Sharpening A Prospecting Pick

[Jin]

Any tips for how to sharpen a pick correctly to keep its Hardening/Tempering properties?

I've been filing my pick head with a hand file but it's so slow. Was watching the video below and it looks like I should have been grinding the whole edge of the pick not just the tip.

 

[phrunt]

I wonder if @davsgold would have some tips seeing he makes them.

 

[1515Art]

I’m not a knife maker, but I slept in a holiday in last night… I’d suggest a couple hours bing watching old episodes of forged in fire. Great series and they do about everything metal hardening.

https://www.history.com/shows/forged-in-fire

[Northeast]

Followed your link Art.  It shows the unlocked episodes but unfortunately it says unavailable in our region  😞

Jin is an Australian too, so likely has the same issue.  Is this where one of those VPN thingo's would help @phrunt ?

[phrunt]

17 minutes ago, Northeast said:

Followed your link Art.  It shows the unlocked episodes but unfortunately it says unavailable in our region  😞

Jin is an Australian too, so likely has the same issue.  Is this where one of those VPN thingo's would help @phrunt ?

Yup, I just tried using a US server from my VPN provider and I can watch the unlocked episodes fine.

You can watch bits and pieces on Youtube though.

forged in fire - YouTube

 

[Lost Scout]

5 hours ago, Jin said:

Any tips for how to sharpen a pick correctly to keep its Hardening/Tempering properties?

I've been filing my pick head with a hand file but it's so slow. Was watching the video below and it looks like I should have been grinding the whole edge of the pick not just the tip.

 

Hey Jin, use a  grinder quick and lightly. I watched the video and as someone who welds and uses shovels, picks, knives and other metal tools I'm here to tell you this isn't a knife. I'm picky about my knife sharpening but this is a pick. It hits the dirt and rocks. It doesn't need a fine edge. Just cleaned up on occasion. Some things need fine tuning and then there are some tools that you have to realize aren't a piano.

2 hours ago, phrunt said:

Yup, I just tried using a US server from my VPN provider and I can watch the unlocked episodes fine.

You can watch bits and pieces on Youtube though.

forged in fire - YouTube

 

 

[Gold Ryder]

When Im at home I use a bench grinder, in camp I use a file. Doesnt have to be pretty. But a good point on the tooth and cutting angles on the hoe make life easier for sure.   Im hard on picks. But have a claim partner that has never sharpened his east wing paleo and he still cleans up. I dont like working that hard🤣. So i tend to make my hoe end fairly sharp.  Electric hand grinder works good to. I like to feel a good cutting edge on my thumb. Might wear it down quicker that way. But its gonna take some years.  

[Valens Legacy]

My grandfather had always told me to use a file because they won't heat the steel up and make it lose it's temper.

I will sit for a couple of hours and use the file to make it nice and sharp again, when I have used it and abused it over a few weeks. With that said I generally will sharpen it after several hunts when I am using it a lot.

Here is a link to the one that I use, and it does make quick work of it.

https://www.amazon.com/Nicholson-American-Pattern-Double-Rectangular/dp/B000RELOMM/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2GORNP6X9RET7&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.TbuR3g03HI74kH9IZ1O6izAnuC4SP9Yd6hgrUVl2R2DMevv7O9IcFSxoegNeuIMiOq_vsduLx152dX4yIgLWxco4RYThPw3iPPlVXFPbl_skZ8moH13fQnOvXmZXZEdQcoSjFNKXR2svuxrY7fOPg0xMdviqCK2ak6-cJYFucQCw7innBnOpZydqZMlSl9NdzwlltmA5BZIn6_F_82qoZw3_Up_KcZPCiSX12TtCqzy3ZKvWvHeBN5DTD0qUdFeb-q8W7PZgUARfUgGdPAzBcMpKSn5_WbRgDQkfe0xpjXY.wr-yh27xJXgeg3STSg8C2GVEVciZ5tyExk1c1g54cFk&dib_tag=se&keywords=12+inch+bastard+file&qid=1708762007&sprefix=12inch+bast%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-2

Hope this helps.

 

[geof_junk]

Your Grandfather is correct, but I use angle grinder with quick touches and into water and keep repeating till job is done.

[GoodAmount]

Honing down a triangular pick head can be laborious if you’re wanting to maintain its triangular shape. I’ve just retipped my pick with a new section of carbon steel from a trailer leaf spring. It was getting pretty stubby in the tooth and becoming difficult to get through the ground, particularly when hunting heavily surfaced areas where you need to bust up slaty bedrock. In those situations it needs a well honed point and a decent wedge profile to break up the rock without sending it flying. I welded on a small arbitrary 60x18mm parallel-edged tip section and ground a relatively oblique taper on the end with an angle grinder. I reckon I’ll get a year or so of easy regrinds to maintain its shape before needing to replace it again. I took it out for a test run two days ago and it sure rips through slaty bedrock like a champ. It’s slightly too long in the tooth at the moment, but it’ll only be a couple of sharpens before it’s the right length.