"Joseph Gwinn" wrote in
message
...
In article
,
Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Sun, 30 Jan 2011 16:10:31 -0500, Joseph
Gwinn
wrote:

In article
,
wrote:

On Jan 30, 11:35 am, Ignoramus17662
ignoramus17...@NOSPAM.
17662.invalid wrote:
A related question, has anyone ever tried
to build something for ice
removal?

i

We always used an ice chopper when I was a
kid, looked like a
straightened out hoe on a wood shaft. Used
mostly for cleaning drains
and removing heavy patches on concrete
stairs, the rest got sanded and
salted. Could be had at the regular
hardware store when there were
such. Haven't had one or needed one since I
moved here, snow is
usually gone in a day or so, even a foot or
two.

A tool that does the same job is named "The
Big Mutt" by The Village
Blacksmith. I bought one at a local hardware
store.

The old hoe-like tool is also available, the
Ames "Brute 7in Scraper":
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1277224.

I picked up a floor scraper which might work in
the same way, Joe.
http://www.harborfreight.com/48-inch...per-93918.html
I've used it as a pry bar, shingle remover,
scraper, shovel, cement
trowel, and more than a few other things. It
takes a licking and keeps
on thrashin'. Highly recommended. I think I
paid $12 on sale.

The HF scraper seems a bit light for chopping
ice, and the bent blade
will tend to spring. This is why heavy steel
shovels don't work all
that well on solid ice.

The old hoe-like tool was the least work and
wear-and-tear on the user:
just lift it up and let it drop on the ice.
Time after time.


Joe Gwinn

The corner store here has a problem with ice build
up at the gas
pumps caused by the snowmoblies. The ice will
build up in no time
to about 6 inches! I made them a tool to break it
up, a slide hammer
type tool. Took the tapered end of a leaf spring
and welded it to
a 4 foot one inch pipe. Then I welded an eye to
the side of one end of a 3 inch o.d. 2 inch i.d.
tube 18 inches long and attached a short
rubber bungee cord to it. This was dropped down
the handle to
hit the chisel end. To use all you gotta do is
pull up on the bungee
and let go! The guy using it is 6 foot 6 so he can
really bang away!
He said it works wonders..... ;))
phil k.