Ice auger won't bite

[Heavy K]

Hey folks -

I'm having issues with my 5" inch Normark Swede-bore hand auger. It's worked brilliantly for 2+ years, but suddenly it won't cut worth a darn. It simply will not bite. I've used the search function and dug through a ton of posts on this subject. The usual suggestion is that blades need sharpening, but I've never mudded the thing and the blades are still sharp to the touch, like sharp enough to shave with. Someone also commented that the pitch of the blades can be altered by using the auger as a walking stick. I find this hard to believe, as the welds and construction at the bit-end look very robust and strong. That said, the first outing this year, of only two :(, the ice was terrifying, and I did used the auger to "probe" sections of overflow for ice sturdiness, for whatever that was worth. We were then seemingly unable to drill once on firm ice. At the time, I chalked it up to -25 temps and general fiddlefoolery. Turns out I was wrong.

Has any one else got any experience with shimming the blades, and successfully restoring an auger's function? I've heard that one can use a thin piece of metal to do so.

Any further insight?

Thanks folks,

HK

[Walleye99]

your blades are backwards or upside down!

[Bushmaster]

Try taking the blade off and put it back on with a thin shim under it. I think they used to even come with shims. They are very sensitive, and should only be used for drilling.

[Heavy K]

your blades are backwards or upside down!

I don't think so. Why would it work fine for two years and then suddenly stop? Summer basement gnomes switching the blades around? :)

[Heavy K]

Try taking the blade off and put it back on with a thin shim under it. I think they used to even come with shims. They are very sensitive, and should only be used for drilling.

Shim under the leading edge for more bite, correct?

HK

[LCCFisherman]

http://www.accusharp.com/products/007/how_to_use.html

[jwloco]

I would check your blade angle/shim if needed. Common that over time with use the part where the blades mount gets pushed in a bit making the blade to flat to bite in. usually caused by putting to much pressure on auger when trying to drill a hole.

[Dean2]

Shim under the leading edge for more bite, correct?

HK

The idea is to get the blades to have a little more down angle. You can use beer or pop cans as the shim, being aluminium they don't rust or compress, and yes do shim the sharp edge of the blade so it points more towards the ice. It is pretty easy to bend the blade supports. If this solves your problem you can use pliers to bend the blades to permanently have the extra angle, or just leave the shims in place.

Normark has a main office in Oshawa. You can send the head to them and they will repair it free. Just depends on if the shipping both ways costs more than the new auger. (you only have to send the head, no need to send handle).

[Mark]

I would say you need new blades or at least have them sharpened. I had the same problem with my auger. Replaced the blades and cuts like crazy. I thought my old blades were sharp. I could cut paper and probably even shave. However I guess they weren't sharp even enough, since the new blades work like crazy.

[lds]

I'm also having the same issue. Just sharpened them yesterday so I will have to see how they work now

[Chris84]

I would say you need new blades or at least have them sharpened. I had the same problem with my auger. Replaced the blades and cuts like crazy. I thought my old blades were sharp. I could cut paper and probably even shave. However I guess they weren't sharp even enough, since the new blades work like crazy.

X2. Same thing happened to me. The blades seemed very sharp, but just wouldn't bite. Replaced them and drilled awesome after that.

Given how sharp the old blades were, shimming them does sound like something I should have tried, it seems like something that would have worked.

[Big Red 250]

The idea is to get the blades to have a little more down angle. You can use beer or pop cans as the shim, being aluminium they don't rust or compress, and yes do shim the sharp edge of the blade so it points more towards the ice. It is pretty easy to bend the blade supports. If this solves your problem you can use pliers to bend the blades to permanently have the extra angle, or just leave the shims in place.

Normark has a main office in Oshawa. You can send the head to them and they will repair it free. Just depends on if the shipping both ways costs more than the new auger. (you only have to send the head, no need to send handle).

I would put the shim under the backside of the blades, causing the sharpened edge to lean downwards.

[Speckle55]

agree

David:)

I would put the shim under the backside of the blades, causing the sharpened edge to lean downwards.

