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]

Originally Posted by Walleye99

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by Heavy K

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by Dean2

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

Originally Posted by Big Red 250

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

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Speckle55

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.

[Big Red 250]

Originally Posted by Dean2

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.

[IMG]http://www.cabelas.ca/content/filemanager/Products/

000000000000049696/detail/100991.jpg[/IMG]

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]

Originally Posted by drifter

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

wow I will try that out thanks for the tip

[omega50]

Righty Tighty
Lefty Loosey
JK

[CNP]

Originally Posted by 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.

Originally Posted by Chris84

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.

Originally Posted by drifter

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

Originally Posted by 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...

Originally Posted by Geezle

This

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

[780sjc]

Originally Posted by Geezle

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]

Originally Posted by 780sjc

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]

Originally Posted by Geezle

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