Digging In Clay

[Mosby 355]

Been digging in alot of very thick heavy clay lately. Do any of you have good tips for digging in thick clay, both wet and dry? It's clumping on my shovel and very hard to get the shovel through.

[southdurham 42]

wall paper scrapper for takeing it of shovel

[perthshire keeper 1,237]

is real thick clay i used a proper heavy fork.. and it comes out like cheese! the worst thing about clay for me is it sticking to your boots!

[Mosby 355]

Thanks Perthshire,

I was thinking that may work but didnt know if the clay would just strain through. No one dogs with a fork here.

[kevin em 342]

an old school terrier man told me to get a tub (half barrel) fill it up with sand then get burnt oil from a garage pour it into the sand until the sand is well soaked in it clean your shovels properly after digging and stick the head well down in the sand suppose to work well some day ill get around too it lol

[STRANGER 948]

If the clay is real heavy gley wet shit, a two pronged fork with straight tines works well.

[donnyc 1,203]

old bulldog all steel forks ..have three here for nigh on 40 years got them off the railway lads ..sentimental value been a few upsets when one goes missing LOL they tend to turn up though

[Accip74 7,112]

We always had a bulldog fork with us, handy in lots of ways..........heavy fcuker though :-(

[gonetoearth 5,144]

Long graft cut it then remove it. With a good qaulity fork

[neil cooney 10,415]

Keep your hands clean, if possible , and leave a large stone beside the dig to whack the shovel off every time it's covered.

The fork is great too.

[Cleanspade 3,322]

release oil in a garden hand held sprayer . i put this post up many years ago. real strength sapping stuff wet clay two shovels out one back in lol. if its dry clay the fork is the answer as is the buck rake tyne as it breaks it up for the shovel. happy digging

[foxdropper 17,092]

I would rather dig the worst clay than some of the green sand around here but your right its a pain .Tried all methods but its just a case of getting on with it head down arse up .Worse still when its raining and everything is plastered .This is where a dog with a short coat comes into its own as nothing worse than a balled up ,miserable dog in the rain.Got to clean them there and then or its the clippers at home .At least with clay the quarry aint going too far .

[slip lead 862]

Use a bucket of water to keep spade wet.

Never dug to a terrier, but dug miles of footings in my youth

[slip lead 862]

Keep the blade nice and sharp with grinder or file...

[rob284 1,678]

anyone got a link to a decent fork or picture of one?