[Dean2]

agree

David:)

You and BR might want to go have a closer look at your Normark hand augers. :) If you put the shim on the back side of the blade and tighten the nuts it will cause the sharp side to angle even more up towards the spiral part of the auger and away from the ice.

http://www.cabelas.ca/content/filemanager/Products/000000000000049696/detail/100991.jpg

[Big Red 250]

You and BR might want to go have a closer look at your Normark hand augers. :) If you put the shim on the back side of the blade and tighten the nuts it will cause the sharp side to angle even more up towards the spiral part of the auger and away from the ice.

http://www.cabelas.ca/content/filemanager/Products/

000000000000049696/detail/100991.jpg

I don't have and never did have a Normark hand auger, so I can be wrong on shimming the blade but I did have a hand auger back in the day and I just assumed the blades all attached the same.
I'm never too old to learn something new.

[drifter]

Shimming is not the answer.
Buy new blades, install and go fishing.

[billycap]

I use the 8" Swedish. Must have 3 or 4 laying around. Same thing used to happen to me all the time. I rarely have a cover on mine so it takes some beats. You can easily bend the feathered edge of the blade even by just tapping the slush off it on the ice. I finally took a small flat file out and it only takes about 5 strokes to push the edge back over and it will start biting again. Careful doing more than that starts biting too hard and jamming in the hole. I dont even take the blades off to do this and it fixes em right up. If it gets worse like mine did the first 5 passes then your working on the wrong side. Your not trying to sharpen so much as just push the feathered edge back into the dig position.


Good luck

[Red Bullets]

A trick an old timer showed me works in a fix. If your hand auger is not biting good and the blades seem sharp... he took his pocket knife and ran the knife blade down the auger blade on the top side of the auger blade, the side with the angle cut. Two strokes of his pocket knife on each auger blade and the auger chewed 100 times better. The trick saved the day out on the lake.

[Fishtracker]

Yup, just get new blades and have someone with experience sharpen the old set for a spare. This will without a doubt fix the problem! Also a suggestion is to put the plastic blade cover on and keep it on at all times when not drilling. I've learn't the hard way! lol...

[Geezle]

Shimming is not the answer.
Buy new blades, install and go fishing.

This :)

[Pike fisher]

Sell the Swede-Bore and buy a Fin-Bore auger.

For some reason the cone-type blades of the Fin-Bore auger cut way better than the flat blades of the Swede-Bore and they never need to be shimmed. You can go years without messing with them.

I made the same mistake you did ten years ago when I bought a Swede-Bore..and was frustrated until I bought the right auger.

[Dean2]

I agree with all of those that recommend new blades as the first thing to try. To me that is pretty obvious, but if the new blades don't do the trick then shimming is needed. That is where the thin metal from a beer or pop can comes into play, the difference between not enough and too much bite is not a heck of a lot and if you over shim the blades will bite too hard making it difficult to turn the auger.

The guys suggesting you always keep a cover on the blade, ways to get the feather edge on the correct side of the blade, and the need to sharpen them exactly the right way are spot on and providing excellent advice for those that want to try and rehabilitate their existing blades.

[Eddy62]

A trick an old timer showed me works in a fix. If your hand auger is not biting good and the blades seem sharp... he took his pocket knife and ran the knife blade down the auger blade on the top side of the auger blade, the side with the angle cut. Two strokes of his pocket knife on each auger blade and the auger chewed 100 times better. The trick saved the day out on the lake.


wow I will try that out thanks for the tip

[omega50]

Righty Tighty
Lefty Loosey
JK

[CNP]

I would say you need new blades or at least have them sharpened. I had the same problem with my auger. Replaced the blades and cuts like crazy. I thought my old blades were sharp. I could cut paper and probably even shave. However I guess they weren't sharp even enough, since the new blades work like crazy.

X2. Same thing happened to me. The blades seemed very sharp, but just wouldn't bite. Replaced them and drilled awesome after that.

Given how sharp the old blades were, shimming them does sound like something I should have tried, it seems like something that would have worked.

Shimming is not the answer.
Buy new blades, install and go fishing.

