In any private household, there is sure to be a shovel. It is needed in winter and summer. In winter, with its help, snow is removed, in spring and summer they dig a garden, in the fall they harvest. It is impossible to do without a shovel during construction and other works on the site. How to make a shovel with your own hands? Or is it better to buy it in the store? The most famous types of shovels are:

A shovel is commonly used for digging a vegetable garden, digging holes, and clearing snow.

  • bayonet;
  • shovel;
  • for snow removal;
  • plaster shovel.

A snow shovel looks a bit like a scoop, differs from it only in its large size.

Plywood snow shovel

Plywood shovel device: 1 - scoop protective element (metal edge), 2 - plywood scoop, 3 - metal shank, 4 - fasteners of the handle to the scoop, 5 - the end part of the scoop, 6 - wooden handle.

A snow shovel must have a good bucket. Snow should be easy to collect in it and not stick to the base. The bucket must be strong enough to withstand significant loads. According to the material of manufacture, it can be aluminum, plywood and more modern plastic. It is desirable that small strips are located on its sides, which act as stiffeners. They protect the product from deformation of the bucket. The shovel should be equipped with a good handle, which is fixed at the end of the handle.

A snow shovel can be foldable or solid. If there is not enough space for keeping and storing household equipment, it is better to buy a folding snow shovel. But one-piece is more durable and reliable. The bucket of a shovel is chosen in accordance with its physical capabilities. The cutting is also chosen individually. Most best option this necessary tool- plastic. Such a tool has a long service life, it is very light and convenient. Homemade products usually made from three-layer plywood. This is the most common version of this tool.

To work on the manufacture of a shovel you will need:

  • a piece of board 40x7x2 cm;
  • three-layer plywood 40x50 cm;
  • galvanized iron or ordinary tin 50x2, 15x2, 3x3 and 40x6 cm;
  • cutting material.

A rounded blank is made from a piece of board, to which a piece of plywood is attached. It is desirable to fasten plywood with self-tapping screws. Hammered nails quickly become loose, and the entire product becomes unusable. Self-tapping screws are screwed through a strip of tin. In the center of the workpiece in the form of a segment, a hole is made for the handle. It can be round or rectangular. The cutting itself is sawn off at an angle of approximately 45 ° and is also attached using self-tapping screws and tin.

After connecting all the parts, the finished product is processed with sandpaper. The work is done. You can clear snow. A similar spatula, only small, can be made for your child. He will be happy to help adults remove the snow.

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shovel for tillage

A shovel with a handlebar from a bicycle will help you not get tired too quickly during work.

Standard bayonet and shovel shovels have a drawback: they require excessive force during operation. The hands of the worker are far from the metal sheet. This leads to their fatigue. The part, which is called the tuleyka, often breaks. This is the part where the stalk is inserted. There are many craftsmen who are trying to improve this tool. One of the TV shows showed Father Gennady, a monk from the Russian outback, who made himself a shovel of an unusual design. The upper part of this tool was an ordinary bicycle handlebar.

Working with such a tool, a person practically does not get tired, since the back does not bend and does not experience overloads. The speed of work, compared with a conventional bayonet shovel, doubles. You can try to replicate this design. To work, you need to prepare:

  • steering wheel from an old bicycle;
  • pieces of rubber hose on the steering wheel;
  • pipe with a diameter of 22 mm (preferably stainless);
  • a shovel 2 mm thick or a piece of sheet metal of the same thickness with dimensions of approximately 480x250 mm;
  • steel pin;
  • welding machine.

The steel pin is inserted into the lower end of the pipe and welded or locked with a bolt. You need this pin to turn the miracle shovel. The remaining parts are cut out, bent and welded according to the drawing.

The tool works like this:

  1. The plowshare of a shovel is driven into the ground with a foot.
  2. With his hands using the steering wheel, he turns around the pin.
  3. We take a step back, rearrange the tool and everything repeats again.

An excellent tool, although it also has drawbacks: it is not suitable for digging trenches and pits and is afraid of virgin soil.

Dig up a large bed, say, for potatoes, this is hellish torment for any summer resident. No one will believe that without a motor cultivator this can be done without overworking the back.

However, a monk from the Kirov region managed to improve the shovel in such a way that it no longer causes any suffering. He says that the Almighty himself suggested the original design to him.

Reporting by Yuri Chukhin.

The invention of Father Gennady, of course, is unlikely to turn the whole Earth. But it is quite possible to significantly facilitate the work with the help of such a shovel.

Father Gennady: "This is called a plowshare. It is one and a half to two times wider than an ordinary shovel. And due to the leverage, it allows you to take much more land, without much physical effort."

