OK, I am outraged today, to say that I am hyper angry, would actually be an understatement - Because I literally am steaming mad right now! Reason being, I needed a new set of gardening tools. Because the one I have been using is now at the end of it's life. Outside is a public holiday, lasting until Tuesday, (Islamic holiday of Eid). So I went online, but saw THIS! Seven thousand four hundred and sixty one Rupees? ARE THEY ****ING NUTS??? I don't get it, I just don't get it. These tools don't look like they are made of solid gold, nor have gemstones embedded in them. So why this costly? Normal cost of a set like this shouldn't be more than 800 Pakistani Rupees. But this? Rs. 7,461??? And add to this Rs. 150 shipping charges... Besides, I only use the spade 80% of the time, and rest of the time I use the straight fork. Other tools in a set such as this one, I might use once in maybe 5 to 6 years... So this is what happened with me this morning, before sunrise. Because of which, at around breakfast time - I finally decided that I will now make my own gardening tools. Which I believe, should last me a lifetime! So here is what I have been doing since morning. This is high carbon steel, (either 10-85 or 10-95 steel, no longer remember which), so not very easy to work with, as it's very hard. Therefore I now don't have the energy left in me to do the arc welding and finish this project now. Basically the rods are all solid half inch diameter. The steel pipe is ordinary, (only thing here which isn't high carbon steel), galvanized, eighth of an inch thick, one and a quarter inch diameter. The steel plate which will make the spade is a quarter inch thick. It's going to be 3 feet long, on one end there will be a fork. And on the other will be a spade - This is going to become an extremely heavy duty gardening tool. And if not abused very badly, should have a working life of well over 150 years. Maybe even a 1000+ years, if properly taken care of... Total cost of materials? Nothing really, as this is all made out of leftover pieces from other past projects. I will post more pictures when this will be complete.
Yes Jerry, once completed - I promise to upload all the pictures here for everyone to see. Amazing what we can end up doing when angry, isn't it? I mean come on, I still can't believe it - Almost seven and a half thousand Rupees, for THAT??? Like, that's the cost of a new car battery. Or a 2 TB hard disk drive. Or a month's cost of petrol, (gasoline). Here is one (on the same Pakistani shopping website) that I think is somewhat fair priced. Still a hundred and fifty Rupees more then my expectations - But at least it's not highway robbery...
That second set doesn't look very sturdy. If I had the talent and the tools, I would do the same as you. You will have that little extra pride every time you pick that tool up down the road, and it looks like it might last a generation or two!
@mart - Here is the latest exchange rate between Pakistani Rupees and United States Dollars. And I found a few other sets also, on the same online shopping website - Which are almost as costly. Crazy... And because of the Eid holidays, this online shopping website is having a huge sale right now. From 30% to 60% off, (just read the small print under the current price to know it's real cost). Unbelievable!!! I don't understand - Looking at these prices, I think everybody has gone insaan, (specially those who will buy such a costly piece of junk)! This one below is however priced fairly.
ok,, so if you go shopping,, and plan to spend $100. usd,, you have to carry sixteen thousand + of something,,,,, how do you manage that ? deep pockets i hope !
Very funny Mart! No, we have currency note values going up to 5,000 Rupees. But usually 100, 500, and 1,000 Rupee notes are carried. 5,000 denomination note is so large, that nobody carries it. As you can't find change for it... Anyhow, cost of living in Pakistan is unbelievably low compared to North America and Europe. So we really don't ever need to do shopping of a 100 US$ worth, (unless you plan on hosting a party for maybe 50+ people).
I have just started the electric arc welding process. Yes, it looks hedious right now - But just wait until welding is complete, and I move onto the grinding stage. Already this is approaching a kilogram in weight, (2.2 pounds). As that's quarter inch thick high carbon steel. The welding rods of course aren't high carbon. So to turn them into just as hard corbonized steel joint, (while the metal it still liquid) - Is my own trade secret. So that process I will not divulge... Editing this post, just to share with you guys a little bit of the electric arc welding process. Alright, final edit to this post - Now that the spade end of this gardening multi-tool is made, I am going to take a little break. Just some filling, buffing, anti-rust coating, and painting is left. Otherwise this is now complete, (as far as welding and grinding is concerned). So after a little rest I am going to start making the fork. This is 4.5 inches wide, and 10 inches long. The fork I'll be making next will be of similar size, (to maintain balance).
I was going to complete this project by early morning tomorrow. But it looks like these extra heavy monsoon rains are going to continue for at least a week. So the outside concrete and steel bench where I mount the vise and bench grinder to do all my metal cutting and grinding - Is now completely wet. In Pakistan, our house current is at 230 volts and 50Hz, (3 phase combined comes out at 380 volts). So it would now be utter madness to plug any heavy duty electric power tool outside... The delay is regretted.
And so this project too got neglected, (for years), as there were other things which needed my immediate attention. So it got pushed back, and back, and further back... But now I've come back to finishing it! I had actually built the spade completely, so was using it all the time. However now I think I should complete the rest of this project. So yesterday I built the fork too - Now it's just a matter of welding them both together to both ends of a steel pipe. Making it a 2 in 1 gardening too.
While the insanity still continues, regarding overpriced gardening tools. Therefore I'm glad I'm able to make my own tools extremely cheaply, (which are stronger and more durable, plus no compromising on size and weight either).
S-H you have some super skill set welding and is a unique trade especially today . Even the horse shoer makes skilled custom horseshoes for my horses. Not arc welding But heated shoes and lots of hammer banging to custom fit the shoe to each foot. My boys learned both techniques , arc and gas weld and it has become a hobby for them. They have made a few garden ornaments that have been displayed in my garden for quite some time.