Yup, just get new blades and have someone with experience sharpen the old set for a spare. This will without a doubt fix the problem! Also a suggestion is to put the plastic blade cover on and keep it on at all times when not drilling. I've learn't the hard way! lol...

This :)

The answer is here ^^^^^^^^^^^^. Shimming? Don't go there. Accusharp make an Auger sharpener called AUGERSHARP.....it has the right blade angle.

[780sjc]

This :)

No. Not always. Possibly yes. But an auger bent out of pitch is a very good possibility. Happened to my Strikemaster. No new set of blades would get it digging again. The welds may seem strong but they are actually very sensitive to to any misuse or abuse.

[Geezle]

No. Not always. Possibly yes. But an auger bent out of pitch is a very good possibility. Happened to my Strikemaster. No new set of blades would get it digging again. The welds may seem strong but they are actually very sensitive to to any misuse or abuse.

Perhaps not always, but I'd still be looking at the blades' sharpness before shimming it as it is the more likely cause of the blade not biting, though not the only one.

[308 man]

take afine sharpening stone and run gently over the cutting edge does not take much use the same slant as the cut.

[780sjc]

Perhaps not always, but I'd still be looking at the blades' sharpness before shimming it as it is the more likely cause of the blade not biting, though not the only one.

Your right. Definitely the place to start!

[Heavy K]

Thanks for the ton of helpful information folks!

HK

[CK Angler]

Shimming is not the answer.
Buy new blades, install and go fishing.


^^^ Nailed it

[adogwiththumbs]

Hey folks -

That said, the first outing this year, of only two :(, the ice was terrifying, and I did used the auger to "probe" sections of overflow for ice sturdiness, for whatever that was worth

HK



?? If you mean you banged your auger repeatedly on the ice to check safety of said ice...you may need very thick shims.

[huntsfurfish]

?? If you mean you banged your auger repeatedly on the ice to check safety of said ice...you may need very thick shims.

Yup, that would do it.

[kcward]

Wow, lots of ideas. I used a hand auger and then my TML power auger which used the same blades as the hand auger for many years. I was always told not to try and sharpen them, if you don't get your angle right you will make them worse.

They sent shims in the package of blades for a reason!

Every year as my blades would start to get dull (would still feel razor sharp) I would throw some shims in and that would be my que to buy a new set and have them for when it got dull even with the shims.

Shimming is basically setting the angle of the blade at a greater pitch so it bites into the ice better.

From experience, I know that shimming works great. I never have tried to sharpen the blades and can't comment on how well that works but common sense is that it would work fine as long as you are good at that kind of thing.

It sounds like many have commented on shimming not working, but have obviously never had to do it or try it.

So best of luck, keep those old blades and some shims even if you get a new set, as they might get you out of a bind sometime.

[BPman]

A trick an old timer showed me works in a fix. If your hand auger is not biting good and the blades seem sharp... he took his pocket knife and ran the knife blade down the auger blade on the top side of the auger blade, the side with the angle cut. Two strokes of his pocket knife on each auger blade and the auger chewed 100 times better. The trick saved the day out on the lake.

If your blades seem sharp then all you need to do is reset the edge - similar to tuning up a carving knife with a sharpening steel. On a micro scale the fine edges of your blades have been rolled upward so they don't bite into the ice - like a dull drill in metal. You can reset your blade angle by passing a smooth piece of steel like the back of a sheath knife. shaft of a screwdriver or similar once or twice along the top of the blade at a shallow angle and passing from the centre towards the outside edge. You should have an immediate improvement without shimming or buying new blades. If you decide to shim then pop can metal or similar (1/4" wide and 3 " long) is all you need and it should be placed behind the cutting edge but in front of the fastening bolts to increase your angle of attack. Good luck.

[freeride]

I have the same auger and sometimes it does the same thing just spins on the ice and wont grab at all. I found just simply tapping it on the ice worked for me. Granted after reading all the posts i shouldnt do this, but it works for me and i havent sharpened the blades or replaced them in about 5 years and still going strong.