Unlike a conventional shovel, there are two handles here, and the design itself is easy to assemble and disassemble. Father Gennady called his invention "Vyatka plowman". It turned out something like a manual plow. The plowshare of the "plowman" easily cuts the turf, the earth falls off along the furrow.

A flat layer of earth and looks like a motorized plow has passed. The monk says that in small areas, the Vyatka Plowman can replace both a tractor and a horse. Just such - the traditional country six acres - from Kirov resident Mikhail Ovechkin. Horticultural experiment: Father Gennady's "Vyatka plowman" against an ordinary shovel from gardener Ovechkin.

Mikhail Ovechkin, gardener: "We competed to dig for half an hour. Father Gennady has already finished in 15 minutes, and has not finished his territory yet. The performance of this shovel is four times better, as I see it, higher than mine, dear."

Another notion of Father Gennady - "Vyatka plowman" can be adjusted according to the growth of the tiller. And if so, then there is no need to bend over. Actually, because of a sore back, he moved into the inventors. During plowing with an ordinary shovel, the lower back hurt incredibly.

Father Gennady: "There is an element of God's providence in any story. When a person with a sore back and sore joints cried out:" Lord, I want to dig, but I can't!

Several shovels, made by the monk in a handicraft way, have already dispersed throughout Kirov. Father Georgy Kuptsov was the first to test the novelty. And now the clergyman himself gives mastery lessons to his children at the dacha. The parishioners also became interested in the invention. Zoya Vlasova especially appreciated the very even furrows that the Vyatka Plowman leaves behind. Planting potatoes in them is just perfect.

Zoya Vlasova, summer resident: “A single furrow is dug. And when planting potatoes, you don’t need to dig a hole under each potato. And put a tuber at a distance of 30 centimeters from the tuber in a single furrow, and it’s very convenient and fast.”

And Father Gennady himself is sure that everyone can make such a shovel if desired and diligently. He does not intend to make secrets from his invention, and will gladly reveal the secret of manufacturing to anyone who wishes. After all, the "Vyatka Plowman" was created to help people.

There is a lot of work in the garden and in the garden, but the most exhausting is digging the earth, cultivating it and removing weeds. They start digging ahead of time, in small areas, since the load is too large. The miracle of a shovel will help to reduce the complexity at times and at the same time speed up the process at least twice. This relatively inexpensive and uncomplicated device really works, even in difficult soils.

What is different and what can

To be precise, this is not a shovel, but a ripper, since it not only digs, but also breaks clods. The miracle shovel consists of two (sometimes one) planks with pins movably connected. Some models also have a rear stop for easier digging of dense heavy earth. So it actually looks more like a double pitchfork (see photo below).

Miracle shovel and its components

It is clear from the figure that this tool does not have a shovel as such, but the differences from the classic bayonet shovel do not end there. She also has a much higher handle - it should reach you up to your shoulder. It is also convenient if there is a transverse crossbar on its top - you can operate with both hands.

The miracle shovel performs three operations at once:

  • loosens the soil;
  • breaks clods;
  • "extracts" the roots of weeds without tearing or cutting them (in any case, damaging them much less);
  • easily digs root crops - you can dig carrots, potatoes, etc.

But its main advantage is that it greatly facilitates digging the earth, and the main load falls not on the back, as when using a conventional bayonet shovel, but on the legs (to drive the working forks into the ground) and on the hands (to turn the forks out of the ground). The back during work is in a vertical position and is almost not loaded.

The only downside to this tool is the weight. It is indeed much larger than that of the bayonet. But the super shovel is rearranged, it does not need to be lifted. Rather, it is raised only a few times: when it is placed on the ground at the beginning of the row. Then, pulling the handle, it is simply pulled a little.

There is another very attractive point in using a miracle shovel - digs a garden at least twice as fast. This is due to the wider working part - up to 50-60 cm. Under the condition of low physical activity, this is very good.

How to work

Although this design is not particularly complicated, working with it has its own characteristics. Firstly, you need to start from the far edge of the garden, then move back, gradually dragging the pitchfork back. Well, the general procedure is as follows:

  • Holding the handle, put a miracle shovel, rest it on the front ripper.
  • Stick the pitchfork into the ground. Drive them so that the back stop touches the ground. If the ground is heavy, dense, you may need additional effort - press your foot on the front fork bar.
  • Pull the stalk "toward yourself". With this movement, the forks will begin to move upwards. Rising, they pass through the forks of the front stop, breaking up lumps.
  • Pull the device back a little, repeat all the steps (stick, squeeze, pull the handle).

