJust grind down the bumps,put alot of paint on it and when you show it off always keep it moving.I'm like you I had to make my own pick and as they say beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.Yours does look good first time out of the box but like mine it's going to get heavy. I always have this need to over build.Chuck Anders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptGrumpy Posted May 31, 2007 Report Share Posted May 31, 2007 I always have this need to over build.Chuck AndersChuck,It's a guy thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shep Posted June 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2007 Whatsforsupper, the grinder idea would work, but what about a diamond blade or maybe even a metal cutting blade in a circular saw? You could easily adjust the depth and do straighter lines.Chuck, same here, always overbuild. I use my picks for walking sticks, so the weight may not be so obvious (I hope!). I secured the handle 42" today and beat up on some granite awhile ago. We'll see how it holds up on the long run. I'm mostly concerned with how the welded on pick point holds up. Ruined 3 drill bits trying to drill holes in the plate. Believe metal should be tough!I like longer handles (watching Rob dig with that short handle, hurt my back just watching) The "monster" pick has a 42"er, the "mini" has a 40", the AZO pick now has a 36". The AZO is made from 3/16" material; mine are 1/4". Finished weights are 6#10oz, 4#6 oz and the AZO's is 4#6 oz. The AZO is only being used for size reference. Sorry, can't seem to post pic of Picks (pic's must be too big to post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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