I think its just a little ice layer that mine gets on the blades themselves or on the bottom of the auger... Just enough to hold it up off the ice so it cant quite catch. It will scratch the surface but not bite into it.

[BPman]

I have the same auger and sometimes it does the same thing just spins on the ice and wont grab at all. I found just simply tapping it on the ice worked for me. Granted after reading all the posts i shouldnt do this, but it works for me and i havent sharpened the blades or replaced them in about 5 years and still going strong.

I think its just a little ice layer that mine gets on the blades themselves or on the bottom of the auger... Just enough to hold it up off the ice so it cant quite catch. It will scratch the surface but not bite into it.

I have had that happen too - especially on a really cold day.

BTW, there is a shop in Calgary that will sharpen auger blades - my curved Normark 10" blades cost $20 for the pair. That's a lot better than $60 for a new set. Shorter and flat blades cost less to have sharpened.

Check out Carbide Saw Service Calgary
6527 Bowness Road - across the street from the Bowness library
403 - 288 - 4142

[EZM]

Another vote for sharpen the blades. Unless you really knocked the auger hard enough to throw the angle off ..... but I'm thinking that would have to be pretty hard.

If you want a manual ice auger ...... buy a Nils ...... it cuts an inch a second ....... no other hand auger remotely approaches that speed.

The design is completely different than anything else out there ..... have a look ...... no down pressure required.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AUDlplSNLQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvuAFT3ybNU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umrNewM7gZA

[4x4life]

Am I the only one that sees shimming as the cheapest easiest thing to try first? If it doesn't work, who cares? You're only out 10 cents for the pop can...

[tap33]

What red bullets and BPman said, just like on a skate blade, if your edge is rolled skating is difficult. It will feel sharp, but chances are it has a slight roll. Had this happen a few times and running a knife down the blade works. The blades can stay on the auger while you do this. I would try this before buying new blades.

[Redfrog]

Let us know what works.

[drifter]

Am I the only one that sees shimming as the cheapest easiest thing to try first? If it doesn't work, who cares? You're only out 10 cents for the pop can...

Go after the root cause of the issue and replace the blades. Why put a band-aid on this and have the problem continue.

[Big Red 250]

So, did the OP ever get this auger to cut holes or did he throw it away and buy a new one?

[Chris88CL]

I've sharpened the blades on my Jiffy Model 76 about 5 times now without any ill effects. You just have to use your head when you look at the blade and how it spins and cuts and sharpen it so the angle is beneficial for that. If it hits the ice too flat, its obviously just going to spin like a top. It needs an angle to "bite". While there may be an ideal angle, as long as its a biting angle it has always worked fine for me.

Your results may vary.

[lambski]

ive used this auger my whole career, i grew up in hinton and some of the lakes i fished had a lot of sand embedded in the ice, if i fished lots over the winter i bought new blades every year, 30 bucks for a piece of mind and a quick hole, im a welder and there are machinests where i work the blades are super hard, forget sharpening in my opinion, get a new set and get out there

[Heavy K]

So, did the OP ever get this auger to cut holes or did he throw it away and buy a new one?

All work and no play for this dull fella. Will let you guys know how it works out. Hopefully I'll get a chance to try out the suggestions offered above this coming weekend.

HK

[silver]

Way back in the day ...60s... when my dad bought a hand auger to replace the chisel, there was an instruction book with it. When the auger wouldn't cut any more, the book said to take an iron object like a nail and stroke the top of the blade a time or two. If it cuts too hard, stroke the bottom. This has been mentioned on here a couple of times already, would be what I would try before shimming.

[Heavy K]

Let us know what works.

Hey Folks,

Just thought I’d summarize my efforts with my auger. As mentioned in my initial post, my 5” Finn-bore hand auger somewhat spontaneously stopped biting (despite the edges appearing to razor sharp), and came pretty close to ruining a fishing day. I tried a number of the things suggested above, as follows.

1. “Turning down the edge” with a hard piece of metal. I actually used a fine grain diamond stone. This had some effect, but not much. I took it easy on the edge, though. Giving it a little bit more muscle probably would’ve produced results.

