The ring ice auger, in comparison with modern motorized augers, has a fairly large list of positive aspects, which is why many fishermen still prefer it. Here is a list of just the main advantages that such a tool boasts:

Ring ice screws are currently losing their popularity. They are used mainly by older fishermen, as well as those who do not have enough money to purchase an electric drill. However, this does not mean that the ring ice auger is inferior in characteristics to its competitors. Yes, it requires some physical effort to operate, but it weighs almost nothing, and also has a simple design that can be easily made at home.

Principle of operation

The operating principle of a ring ice drill is based on the use of a ring, the outer diameter of which is 130 millimeters and the inner diameter is 80 millimeters. At the same time, during operation, the cutting edge selects ice only according to the shape of the outer ring, as a result of which a cylinder with a diameter of about 130 millimeters remains inside - such a hole is usually more than enough for successful underwater fishing.

Centering of the annular ice drill is carried out using a special triangular collar, which is located in the sole of the working part of the tool. Well, thanks to the eccentrically located drill handle, the load in the process of creating a hole is distributed evenly across both hands, as a result of which the fisherman hardly gets tired. Moreover, such a tool does not make noise, unlike the same motor drill.

Advantages and disadvantages

The ring ice auger, in comparison with modern motorized augers, has a fairly large list of positive aspects, which is why many fishermen still prefer it. Here is a list of just the main advantages that such a tool boasts:

However, ring ice drills also have some disadvantages. Not to say that they are critical, but it is precisely because of these points that many professional fishermen have abandoned the use of hand tools and switched to automation:

• hole drilling time is much longer than with tools with motors;
• the need for constant physical impact - the fisherman gets tired at least a little;
• difficulty at the beginning of drilling - it can be quite difficult to properly bury the knife into the ice.

However, ring ice screws are completely worth their cost, since their manufacture does not require the use of expensive materials or complex systems.

The other part (shank) is made in the form of a hexagon or tetrahedron. This side of the adapter will be clamped in the screwdriver chuck.

Homemade ice auger with screwdriver

Fishermen improved the ice auger by attaching a screwdriver to it. They just figured out how to save precious time. To make a drill for winter fishing with your own hands, you need to have:

• Mora's hand ice auger,
• Adapter,
• Cordless screwdriver.

First you need to choose the right and reliable screwdriver.

Tool selection criteria

An ice drill is a tool that makes winter fishing easier and more comfortable. To ensure that drilling holes does not cause problems, you need to choose a suitable cordless screwdriver.

The tool must be:

• With high power,
• Power supply - 18 to 36 V,
• 40−80 N/m - torque,
• Battery capacity 2.5−3 Ah.

To simply upgrade the drill, you can use the following models: Mora Nova System or Ise Arctic (Micro, Viking), Rapala. It is possible to use Russian-made screwdrivers, such as Tornado, Barnaul, Tonar.

Often, anglers drill several holes, even up to several dozen, because fishing in winter is an eternal search for places where the fish have stopped. As a result, fishing takes a lot of effort and does not bring any pleasure from the process. Therefore, fishermen use a homemade ice drill with a screwdriver.

How to choose a battery

These two types of power supply are often used:

• Nickel-cadmium feels great at sub-zero temperatures, but makes the instrument heavier.
• Lithium-ion is operated at a temperature of -10ºС, and unless the ice is too thick. Although it allows you to drill about 60 holes of 10-16 cm each. If the temperature drops below, you can remove it from the device and put it in the inner pocket of your jacket.

It is advisable to have an extra battery with you and keep it in a warm place.

The screwdriver has been selected, now you need to determine how it can be attached to the drill. This is done using an adapter.

Making an adapter

It serves to connect the structure with a screwdriver. You can buy it in a specialized store or make it yourself.

The adapter has a hexagon shape. One side of it is clamped in the screwdriver chuck. In this case, you should make sure that the connection is reliable. The hexagonal part is clamped using a special key. Its other side is attached to the drill. A hole is drilled in the cylindrical part, then a bolt of the required size is taken and the auger with an adapter is secured.

It would be a good idea to use a handle that will help hold the drill and prevent it from falling into the water. There is no need to make the auger large, as this increases the load on the screwdriver and will cause the battery to drain quickly. The adapter has a cylindrical part diameter of 18 mm, a hexagon-shaped shank, and must have a stop. The most optimal diameter for the hole is 10-13 cm. This allows you to catch medium-sized fish .

