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Home > Archive > UK gardening > September 2005 > Pick axe-type implement for helping to dig pond?
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Pick axe-type implement for helping to dig pond?
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| wilko 2005-09-22, 11:21 am |
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Hi All
I've dug a large hole for a pond, using a digger, and now need a more
subtle approach to finish it off. I'd like to use something like a
pick-axe to help me shape the rim and get a bit of extra depth here and
there.
Just wondering what the best tool for this job might be, or even if
there might be a specialised implement of some kind. A normal fork and
spade would do the job eventually, but don't have quite the power I need
on what is pretty stony ground.
Thanks for any suggestions.
--
wilko
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| adder1969@yahoo.co.uk 2005-09-22, 12:21 pm |
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michael adams wrote:
>
>
> A mattock.
>
I gto mine from Wickes for nto very much money and it's one of the best
tools I've ever bought. Way better than a spade for hard ground.
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| Nick Maclaren 2005-09-22, 1:21 pm |
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In article <1127400309.447459.107310@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
adder1969@yahoo.co.uk writes:
|> michael adams wrote:
|> >
|> > A mattock.
|>
|> I gto mine from Wickes for nto very much money and it's one of the best
|> tools I've ever bought. Way better than a spade for hard ground.
And for weed-infested ground, grubbing brambles and saplings and so
on. There are a dozen regular posters who swear by the things.
15-20 quid, and it will last out a couple of gardening lifetimes.
Mine came from SCATS, if I recall.
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
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| Nick Maclaren wrote:
> There are a dozen regular posters who swear by the things.
count me among those.
The best value £20 I ever spent. Brilliant both for the brute force jobs of
breaking out trees or hard ground and for the subtle ground shaping job the
op has in mind. Truly great tool.
pk
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| Janet Baraclough 2005-09-22, 3:21 pm |
| The message <dgui23$n64$1@gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk>
from nmm1@cus.cam.ac.uk (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:
> In article <1127400309.447459.107310@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
> adder1969@yahoo.co.uk writes:
> |> michael adams wrote:
> |> >
> |> > A mattock.
> |>
> |> I gto mine from Wickes for nto very much money and it's one of the best
> |> tools I've ever bought. Way better than a spade for hard ground.
> And for weed-infested ground, grubbing brambles and saplings and so
> on. There are a dozen regular posters who swear by the things.
> 15-20 quid, and it will last out a couple of gardening lifetimes.
> Mine came from SCATS, if I recall.
I inherited mine from my late uncle's shed. He inherited it from his
Irish father, it's at least 100 years old and still in perfect
condition, wonderfully balanced. I use it regularly and wouldn't be
without it.
Brides should put "mattock" on their wedding present lists, imho.
Janet
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"Janet Baraclough" <janet.and.john@zetnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:31303030393032394332F83355@zetnet.co.uk...
> The message <dgui23$n64$1@gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk>
> from nmm1@cus.cam.ac.uk (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:
>
>
best[color=darkred]
>
>
>
> I inherited mine from my late uncle's shed. He inherited it from his
> Irish father, it's at least 100 years old and still in perfect
> condition, wonderfully balanced. I use it regularly and wouldn't be
> without it.
>
> Brides should put "mattock" on their wedding present lists, imho.
>
> Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~
Mine is of similar age but was originally an adze. Much better steel
and takes a fine edge. Yours could be the same?
Best Wishes Brian.
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| Grumach Macabre of Auchterloonie 2005-09-22, 5:21 pm |
| The message <1127400309.447459.107310@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>
from adder1969@yahoo.co.uk contains these words:
> michael adams wrote:
[color=darkred]
> I gto mine from Wickes for nto very much money and it's one of the best
> tools I've ever bought. Way better than a spade for hard ground.
I got my two from the municipal tip. All I had to buy was the helves.
--
,,,
}»«<üüüü(@>
´ ´
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| Grumach Macabre of Auchterloonie 2005-09-22, 5:21 pm |
| The message <dguig6$1mg$1@nwrdmz02.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com>
from "p.k." <spam.trap100@btinternet.com> contains these words:
> Nick Maclaren wrote:
[color=darkred]
> count me among those.
And me.
> The best value £20 I ever spent. Brilliant both for the brute force jobs of
> breaking out trees or hard ground and for the subtle ground shaping job the
> op has in mind. Truly great tool.