In fact, everything is very simple. It is worth trying a couple of times and then everything repeats “on the machine”.

Constructions

In addition to the option shown above (under the name "Tornado", "Digger" or "Plowman"), there are several more design options for the miracle shovel under different names.

Soil loosener without front stop

This design also has a working and supporting fork, but does not have a front stop. Because it is less bulky, weighs a little less. But the front stop gives increased stability during operation. And the weight when dragging is not so important.

The handle is attached to the working forks, the rear stop is welded to the comb of the second fork. Both of these structures are movably interconnected (even door hinges can be used).

Ripper wonder shovel for light tillage

The photo shows one of the implementations, which is made on the basis of the corner and round pipe. When working, they drive the pins into the ground by pressing on the crossbar, and not on the stop, as in most models.

digger

A variant called "Digger" is essentially a wide fork with an emphasis for easier eversion and a high powerful handle.

Miracle shovel "Kopalka"

A feature of this design is the emphasis and adjustable handle. It is fixed with two bolts, it is selected according to the height of the working person.

The emphasis is not stationary, but movable. It is attached to the frame. When the pins are immersed in the ground, they press on it with their foot, then, without removing the leg, turn it out by pressing the handle of the pitchfork from the ground.

The physical load at work is low, the work progresses quickly. But this miracle shovel will not work for hard and lumpy soils: it does not crush the soil. She pushes through the forks under her own weight. But this is only possible on loose soils. On clay or black soil, it is better to have a second comb with pins.

How to make a miracle digger, see the next video.

light cop

This miracle shovel design is slightly different from the previous one. The stops in it are rounded, the handle is arched, but the basic design is the same. Some drawback - there is no way to adjust the handle, but otherwise everything is the same - a movable stop and a working fork.

Two variants called "Light Cop". The simplest ripper for the garden, garden and cottage

It's hard to say whether this variation is better or worse. It could only be assessed by comparing the performance of both specimens in the same area.

If you watch the following video, you will see that you can dig with such a miracle shovel not only loose soils, but also heavy ones. And the second thing you can pay attention to is that for such soil it is better to have a second comb of pins, on which you can crush the turned-out clods.

From what and how to make

The designs, as you saw, are different, but the set of materials will be approximately the same. Their number differs, but the cross section and characteristics remain unchanged.

You can use a round or profiled pipe, metal bars or "parts" from the pitchfork

Materials for manufacturing

They start by making the frame. It is often made from a profiled pipe, the optimal section is 30 * 30 mm or so. In this case, the wall thickness is important - at least 3 mm. In some models, a corner was used. The width of the shelf is also about 30 mm, the thickness of the metal is at least 3 mm.

The handle can be made from the same profile pipe, you can use round. The wall thickness is also important. In principle, having made a latch, you can use a wooden handle from a shovel. Some purchased models provide for the installation of a wooden holder.

The main attention should be paid to the material that is used for the teeth of the working forks. It should be good structural steel. The forks are made from a bar of at least 8 mm in diameter.

What craftsmen make them from:

  • They are cut off from ordinary pitchforks, welded onto a miracle shovel.
  • Straighten suspension springs.
  • Saw into narrow strips of automobile springs.

If you can find a good bar - round, square or hex - it does not matter, you will be much easier. Not a bad option, by the way, with a pitchfork. But you need to take good ones, and this is not cheap. And one more thing: calculate the dimensions of the miracle shovel so that the working forks have 8 pins. Then you will need to buy two jokes of ordinary pitchforks.

If the design is chosen with two forks - working and thrust, you can put pieces of a suitable length of a metal bar on the thrust. The loads here are not so high, so the strength should be enough. The diameter of the bar is 10 mm, you can use ribbed reinforcement, which is used when reinforcing the foundation.

Dimensions

Most companies that produce miracle shovels have a range of sizes for this product. Our people are different in size and physical fitness. For men, you can make more massive models, and for women and the elderly - smaller and lighter. The average sizes are:


All other sizes are selected depending on the design and material used.

Blueprints

Detailing the stop and fork stop

Who does not know the feeling of nasty fatigue and discomfort in the back from the autumn or spring plowing of the garden. For centuries, people have been digging in the ground with a bayonet shovel in their hands - an invention that is wonderful and concise in design, but not so universal as to forever grind their beds with a bayonet and a handle.

Garden tools and other goods in this Chinese store.

Characteristics of the manual plow "Vyatka plowman".

