Judging by numerous reviews, the most suitable time for fishing is summer and autumn. At this time, fishing is both safe and much cheaper. While winter fishing is often associated with the risk of falling through the ice . In addition, lovers of winter fishing have to arm themselves with special fishing tackle and equipment, the purchase of which requires considerable financial costs. Nevertheless , despite all the difficulties, winter fishing is very popular. One of the means that the “winter” fisherman must take with him is a special device for breaking ice. Among the fishermen, this instrument is called the "pick".
It can be purchased in a specialized store, but experienced fishermen prefer to use home-made self-made items rather than factory-made branded products. Information on how to make an ice pick for winter fishing with your own hands is presented in the article.
Getting to know the tool
Song is a special device in the form of crowbar and pipe. At one end is a wooden handle. Most fishermen who decide to make an ice pick with their own hands also attach a tarp loop to the handle. It prevents the tool from slipping out during operation. This loop can also be made of any other durable material. The second end of the ice pick is the impact or cutting metal part. Mostly it has several faces. A fixture with a round working part is less common.
About product benefits
According to many winter fishing enthusiasts, using ice picks, unlike an ice ax, you can make a hole of almost any diameter in ice. After working with an ice ax, the same holes always remain. When catching large specimens of fish in this case, in order to expand the hole, you will have to use an ax. That is why newcomers who are going to fish in the winter are interested in how to make an ice pick for fishing with their own hands.
What do you need for work?
To make an ice pick with your own hands, you should acquire the following tools and devices:
- Welding machine.
- Lathe.
- Angle grinder (grinder).
- Pipe with an inner diameter of up to 22 mm. It will be used as a “glass” for the handle of a homemade ice pick.
- Cuttings.
- Metal rod. As a material, a rasp, file or scrap is suitable for it. Experienced fishermen assure that you can make an ice pick with your own hands from a spring.
- Nails or self-tapping screws up to 3 cm long.
- Strong rope .
Judging by the numerous reviews of winter fishing enthusiasts, having the above tools and materials, you can easily make a pretty good ice pick yourself. A photo of such a homemade device is presented in the article.
About the handle
Those who decide to make an ice pick with their own hands, experienced craftsmen recommend using high-quality wood for the handle. For this purpose, birch has established itself well. According to many winter fishing enthusiasts, there is practically no recoil during the ice breaking on foot with a birch hilt. Wood is processed by honing. It is not recommended to use a knife and cut a birch under the handle for an ice pick. There are also many positive reviews about the handles made of oak and beech. According to the owners of such devices, it is much more convenient to work on foot if it has the upper part of the handle extended. This extension can be used as an emphasis when chopping ice, and if necessary, you can lean on such a handle. Anyone who decided to make an ice pick with their own hands can give the cuttings any shape.
Where to start?
For beginners who decide to make an ice pick with their own hands, experienced masters recommend that you follow the following sequence of actions:
- First, from the prepared raw materials with the help of a grinder, you need to cut out all the necessary details. According to experts, a tool is more convenient in operation, the dimensions of which vary within 1 - 1.5 m. If an ice pick is made completely metal, it will turn out to be too heavy . In addition, the fisherman’s hands will freeze strongly from contact with the metal surface.
- Make a cut in the center of the pipe, into which a knife machined from a spring will be installed.
- Using a grinder, process a piece of spring. At this stage, the master must decide what shape the pick of the ice will be.
About sharpening
According to the shape of the working part, the ice picks are of two types:
- Percussion.
- Percussion with a cutting part.
For those who do not know what shape of the rod he will carve, the most popular options are presented below:
- " Peak." The working part of the ice pick is cone-shaped. The product does not crumble ice and has an increased piercing effect. By cutting the tip, the master brings the narrowing of its faces to a maximum. This option is effective for breaking ice of medium thickness. The product belongs to the shock type .
- " Saber." Such an ice pick is used to break off large pieces of ice. It is mainly used by physically strong fishermen. The tool belongs to the percussion type .
- " Chisel". It is a shock-cutting foot. Punches ice of medium thickness .
- "Shovel." This piercing and cutting ice pick is designed to work with thin ice. The product is convenient to level the walls of the holes.
Of all the above options, most fishermen give their preferences in a trapezoidal shape.
Working process
After the master has determined the shape of the metal rod, the desired workpiece is cut using a grinder from a piece of spring . It is processed on a grinder. The main thing is that there are no bumps or burrs on the workpiece. Many owners of such homemade products advocate that only one side remain sharpened. For a large base, the optimal size is 12 cm, and for a small one - 2 cm. The thickness of the side walls is 2 cm. They should be located at right angles. The finished knife must be inserted into a special cut and welded.
After welding, seams remain. They are removed using a grinder. On a lathe, a wooden handle handle is processed. It is grinded until it enters the “glass”. The difference between the inside diameter of the pipe and the wooden handle should be negligible. The main thing is that the handle enters the “glass” with a little effort. After that, the pipe is equipped with a through hole for a screw, nail or self-tapping screw. They will attach the handle of the ice pick. The diameter of the hole is 0.3 - 0.5 cm. After that, all the elements of the product can be considered finished.
About assembly
The ice pick is collected as follows:
- A metal rod made from a piece of spring is thoroughly cleaned of slag and degreased using a solvent. In addition, many fishermen still apply various paints to the surface of the rod. After drying, they provide the metal product with anti-corrosion properties.
- The knife is inserted into a special cut in the "glass" and welded.
- A wooden handle is attached to the back of the pipe. The holes in the "glass" and wood must be combined with each other. Then, a fastener is mounted in it. Some masters use a self-tapping screw or nail as such a retainer. However, according to equipment owners , mounting using a bolt and nut is more efficient. If necessary, such a device will be easy to disassemble.
Most fishermen equip their homemade hinges with tarps. To do this, a hole is drilled at the end of the handle into which the rope is inserted. The risk that such an ice pick slips out of your hands and drowns in an ice hole is minimized.
About the use of homemade products
Before you start punching the hole, you need to make appropriate notes on the surface of the ice. According to experienced fishermen, ice chipping should be done at an angle of 45 degrees. The shape of the hole should resemble an inverted crater of a volcano: the upper part of the hole becomes wide, which narrows as it deepens. According to experts, a knife made from a piece of spring, after several trips dull. It will be much more pleasant to work on foot if you periodically sharpen its metal rod.