On a reservoir where the ice thickness is 50-60 cm, you cannot do without an ice drill. Fishermen choose drills in stores with special care. Craftsmen make mechanically driven devices from scrap materials themselves or modify factory models. Such work will not be suitable for everyone, because it requires special tools and skills.

Pros and cons of various modifications

Let's look at the different diameters of the mechanisms. First of all, they navigate between foreign and Russian analogues in the price range, that is, not every fisherman, with all his desire, can choose an expensive imported ice auger. The second factor determining the choice is diameter. It is influenced by the size of the fish being hunted.

A diameter of up to 10 cm is preferred by lovers of sea fishing. It is comfortable to drill a large number of holes into which roach, dace, and perch up to 0.7 kg, as well as a kilogram pike, can easily squeeze through. However, such small diameters also have a disadvantage - in the cold the hole quickly freezes over, narrowing.

Diameters from 10 to 13 cm are considered the most universal. Such holes are suitable for both a jig and a balancer. Through the hole you can remove bream, pike perch, and medium-sized pike. If you catch bream over a kilo, predators up to 6 kg, you will have to drill a 15-centimeter hole. It should be noted that 20-centimeter ice screws are also available for sale.

Products of Russian industry

Domestic mechanisms. They have a budget price, replaceable blades are interchangeable on many models, and the knives are easy to sharpen. However, there are some drawbacks:

• the coloring of the ice auger elements is not always at the proper level;
• knives are often made of low-quality materials that can quickly become dull;
• drilling holes in ice is much more difficult than with imported mechanisms;
• blade mounting screws require constant monitoring, as they tend to get loose and get lost;
• When unfolded there is some play.

Despite all their shortcomings and shortcomings, domestic products are very popular, and they are purchased not out of a sense of patriotism, but because they cope with the tasks assigned to them. Our article “How to work with an ice auger and not damage its elements” is devoted to how to handle them correctly.

Products of foreign colleagues

Imported ice axes can easily bite into any ice, are made of good materials, are of good build quality, and have less weight. Among the leaders of the domestic market are the Swedes and Finns. Swedish products have a different direction of rotation - clockwise, which you have to get used to.

What disadvantages are noted when operating in Russia:

• significant cost of the product;
• sharpening blades is quite problematic, and sometimes impossible;
• walking on ice with sandy patches, the edges quickly become dull;
• the price of foreign knives is sometimes comparable to the cost of a domestic ice drill.

Swedish Mora are distributed throughout the world. The company produces 26 models, which differ in diameter, color, height of the screw part, dimensions, and folding system. The knives are hemispherical with complex arched blades.

Making your own ice screw

Material for making knives

In conditions of mass production, it is not possible to use ultra-strong grades of steel. Both domestic and foreign analogues use a material with a hardness of about 60 units. according to Rockwell. These knives are good if the ice is free of sandy inclusions. The best option would be tool steel with 70-72 units. True, the manufacture and proper sharpening of knives will be expensive.

Manufacturing from scratch

The easiest way to make a homemade ice auger for winter fishing is in the form of a garden auger. A circular saw blade of the required diameter is used as knives that simultaneously act as an auger. It is sawed in half and welded to the drill rod at an angle that provides the best cut.

The saw teeth have pobedite surfacing, which protects the edges from breakage when drilling through ice with sand inclusions and at the boundary of the underwater part. Using an ice drill screwdriver will help increase productivity. The increased speed of rotation of the rod will allow you to make holes even with not very sharp knives.

By the way, such a simple ice screw for winter fishing is no worse than a modern auger screw. And maybe even better in terms of its characteristics.

Types of ice drills, their features

Products may differ in the structure of the cutting element:

1. Spoon. It got its name because of the design of the knife - it is made in the form of a spoon. This type of drill is already outdated and is now practically out of production. It is characterized by simplicity, but requires a lot of effort when drilling;
2. Auger. The most common option today. There are quite a few modifications of the product, but the general structure is similar:
   • Rod (tube on which other parts are attached);

   Knives. Usually there are 2, but there may be more. They directly cut away layers of ice;

3. Spiral tape that is attached to the rod. Its task is to lift the chopped ice to the top.

The diameter varies from 7 to 25 centimeters, the configuration, number, thickness of the turns are also not the same;

4. Cylinder. No more common than a spoon. A small oval hole is cut, forming a cylinder. Then, using a rod, the cylinder is pushed under the ice.