The best £4 - well, maybe not the best, but it was very good value. I
have a light one and a heavy one (and a pick) and the heads cost me
nothing. IIRC the helves cost about £2 each - but that was rather a long
time ago. I'm stingy - I use the same helve for the pick and the heavy
mattock. I'm disappointed that the eye of the lighter one is too small,
and three inches of the other helve won't cram into it.
I keep the light one very sharp and only use it on exposed roots
--
,,,
}»«<üüüü(@>
´ ´
| |
| Grumach Macabre of Auchterloonie 2005-09-22, 5:21 pm |
| The message <31303030393032394332F83355@zetnet.co.uk>
from Janet Baraclough <janet.and.john@zetnet.co.uk> contains these words:
> I inherited mine from my late uncle's shed. He inherited it from his
> Irish father, it's at least 100 years old and still in perfect
> condition, wonderfully balanced. I use it regularly and wouldn't be
> without it.
I acquired an adze which had been used as a mattock, and it took me a
week to fettle it. I had to drill, thread and peg in a new dowel spigot
- the original having been hacksawed off. (Hacksawn?)
> Brides should put "mattock" on their wedding present lists, imho.
In which event, grooms should be very careful.
--
,,,
}»«<üüüü(@>
´ ´
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wilko Wrote:
> Hi All
>
> I've dug a large hole for a pond, using a digger, and now need a more
> subtle approach to finish it off. I'd like to use something like a
> pick-axe to help me shape the rim and get a bit of extra depth here and
> there.
>
> Just wondering what the best tool for this job might be, or even if
> there might be a specialised implement of some kind. A normal fork and
> spade would do the job eventually, but don't have quite the power I need
> on what is pretty stony ground.
>
> Thanks for any suggestions.
What you need is a mattock - like a pickaxe with a short broad blade -
used by archaeologists all over the world. Don't know where you'd get
one though, I'd like to know if you find out.
Mark
--
MarkA
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| Jaques d'Alltrades 2005-09-23, 6:21 am |
| Lines: 14
X-Trace: 1127464175 master.news.zetnet.net 23043 194.247.47.30:33901
Xref: number1.nntp.dca.giganews.com uk.rec.gardening:365761
The message <4332f7dc$1_3@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com>
from "Brian" <bflay@tiscali.co.uk--- 'flayb' to respond> contains these words:
/mattocks!/
> Mine is of similar age but was originally an adze. Much better steel
> and takes a fine edge. Yours could be the same?
Philistine!
--
Rusty
Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/
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| Mike Lyle 2005-09-23, 4:21 pm |
| Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
> The message <4332f7dc$1_3@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com>
> from "Brian" <bflay@tiscali.co.uk--- 'flayb' to respond> contains
> these words:
>
> /mattocks!/
>
>
> Philistine!
Oh dear! You mean he shouldn't be using his Disston saw to cut off
tree-roots below ground-level?
--
Mike.
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| Robert 2005-09-23, 5:21 pm |
| In message <MarkA.1vs0vz@gardenbanter.co.uk>, MarkA
<MarkA.1vs0vz@gardenbanter.co.uk> writes
>
>wilko Wrote:
>
>What you need is a mattock - like a pickaxe with a short broad blade -
>used by archaeologists all over the world. Don't know where you'd get
>one though, I'd like to know if you find out.
>
Agricultural suppliers - mine came from Mole Valley.
--
Robert
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| Jaques d'Alltrades 2005-09-23, 5:21 pm |
| The message <3pj2asFao6n9U1@individual.net>
from "Mike Lyle" <mike_lyle_uk@REMOVETHISyahoo.co.uk> contains these words:
> Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
[color=darkred]
> Oh dear! You mean he shouldn't be using his Disston saw to cut off
> tree-roots below ground-level?
Well, he can use his modern one - but if he has a thirty-year-old one,
no, he shouldn't. In those circumstances he might use an ankle-grinder.
--
Rusty
Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/
| |
| Mike Lyle 2005-09-23, 6:21 pm |
| Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
> The message <3pj2asFao6n9U1@individual.net>
> from "Mike Lyle" <mike_lyle_uk@REMOVETHISyahoo.co.uk> contains
these
> words:
>
>
> Well, he can use his modern one - but if he has a thirty-year-old
one,
> no, he shouldn't. In those circumstances he might use an
> ankle-grinder.
Oh, no! Are we in ichabod territory again? Perhaps even my aged S&J
best ones are now classics? (Last time I employed builders, they
arrived with an armful of throwaways as well as a pair of Ds. I was
shocked, I tell you, shocked.)
--
Mike.
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