What is it? XCVII

Well I have lived in ice fishing country for almost 80 years and have never seen a device like this for drilling holes in ice.

I perceive a problem when this tool breaks through something like 2 feet of ice and doesn't clean the bottom of the hole. How in hell are you going to get the damned thing back out of the hole? The old timers had the foresight to run the flutes up far enough so one could keep it centered and remove the drill. You would spend more time removing the drill than you would spend fishing. Of course with the wooden cross handle one could let it sit on the ice while planning the next move.

My guess is post hole digger or anchor. If it was used for a canopy anchor one could drill down a foot or so and then place a pipe over it with a rope or cable coming up to tie down the canopy.

Ice augers have a sharp shaver. This device does not.

Try googling "champion flat auger" under images. Closest thing I can find.

--humunculus

RH: I suggest you run a 'Best of What Is It' with all the unidentified items from the past. Very cool...

But I've seen earth anchors that were 4 feet long at the local farm supply store. The length is a function of what kind of load you're going to fasten down, and what kind of soil you're going to be driving it into. Around here, we've got very loose, sandy soil or soft, loamy soil that goes down at least 6 feet.

This company has them up to

66" long.

So if it's the length that's giving you pause, anchors do come that long.

But that spike at the end would cause problems in trying to start it through ice.

'Tis a puzzlement.

I agree that the way the small spike has been made, it doesn't look like it would be effective for drilling through ice. Also, I got replies from eight different ice fishermen on an ice fishing forum, and all of them say it's not an ice auger.

Though one of them did recognize it and posted:

"It's a swamp anchor for power poles. My dad was a lineman for 27 years so I've seen a few. It's screwed in the ground in soft boggy or wet areas that power lines go through. The loop on the top is for the guy wires to stabilize the pole."

This makes sense and I was ready to declare my vote for earth anchor, especially since I've seen quite a few similar ones on the web, including this 48" model:

I then decided to take one last look on ebay for old post hole diggers and earth anchors, I came up with nothing on the latter, I was surprised to find a similar old post hole digger that was patented in 1869:

It's not the exact same as the one in my photos, but the pitch of the blades is very similar, whereas most of the earth anchors that I've seen have a steeper type blade that looks to be made more for drilling than for digging holes.

This site confirms that the tool on ebay is indeed a post hole auger:

This is also verified by going to the U.S. patent site and looking up the number given on the previous link, it's called an "Improved post auger". Maybe the one in my photos is from before this time, since the part by the handle is not built as rugged as the new improved version.

I'm now favoring the post hole digger answer, mostly because I haven't seen an earth anchor with the same type blades, and also based on the auger from

1869.

Rob

That's a good idea, I'll probably do that fairly soon and maybe post a separate page of all the close-ups, and possibly other categories if I find the time.

"Jeff R" wrote

I wouldn't think an ice anchor auger would be able to screw itself into ice. They would just use an ice auger to drill out the hole, put in the anchor, fill the hole with water and let it refreeze.

Not to mention the stick that you use to twirl it. :-)

I've seen these used for mobile home tie-downs in tornado country, which, of course, brings to mind an image of a trailer floor with these four or five steel straps arched over it...

Cheers! Rich

To these kids, that's a _very_ long time ago. Some of them weren't even born yet then!

[Uh-oh - was that the sound of my bones creaking? ;-) ]

Cheers! Rich

Definitely. To provide an anchor in the ice, you lay a chain on the ice, and pour a few gallons of boiling water over it, and wait for the ice to refreeze.

I'ts a _sand_ anchor - they use them a dozen at a time to tie down mobile homes on sandy dirt in tornado alley. :-)

I guess it could be used for guy wires, but they're usually poured concrete - this unit is either for a temporary installation or used on mobile homes because they're cheap. (i.e., you can afford to buy a dozen of them. ;-) )

Cheers! Rich

Yes, the wooden handle is used to screw it into the ground, and then a clevis bolt goes through the hole and secures a large (say, 3" or 8 cm wide) steel strap that goes over the top of the mobile home and attaches to the anchor on the other side with a similar clevis bolt. I'll email my brother, who still lives in a trailer, and see if he can get a pic of one.

Cheers! Rich

Sand.

Cheers! Rich