Shovel "Vyatka plowman" - interesting invention Orthodox priest Gennady Khlopov, which significantly increases labor productivity and, at the same time, dramatically reduces the gardener's chances of bending over from back pain. At the same time, the miracle shovel of Gennady Khlopov retains a certain continuity: it looks like bayonet shovel, is also extremely simple in design, and according to the drawings, a Vyatka plowman should make a shovel for home master easier than many other varieties of miracle shovels.

A monk's shovel is used for manual digging of the soil, but it can also be used for laying trenches. Unlike the bayonet we are used to, it is asymmetrical, it is difficult to change legs when working with it, but this is hardly a big drawback, you can design a tool for the left or right working leg.

In the upper part there are two long horizontal handles, reminiscent of a bicycle handlebar, and at the very beginning, when the monk-inventor invented it, just such a handlebar was used.
The work is based on pressing the working part of the shovel into the ground with the foot and the subsequent turning over of the earth layer with a side plowshare using the upper handles. Maintaining the vertical position of the worker during work reduces the load on the spine.

The Vyatka Plowman shovel was invented by Georgy Kuptsov, rector of the Vyatka Church of the Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia in 2006 for the cultivation of virgin forest land. The scientist-surveyor Viktor Olegovich Kryuchkov also participated in the work on the design. The inventors, creating one of the most convenient garden tools, set the task of maintaining health when processing virgin areas, which they succeeded.

How to make the “Vyatka plowman” shovel yourself?

N.M. Mandrigel from the city of Dneprodzerzhinsk proposes to make Father Gennady's shovel according to a drawing that is close to the original, and the model made according to this scheme has been tested and has shown itself well.


In the manufacture of a shovel, the following materials are used: a handlebar from a bicycle, on which you can put hose cuts for convenience; stainless steel pipe with a diameter of 22 mm; shovel made of cold-rolled stainless steel 2 mm thick; pin with a spring or steel movable (adjust according to the ground). The steering wheel is in a straight line. The pin enters the pipe and is fastened with an M8 bolt and serves to rotate the miracle shovel. the formula in the figure is for determining the height of the shovel from the rudder (upper part) to the cutting part.

Work in the garden and garden is a troublesome and responsible occupation, requiring not only the application of physical effort, but also the use of high-quality, strong tools and equipment with high productivity. For manual digging of the soil, a bayonet shovel is usually used. But with age, such work becomes beyond our strength: the back hurts, fatigue sets in quickly, and the joints ache.

To facilitate the work of gardeners, well-known manufacturers produce various modifications of tools. Among the wide range of models, there is sure to be a miracle shovel, which will greatly facilitate the work on the site.

Kinds

The classic version is a device in which "forks" are located on a metal panel, attached to it with the help of swivel joints. Translational-rotational movements are made: pointed rods plunge into the ground, digging it up. When the "forks" are pulled out of the ground, lumps remain, which additionally have to be broken with a rake.

Advanced rippers are models in which an auxiliary element is provided in the form of a transverse crossbar, on which the same pointed pins are welded as on the main part. "Pitchforks" plunge and exit the ground, passing through the gaps between the bars of the crossbar, crushing large lumps into small fractions. Grass roots cling to the pins, they can only be pulled to the surface.

Known modifications - "Plowman" and "Mole". The first has a length of loosening bayonets, reaching 10-15 cm, the second - 25 cm. The latter option is convenient in that it deeply plows the soil, catching a layer of freezing earth in the off-season.

In addition to the "Mole" and "Plowman", the model "Vyatka Plowman" is known, the drawing of which was developed by the monk father Gennady. Due to his state of health, the clergyman found it very difficult to work on personal plot. He came up with a convenient and simple miracle shovel. For its manufacture, a minimum of parts is required, and the performance of the tool exceeds all expectations. An arc-shaped steel plate is attached to the metal pipe on the left or right (depending on whether it is made for left-handed or right-handed people) (in homemade devices instead, you can use the main part of the bayonet shovel).

A pin is located at the end of the pipe, which immerses the plate to the depth of the excavated soil. Then a rotational movement is made, a clod of earth is easily thrown to the side with a shovel. If you dig a plot, taking steps in a straight line back, an even furrow remains. Potato tubers, root seeds are left in it. When the gardener begins to cultivate the next row, the fresh soil will lie flat in the furrow dug earlier. Father Gennady's homemade shovel was taken as the basis for similar models that are now produced by well-known manufacturers. Given the physical characteristics of a person and his state of health, it is easy to choose suitable option wonder shovels.

Advantages

The advantages of new designs are that working with them does not require a lot of time and physical effort.

