Welding a Spade Shovel

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A client of mine has recently given me a drain spade shovel that he has been using for 35 years... it has cracked just below the beginning of the bent that accepts the handle (Upper middle of the face of the shovel.)Shovel looks similar to this...The crack is about 1.5" long and he has asked me to weld it up for him. I will be Tig welding it, I am not worried about burning through or the weld at all, I am more concerned with the following:1. The tempering letting go.2. The crack spreading after welding.-- What is the best way to approach this? -- I am thinking of drilling out the ends of the crack, welding front in back with ER70S4 filler -- and possibly plating over the channel, created by the bend to accept the handle. Any input would be appreciated -- I will be welding this at about 6pm tonight -- Pictures will be added once i am done.Miller Dynasty 300 DXMiller CST280Miller Maxstar 150 STH
Reply:You can drill a hole at each end of the crack before welding it.  I have read on here somewhere that is a good way to prevent the crack from spreading.I welded my own shovel (only a few years old) and didn't even bother drilling holes at the end of the crack, and mine has been holding up over the years.Regarding tempering, if you are worried about it, I would put a damp/moist rag around the zone you plan on welding--to try and prevent the heat from affecting an area larger than the general area where you will be welding.I am just a hobby welder though.... so those are my only thoughts.  Those that deal with this all of the time can chime in now.  Maybe I will learn something too.The Lord has declared, "This is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man"  Moses 1:39Link: My name is John, and I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.-- ColdCreekWorks.com --
Reply:A new spade shovel costs about $40 - If this is a paid job, probably cheaper to buy a new one. If this is for a friend, probably cheaper to buy a new one.With your time, electricity, materials etc., its going to be cheaper to buy a new one, unless there is some severe emotional attachment to the shovel...
Reply:Originally Posted by smokin_dodgeA new spade shovel costs about $40 - If this is a paid job, probably cheaper to buy a new one. If this is for a friend, probably cheaper to buy a new one.With your time, electricity, materials etc., its going to be cheaper to buy a new one, unless there is some severe emotional attachment to the shovel...
Reply:Originally Posted by smokin_dodgeA new spade shovel costs about $40 - If this is a paid job, probably cheaper to buy a new one. If this is for a friend, probably cheaper to buy a new one.With your time, electricity, materials etc., its going to be cheaper to buy a new one, unless there is some severe emotional attachment to the shovel...
Reply:There is a severe emotional attachment to the shovel, the blade is also thick (about 1/16 and has a cerrated/sharpened edge) -- this is a "they just dont make em like this anymore" situation. This particular client has been spending alot of money with me and i told him i would patch it up for him free of charge... i like the damp rag idea and i will definately be drilling out the ends of the cracks.Edit: if you go to my facebook page (in signature) you can see the greenhouse i am in the process of building for this guy.Last edited by Silverado; 05-22-2012 at 02:26 PM.Miller Dynasty 300 DXMiller CST280Miller Maxstar 150 STH
Reply:Originally Posted by jdh239I don't see that.  How is it cheaper?  I would spend about $1 or less on electricity, welding wire, gas, etc on this.  The most I would spend on it is time.
Reply:Say Silverado, those serrated blades are usually for roofers to scrape old shingles off. Cant tell for sure without a picture. I know how it is with the sentimental tools but I personally dont have a favorite shovel. My hammers is another story.
Reply:however if it is an existing client, and a really good existing client, and your doing this as a favor of sorts, then i would do just as jdh suggest. only i would add you should make sure you grind it out as well.  it shouldnt take long, unless you decide to do the plating, which i would reccomend against. if youre set up to weld, ie dont have to pull the machine out of the garage, set up a welding table etc, then it shouldnt take more than an hour if youre moving really slowly.theres a big formula somewhere about crack propagation and how the size of the tip of the crack has to do with how much weight it takes to keep the crack spreading, and essentially the tip of the crack is almost infinitly small so once a crack starts it can keep spreading with very little effort, and sometimes extremely fast.
Reply:It's a shovel.  The metal is relatively thin and the crack is less than 2" long.Put a tack weld at the 'far end' to keep the crack from opening up more as you weld it.Put a few more tacks in there just because.Then weld it all up and go a bit past the 'end' of the crack.Yes you will (at least slightly) change the temper of the shovel.  Shrug.  So be it.Don't just dwell with the heat in any one place and end up with a huge HAZ.  Use a relatively small filler wire so you aren't globbing big amounts of (probably) mild steel filler in there (as well as the heat issue).  If you are pretty neat with the weld you may not even have to dress it down after welding.Been there, done that.  Someone by me threw out a pretty new fiberglass-handled shovel with a pretty long crack in the blade.  No rust on the blade at all, no wear on the blade at all, the stickers/labels on the handle were still all intact.  Just had a pretty long crack in the blade (started at the digging edge and ran halfway up the blade).  Put some tacks in it, ran a MIG bead, works fine.  Didn't bother flattening the weld bead at all, just left it as-is.  It's just a shovel.  Still digs and scoops just fine.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Repair for free. Had similar condition on mine own. When he sticks it in ground and pulls back,it will break above or below weld. Mine was not that old. Hopefully, this will have a better grade of steel. You gonna test it ? Can;t wait for results ! GOOD LUCK
Reply:Originally Posted by SilveradoThere is a severe emotional attachment to the shovel, the blade is also thick (about 1/16 and has a cerrated/sharpened edge) -- this is a "they just dont make em like this anymore" situation. This particular client has been spending alot of money with me and i told him i would patch it up for him free of charge... i like the damp rag idea and i will definately be drilling out the ends of the cracks.Edit: if you go to my facebook page (in signature) you can see the greenhouse i am in the process of building for this guy.
Reply:A dozen years ago, I hardfaced the edge of a shovel I found about 60 years back; I've repaired cracks below the web of a few shovels, heated and bent the necks of other new ones because I like the blade to be more parallel to the handle, and I've worn one or two out alltogether...although they might have been old when I found them. And that's just the round ones; I have 4 or 5 flat ones, at least three of which I use regularly. You might guess I used to like to dig holes, make tunnels, "redig" gardens, etc. I understand the idea of favorites, but most of mine fit that category; all are worth the time and trouble to me. I'd rather "waste" my time doing things like that, even for some neighbor, than spend half a weekend sitting in front of the TV "relaxing" as some seem to call it.As for the OP's crack, the repair should already be done by now and I'll assume it looks perfectly fine and works just as well. Finally, that last post's creation may be some kind of work of art (not really, in my book), but it sure ain't a shovel anymore!.Last edited by Oldiron2; 05-23-2012 at 12:05 AM.Reason: Forgot something!
Reply:i  have read on here somewhere that is a good way to prevent the crack from spreading.
Reply:Originally Posted by smokin_dodgeA new spade shovel costs about $40 - If this is a paid job, probably cheaper to buy a new one. If this is for a friend, probably cheaper to buy a new one.With your time, electricity, materials etc., its going to be cheaper to buy a new one, unless there is some severe emotional attachment to the shovel...
Reply:I dig that shovel... Very, very cool.(Retired) Professional firefighter, amateur everything else I try to do...Oh yeah:  Go Big Red!   (You know: one of the 12 members of the Big 10 cuz we left the 10 members of the Big 12...)