TITANIUM DIGGER

[Number9]

I've bought many tools in my 65 years of life and nothing upsets me more than to have one break!
I've used many hand diggers that I thought were quality only to have them bend or fail while trying to enjoy a
little leisure time, metal detecting, gem hunting, gold prospecting, or just digging ginseng.
I started many years ago building my own and my metal of choice is Grade 5 Titanium.
It's a metal not easy to work.. it's just about as stubborn as I am! :mrgreen:
Being 45% lighter than steel, I can increase the gauge and even tempered 4130 chromoly can't match the strength to weight.
More rust/corrosion resistant than stainless steel and second only to pure gold.

The blade on the digger is 8 1/2" long, it is 2" wide and 3" at the hand guard and 1/8"(.125") thick.
The handle is 1" round tubing .065" and has a 3/4"X4"X1/8" vertical spline inside for strength. Both spline and tube welded solid to hand guard. The over all length is 13 1/2".
Grip material is the same as the hand grips on commercial exercise equipment and non-slip.
Sheath is made from black UHMW and stainless steel. It was made with an open design to prevent dirt accumulation.
The digger weighs 11 ounces

When I ask a tool.. "Are you ready!?". I want the tool to answer.. "Any time..any place.. and under any conditions!"
Now is that too much to ask!? :lol:

Best at ya!
-Wayne

 

[Brules]

Damn....that's cool.

 

[contender]

Nice! As a metal detectorist,,, I have to ask,,, How much would one cost me?

 

[Number9]

Nice! As a metal detectorist,,, I have to ask,,, How much would one cost me?

Oh.. about $40 in material and many hours of your spare time! :mrgreen:

I just don't have the equipment or metal supply to make them for sale.
The digger was made by hand.. no machine tools were used.
I had to watch eBay for several weeks before what I needed was listed.
Even then, the scrap piece that was 4"x8 1/2" was $30!

 

[ArmedinAZ]

That is unbelievably cool! Did you have the gusset welded on?

Back when I was into mountain bike racing hard one of our sayings was "titanium is the answer, what was the question?"

Work of Art. Well done.

Oh yeah, I have a titanium Litespeed mountain bike from my glory days hanging in the garage that was made in your neck of the woods.

 

[Number9]

That is unbelievably cool! Did you have the gusset welded on?

Back when I was into mountain bike racing hard one of our sayings was "titanium is the answer, what was the question?"

Work of Art. Well done.

Oh yeah, I have a titanium Litespeed mountain bike from my glory days hanging in the garage that was made in your neck of the woods.

Thank you for the comment!

I have an old Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC welder that I bought 20 years ago and a "dry-rig" tig torch and bottle of argon gas. I think I have about $350 in my tig welding outfit! :mrgreen:

The digger has 7 separate pieces welded together. The blade is made in three pieces, where it widens out to three inches a small piece was welded to each side. The hand guard was welded to the blade, then the gusset was welded from the hand guard to the blade. Then the spline and tube welded to the back side of the hand guard.
You can't bend grade 5 to a sharp angle.. it will break.

Yes.. Litespeed is in Ooltewah.. about 20 miles down the road.

 

[pyth0n]

Very nice work.

 

[ArmedinAZ]

Even more awesome after you describe the build process. Hot dayum BillyBob you got some skills and the eye.

 

[Number9]

Even more awesome after you describe the build process. Hot dayum BillyBob you got some skills and the eye.

Well, Pal.. the eyes are getting weaker.. could be the welding?
I retired after 45 years of metal fabrication.

 

[contender]

Very, very nice! I have a titanium dive knife, and a few other tools. I will say that your digger is by all accounts top notch. (Just put me in your will to receive it,, as I know it'll outlast you!)

 

[graygun]

beautiful work

 

[Pierow]

To say I am impressed would be an understatement. Great work and design. The gusset you added for strength really puts it over-the-top for me. Smart idea.

Pierow

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Have you got a permit to carry that thing? Looks more like a weapon than a spade. The serrations are very cool.

 

[Number9]

Have you got a permit to carry that thing? Looks more like a weapon than a spade. The serrations are very cool.

Hey, Jimbo..

Permit!? What's a permit? :mrgreen:
Maybe I can get by on a technically it being a digging tool?
Unless I get caught digging the "wild wood weed" illegally..
I'm talking ginseng.. not the other "weed"! :mrgreen:

Best at ya!
-Wayne

 

[pyth0n]

So, how much more Titanium will you be able to dig?

 

[Number9]

So, how much more Titanium will you be able to dig?

Probably not as much as a gold digger will get gold..
but you just got to do the best ya can! :mrgreen:

 

[contender]

"A permit to carry that thing." Hahahahahahaha! The general design of that tool is COMMON among metal detectorists. Serrations & all. (The serrations are for cutting roots!) However, the support piece in front of the handle is an excellent addition. Very smart as it reduces the flex and adds stability to the prying action.

I wasn't ever too keen on that design as I felt it had too much flex and you fixed that issue. My digger is a bit different, and it too was custom made. Mine has never failed me & will easily outlive me. I'll get a pic for you of it.