How to Build a Push Snow Shovel

Building your own shovels assures plenty of tools to go around.

A push snow shovel is a standard tool for any home that exists in a temperate or colder environment. While there are more effective ways to remove snow, nothing is as reliable in a pinch as a basic push snow shovel. By building your own, you create something that is easily reparable and can be build to your own standards. Push snow shovels require treated wood that is attached using galvanized hardware to protect them from long-term water and mineral damage. After mastering the basic fabrication technique, it is possible to create an arsenal of push snow shovels in various sizes and shapes.

Things You'll Need

• Sandpaper, fine-grit
• 1½-inch treated dowel, 48-inches long
• 3 circular-to-flat galvanized metal brackets, 1½-inch diameter
• 24-by-24-inch galvanized steel sheet
• Drill
• Metal drill bit, 1/4-inch
• 1/4-inch-diameter bolts, 1 inch long
• 1/4-inch washers
• Wing nuts

Send to Phone

Brought to you by

Send to Phone

Please enter your 10 digit phone number only.

Send

A link to this article has been sent to the phone number provided.

Close

Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. Message and data rates may apply.

Instructions

1. Position three circular-to-flat galvanized metal brackets with 1½-inch diameters on the end of a 1½-inch treated dowel that is 48 inches long. Space the brackets right at the end of the dowel, spaced about 4 inches apart.

2. Set the brackets and the dowel on top of a 24-by-24-inch galvanized steel sheet. Mark the positions of the screw holes for the brackets. Drill out each hole using a drill with metal drill bits.

3. Slide a 1/4-inch-diameter washer over a 1/4-inch-diameter bolt that is 1 inch long. Pass the bolt through the steel sheet, through another washer and through one of the bracket holes. Tighten a wing nut over the bolt until it is tightly fastened. Repeat to add five additional bolts to the bracket holes.

Tips & Warnings

• Sand the handle of the shovel prior to any finishing, sanding lightly with fine-grit sandpaper and working in long, smooth strokes along the wood grain.

• Treat the handle of the shovel with waterproof sealant, applying the sealant with a brush and following the grain of the wood. Let the sealant dry and reapply at least three coats.

• Treat the handle with linseed oil as an alternative to chemical sealant, which protects the handle wood and keeps it smooth and attractive.

• Do not slam the shovel into the ground or swing it wildly trying to dislodge difficult pieces of ice, as this may damage the shovel, causing pieces of metal or rock to fly. This can cause eye injuries or other personal damage.