The following classification:

• Mechanical. Various models, the common feature of which is manual rotation. This can be a small brace or a large two-handed drill;
• Motor drills. The screw comes complete with an internal combustion engine with a special nozzle and holder. The engine runs on a mixture of gasoline and oil. Used in northern latitudes. Expensive, but very powerful product;
• Electric drills. An auger drill with an electric motor powered by a battery allows you to avoid using your own forces to create a hole, while it operates almost silently, is much lighter than the previous version and is much cheaper.

Features of choosing a screwdriver

Before you make an ice drill from a screwdriver with your own hands, you need to select a tool that matches the characteristics of the operating conditions.

The main selection parameters are:

18V screwdrivers

There is a large selection of 18V screwdrivers on the market that meet the price-quality ratio.

Before purchasing, you should study information about top models and take into account their characteristics.

Which is better: a screwdriver or a wrench?

A screwdriver fits the bill most closely for the conversion, but some anglers use a nutdriver. This is due to a number of advantages of the tool.

• The impact wrench has a more massive body.
• The impact wrench is a direct alternative to the screwdriver.
• There are no difficulties in making an adapter.

In the absence of screwdrivers, fishermen can also use a drill or chainsaw. But they require skills and are not always safe.

As a rule, anglers make several holes, and sometimes several dozen, since winter fishing is a constant search for fish sites. Therefore, fishing turns into hard, exhausting work, and this cannot be compared with the pleasure received from the fishing process.

DIY ice ax from a screwdriver

Fishermen were able to improve the ice drill by attaching a screwdriver to it. They just realized what wasting precious time was worth, especially in winter.

To make it you need to have:

• Ice auger Mora (manual).
• Adapter.
• Cordless screwdriver.

As a rule, the optimal hole size is about 10 cm.

Characteristics of a screwdriver for an ice auger

An ice drill is a tool that can make winter fishing easier and more comfortable. To drill holes without problems, you need to select an appropriate screwdriver and, accordingly, a cordless one.

Tool characteristics

• High power.
• Supply voltage from 18 to 36 V.
• Torque 40/80 Nm.
• Battery capacity is 2.5-3 Ah.

For basic modernization of the drill, models such as Mora Nova System or Ise Arctic (Micro, Viking), Rapala are suitable. Domestic designs, such as Tornado, Barnaul, Tonar, are also suitable.

How to choose a screwdriver

As a rule, anglers make several holes, and sometimes several dozen, since winter fishing is a constant search for fish sites. Therefore, fishing turns into hard, exhausting work, and this cannot be compared with the pleasure received from the fishing process.

How to choose a battery

Basically, two types of power supply are used:

Nickel is cadmium, which tolerates sub-zero temperatures well, but makes the instrument heavier.

• Lithium-ion. The source can be operated at a temperature of -10ºС and with a small thickness of ice. Despite this, this source allows you to drill up to 60 holes with a diameter of 10-16 cm. At lower temperatures, the battery can be removed from the device and placed in an inside jacket pocket.
• Nickel - a metal hydride battery - is practically not used in screwdrivers.

It is advisable to always take a spare battery with you and keep it warm.

How to make an adapter with your own hands

The adapter or adapter is used to connect the screwdriver to the rest of the structure. It can be purchased at the store, or you can make it yourself.

The adapter has a hexagonal shape and one side is clamped into the screwdriver chuck. At the same time, it should be taken into account that the connection is reliable. The hexagonal part is clamped using a special key. The other side of the adapter connects to the drill. To do this, you need to drill a hole in the cylindrical part, after which a bolt of the appropriate size is taken and the auger with an adapter is secured.

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It would be nice to have a handle that can be used to hold the drill and prevent it from falling into the water. You should not make the screw with a large diameter, as this increases the load on the screwdriver, which will lead to rapid discharge of the battery. The optimal diameter of the hole is 10-13 cm, which will allow you to catch medium-sized fish. The adapter has the following dimensions: the diameter of the cylindrical part is 18 mm, the shank has a hexagon shape, a stop is required.