In addition, they are convenient because:

  • labor productivity increases by 3-4 times;
  • no need to bend down to the ground;
  • you don’t have to strain your back muscles when the shovel moves up together with a clod of earth (when the earth is damp, this is even harder to do);
  • due to the rotational movement of the digging or loosening main element, only the hands that press on the handles that are attached to the handle are tensed.

When buying, you need to pay attention to what weight of a person the miracle shovel is designed for. For example, people no lighter than 80 kg can use the classic options, since the devices are rather bulky and difficult to move over the surface. But the Plowman design is suitable for gardeners weighing 60 kg or more. Father Gennady's shovel is much lighter than complex configurations, so it will not be difficult for a person who freely holds it in his hands to perform garden work regardless of your weight class.

Flaws

The gardeners did not find any significant "shortcomings" in the miracle designs for digging the earth, but no one will argue with objective facts:

  • The “working” grip of shovels-rippers can reach 40 cm, which means that in the area where seedlings are planted close to each other, it is a useless tool;
  • a loosening or digging device (an invention of Father Gennady) will not be able to dig a deep hole;
  • advanced models are difficult to repair in case of breakdowns, as they are made of a large number of parts.

The fewer elements, rotating mechanisms, bolted connections are provided in the device, the easier it is in routine maintenance and repair. Therefore, it is better to start making homemade shovels with a careful selection of a drawing, which involves the use of a small amount simple elements. For pointed rods on panels, handles, handles, it is necessary to select durable, corrosion-resistant materials. Perfect option in this case, stainless steel. A metal pipe is suitable for the handle, you can also make a bar and an emphasis from it.

How to make a model of Gennady's father?

N. M. Mandrigel, a resident of Dneprodzerzhinsk, proposed his own modification of the priest’s model. Its main difference is that used parts can be used to make the structure. To make a miracle shovel at home, you will need:

  • bicycle steering wheel - for handles;
  • a pipe made of stainless steel - for the handle;
  • steel shovel - instead of an arcuate plate;
  • a movable steel pin or with a spring - for easy immersion of the main part into the ground (its height is adjusted depending on how deep the ground is being dug).

It is possible to make a shovel in several stages. If desired, it can be made in 1 day.

  • The wheel is leveled. It will be easier to put pressure on him with your hands. Pieces from the old hose can be pulled onto the ends.
  • The pin from below is pushed into the pipe with the sharp end outward. To give it a static position, a 2.11 M8 bolt is used.
  • The steering wheel is welded to the pipe (to the opposite end from the pin).
  • At the bottom left and right, a shovel is welded.

A person exerts light pressure on the handles, the pin plunges into the ground, and behind it is a shovel. The steering wheel makes a rotational movement to the left or right, and a lump of earth rushes along with the shovel to the side.

It is important to correctly select the height of the pipe to which the handles are attached. They should be located approximately at chest level. A resident of Dneprodzerzhinsk has developed a special formula for this, which is presented along with a drawing of a shovel.

Homemade shovel-ripper

When choosing suitable model often there are difficulties with the selection of constituent elements. The way out of this situation is simple: many houses have old sleds, pipes from strollers, fittings dusty in the garage. To make a shovel-ripper you will need:

  • drill and file for metal processing;
  • welder;
  • measuring instruments (corner, tape measure);
  • steel pipes or corners;
  • reinforcement from which the teeth will be made;
  • metal shank.

Details must be precisely adjusted in size and correspond to the height of a person. Therefore, the assembly of parts is carried out by first measuring them and cutting off unnecessary parts with a saw.

  • The base frame is made from metal pipe. It is bent in the form of the letter "P". If the upper crossbar is 35-40 cm, then the length of the legs is 2 times more - 80 cm.
  • A transverse auxiliary bar with teeth is made. They can be pieces of unnecessary reinforcement 20 cm long, sharpened on one side. If the bar is made of a pipe, several holes are drilled in it at a distance of 50 mm, where the teeth will be inserted and welded. If this is a corner, then the pins are welded directly to the metal.
  • An auxiliary bar with pins is welded to the bottom of the legs at such a distance from the crossbar in the support frame that the main forks move freely.
  • An emphasis is attached to the outer side of the crossbar of the support frame. The main load will be exerted on it with pressure on the handles. The stop is in the shape of the letter "T".
  • A piece of pipe is selected less than the width of the auxiliary bar by 50 mm. The teeth of the main ripper are welded to it.
  • Swivel joints are made from steel ears and a piece of pipe, on which the main “forks” will “walk”.
  • A handle is inserted into the pipe segment, to the upper part of which a pipe is welded, which acts as handles. For this purpose, you can use a straightened bicycle handlebar.

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