Best Spud Edge Shape?

[B540glenn]

My spud is second hand and a little beat up.  I'd like to sharpen it. What's the best shape for the business end of a spud?  Is a flat chisel edge best?  Or a Convex edge?  Serrated?  Which shape will stand up to repeatedly pounding it on a hard surface?

Thanks for lookin',
Glenn

 

[Uncle Al]

what's the business end look like now? just touch it up on a grinder, or use a hand file. Any pics

[B540glenn]

Sorry no pics.  The spuds is homemade and looks like someone welded a bar and hunk of metal together then ground a general shape after a long night at the pub.  The price was right though. ;-)

The cutting edge is uneven and dented.  Abused may be a better description.  The wedge doesn't have a uniform shape either.  But I'm not that worried about that because that's just mass at the end of the stick. 

I don't have a grinder so a file is going to be the tool to shape it.  I expect a good deal of time (more than a few strokes with the file) will be required to form a proper edge, so I'd like an edge that will stand up to pounding on a hard surface.

[Uncle Al]

this might help

[Chris338378]

That's a great question.  The old spuds had an edge like a wood chisel but the higher priced ones these days have a stepped edge.  The old style edge will definitely work but I don't know how it compares to the new stepped edges.  Since you don't have a grinder you're pretty much limited to keeping the same angle that's already on it unless you want to file until your arms fall off.  If you want to change it to a stepped edge a machine shop would be able to do that pretty easily but I don't know how much doing that would cost.  The other thing you can go is get a hand held electric grinder, they're pretty cheap and you can get them at most hardware stores or even Walmart.

[B540glenn]

Uncle Al,
Just to be clear, you're recommending the Chisel grind pictured below, correct?

Chris, you vote for the Flat grind?



Does the chisel grind allow the waste to clear better?
Wouldn't the Flat or even the Convex grind offer more support to the edge during impact?

I know I'm getting a little picky about the shape of my spud's edge, but I have 5 or 6 months to kill before ice fishing season. 

Thanks for the replies,
Glenn

[Uncle Al]

the only reason I put the pic up was to illustrate what my spud looks like. I've had a spud shaped like that for most of my life and only use it to open old holes, and when I'm on foot, check the ice in front of me. The rest of the time I use a jiffy gas auger. I can't tell you what spud to use or how good one is from another. This one works for me. Follow this link and you will see many different shapes and sizes of spuds.

https://www.google.com/search?q=ice+spud&biw=1600&bih=799&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=M0yFVdyENYeuyQT37LyoBw&sqi=2&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAw

[hardwater diehard]

The spuds is homemade and looks like someone welded a bar and hunk of metal together then ground a general shape after a long night at the pub.  The price was right though. ;-)

I don't have a grinder so a file is going to be the tool to shape it.  I expect a good deal of time (more than a few strokes with the file) will be required to form a proper edge, so I'd like an edge that will stand up to pounding on a hard surface.

I would think with just a file a simple one angle chisel shape/grind as mentioned above  is your best bet.

[B540glenn]

I'll put a simple chisel grind on it, while I wait patiently for hard water.

Thanks for the time and effort.
Glenn

[Chris338378]

The grind on the old chisels I was talking about is the Chisel Grind.  What I meant regarding the edge on the new chisels is like in the Eskimo Redneck one piece chisel and the Clam one piece chisel, the edge looks like a set of steps rather than being even across.  I don't know how this stepped edge works compared to the even edge or chisel grind as you're referring to it.  Here's a link to the chisels with the stepped edge I'm referring to.

Clam one piece ice chisel:

http://www.xfinity.com/Corporate/Learn/Bundles/bundles.html

Eskimo Redneck one piece chisel:

http://www.geteskimo.com/Foundations/store/shopdetail.asp?params=CH11

[tomturkey]

I tried to sharpen my store bought spud with a file. A total no go. The steel in it must have been heat treated as none of the many files I own would touch it. I have not tried to hit it with my grinder.

I sure miss my old spud that I left leaning on my buddy's shanty. He put it inside and the shanty went through the ice before I got back out fishing. The only thing that did not come back up with the shanty when they through  3 spears through the roof to pull it out was my spud.

[Uncle Al]

Tomturkey, lost my spud last year after my flipover tow bar unhooked and the shanty crashed. I searched for it but couldn't find it. I had that spud for about 25 years. Got to make a new one myself.l only use a spud to open old holes that aren't too thick,  and to check ice when I'm on foot.

[Uncle Al]

this might help

I have been given one, and picked up two at rummage sales this year, and every one has the same shape as the one in the pic.

[B540glenn]

I've been working on giving it a straight chisel grind.  I don't spend too much time on it in one sitting.  About a beer's worth, on the deck, when the weather is nice and I don't have any thing on the Honey-Do list.

Thanks for all the replies.
G.

[Mr.Seaguar]

A straight edge is the easiest buy not the best. The stepped edge like the Jiffy Mille Lacs chisel is best. I cut mine in with a cutting wheel on a hand grinder. When it gets dull I just make another at work. My work has mountains of scrap steel laying around. I also make small chisels for removing the sharp edges sometimes left by hand augers. I don't sharpen them. A flat edge takes off the lip perfectly.

[dbike988]

I've done a bit of chisel design and have played with several types.

The stepped is pretty awesome for general use and opening old holes.  Bites hard, will grab the edge of an open hole decent, opens old holes real well.
The typical chisel grind is good too.  Use it with the flat side towards you so the chips fly away.  Tough to widen open holes if it isn't sharp
The "Flat Grind" that you pictured will be tough.  It'll want to wedge into the ice and you'll spend much time yanking it out.
I made a curved point (imagine a small, thick, sharp, spade shovel) that worked amazingly for widening open holes!

With yours, I'd suggest just sharpening it up with the standard chisel grind.  Whatever you choose, good luck! 

[SeisMec]

Best homemade one that I've seen had the head made out of a piece of leaf spring. Held a edge for just about ever. Had a welding instructor that use to use leaf springs and old files to make knives blades out of.

[Uncle Al]

Had 2 spuds given to me this week both have the chisel grind on them. One has a hollow 3/4in black pipe shaft, the other is solid cold rolled steel 3/4in, and weighs about 50lbs. Both are a little longer than my old one, I used the old one as a walking stick, checking the ice in front of me as I walked, It was 3/4 black pipe, hollow, with a "T" fitting for a handle, it was just right for me to use as I walked. May have to take the torch to the handle of the hollow one. That solid one is just too heavy.

[Muskyrush]

The speedy spud is the best spud you'll ever own and the also the last one.