2. Shimming the blades to make them bite more allowed the auger to actually drill holes. I used pieces of a beer can the length of the blade, folded them over, and wedged them under the leading edge of the blade to increase the angle, and thus it ability to bite. One shim per side (that’s two layers of can) got mediocre results, a second shim (that’s four layers worth of can) improved upon this. With three shims the performance was actually pretty good. I was able to drill holes well enough that going fishing was appealing! Too bad I had to work. :(

3. I decided that I should get the blades professionally sharpened. As suggested, I took them to the fella at Carbide Saw Service in Bowness, who had them ready for me last night. The auger now cuts through ice like butter, without the beer can shims. Maybe not quite as well as when new, but not too far off.

So there you have it. Moral of the story is sharpen your auger blades, even if you don’t think they need it, and don’t use your auger as a walking stick. Also, in a pinch, having a few of those beer can shims made up and stored with your ice fishing gear might be an easy way to salvage an otherwise lost fishing day. That’s what I’ll be doing with the ones I made. I’d love to have a second set of blades, but I can’t find the Finn-bore blades in the 5” version anywhere. If anyone knows where I can get some, speak up please.

Anyhoo, hopefully this is helpful to someone else down the road.

Tight lines,

HK

[Bigwoodsman]

Glad to hear you got it all worked out.

BW

[retten]

Hey folks -

I'm having issues with my 5" inch Normark Swede-bore hand auger. It's worked brilliantly for 2+ years, but suddenly it won't cut worth a darn. It simply will not bite. I've used the search function and dug through a ton of posts on this subject. The usual suggestion is that blades need sharpening, but I've never mudded the thing and the blades are still sharp to the touch, like sharp enough to shave with. Someone also commented that the pitch of the blades can be altered by using the auger as a walking stick. I find this hard to believe, as the welds and construction at the bit-end look very robust and strong. That said, the first outing this year, of only two :(, the ice was terrifying, and I did used the auger to "probe" sections of overflow for ice sturdiness, for whatever that was worth. We were then seemingly unable to drill once on firm ice. At the time, I chalked it up to -25 temps and general fiddlefoolery. Turns out I was wrong.


Has any one else got any experience with shimming the blades, and successfully restoring an auger's function? I've heard that one can use a thin piece of metal to do so.

Any further insight?

Thanks folks,

HK

Jig slower and use fresh bait. LOL

[Dean2]

Excellent. I really like hearing how these things turn out. Remote diagnosis is hard so hearing the outcome is kind of satisfying. Thanks and glad it worked out so well.

P.S.
I have seen 5" in many augers, Swede Bore, Jiffy etc, but in the actual Fin Bore I have only ever seen 4.5" and 6. Are you sure it is actually a 5" Fin Bore blade. The 4.5" ones are quite easy to find on Ebay, and at a couple of the big US outlets.

[Heavy K]

Excellent. I really like hearing how these things turn out. Remote diagnosis is hard so hearing the outcome is kind of satisfying. Thanks and glad it worked out so well.

P.S.
I have seen 5" in many augers, Swede Bore, Jiffy etc, but in the actual Fin Bore I have only ever seen 4.5" and 6. Are you sure it is actually a 5" Fin Bore blade. The 4.5" ones are quite easy to find on Ebay, and at a couple of the big US outlets.

I remember it being a 5" auger upon purchase, and the blades say 5" on them, but I'll check.

[Heavy K]

I’d love to have a second set of blades, but I can’t find the Finn-bore blades in the 5” version anywhere. If anyone knows where I can get some, speak up please.

HK

... and of course by Finn-Bore, I meant Swede-Bore. Thanks for the link Dean2. I hate buying things on line, but I might give it a go.

HK

[Drewski Canuck]

BITE IS FROM THE BURR CAUSED BY SHARPENING TOP SIDE DOWN.

LOSE THE BURR LOSE THE BITE NO MATTER HOW SHARPABLADE.

FILE OR STONE OR STROP from the the top and you regimen.

Drewski