Any gasoline saw is suitable for making a gas drill. Preference is given to Soviet models that are easy to use. The main requirement for engines is that they start easily in any weather. If a Chinese analogue is available, you will have to be tricky with the adapter and handle.

How to make an ice screw with your own hands from scratch

The design of the ice drill is not original: the base is an ordinary metal tube, which is wrapped around a metal strip in a screw-type manner.

The problem is that some elements will have to be turned on a lathe, which not every angler has.

An experienced turner is able to independently make knives of any shape from high-strength steel and straighten them, which we wrote about in the article “Sharpening ice drill knives from domestic and foreign manufacturers.” However, before you start making a mechanism, you need to realistically estimate your strengths and the availability of a specialist to perform special work.

So, let’s describe the algorithm for how to make an ice screw with your own hands for fishing:

Here is a do-it-yourself ice drill, the diagram of which is given above. Some craftsmen go much further and modernize ready-made mechanisms in order to reduce physical stress on the body to a minimum. For this purpose, gasoline engines, screwdrivers, impact wrenches, and other drives can be used.

The battery can be lithium-ion (Li-ion), nickel-cadmium (NiCd), or metal hydride (NiMH). Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. If we consider them in terms of choice for operation with an electric ice drill, then it is best to opt for lithium-ion or nickel-cadmium models.

Design and features of ice drills

Winter ice fishing is quite an exciting activity, and for it to be successful, you should be properly prepared for it. First of all, you need a reliable ice auger, the functionality of which can determine the mood of the entire fishing process.

At first, even a drill of the cheapest model can bring joy to the fisherman, as the fishing process is simplified. But the question just arises: how many holes can it be enough for, because it is known that a cheap instrument can fail at the most crucial moment.

Naturally, a high-quality model is not cheap, but still real ice fishing enthusiasts try to purchase just such a reliable tackle that could serve them for many years. Most often, avid fishermen prefer to choose titanium drills.

A fishing drill made of titanium is much more convenient than a metal one in that it is almost two times stronger and lighter than a metal one, which means that it is more convenient to move and work with it. However, due to its cost, not everyone can purchase such a convenient tool.

Today, almost every specialized hunting and fishing store sells all kinds of domestic and imported ice screws. There, if financial capabilities allow, you can also purchase motorized drilling equipment.

Design of hand drills

Almost all drills, even if they are made by different manufacturers, differ little from each other. True, some models have distinctive features. For example, the spiral design can be assembled from several elements or be solid. There may also be differences in the method of attaching the spiral, which can be welded to the drill axis partially or completely. In the first case, when drilling ice, the tool produces noise, which is undesirable in shallow water, as it can scare away the fish.

Based on everything, it should be remembered that if the body of the drill and its fastenings are made of low-quality materials or it has any design flaws, then even with high-quality knives, the drilling tool will quickly fail.

Type of knives

The main component of an ice drill is its blades. The higher the quality of steel used for them, the sharper and more reliable they are. Despite the fact that knives have a wide variety of different shapes, they can be divided into three types:

1. With flat edges.
2. Spherical.
3. Cutting heads.

But it is hardly worth singling out any design for its superiority over others. Each type of knife has its own advantages and certain disadvantages, and the main criterion for their reliability is the quality of the steel used for their manufacture.

For example, flat knives made of high-quality steel of domestic production have proven themselves well on dry soft ice at an air temperature of about ±0 degrees, but already at -10 C they are significantly inferior to hemispherical imported cutters.

Also, not everything is simple with the cutting heads, although they are considered universal, problems may arise with re-sharpening, since it is quite difficult to sharpen them yourself.

Screw auger

The purpose of the auger is to remove ice chips formed during drilling from the hole to the surface. It is mounted on the axial tube of the ice drill and has the shape of a spiral ribbon (Archimedes screw). At the moment there are a lot of screw modifications, but the general structure is almost the same:

1. The rod is made of a tube on which all the parts of the ice drill are attached.
2. Ice cutting knives. Usually they have from 2 to 4 or more cutting edges.
3. The spiral tape can have an outer diameter in the range of 70–250 mm, while the number of turns and the distance between them can be different for each model.

The depth of drilling depends on the length of the spiral auger, while almost all modifications of ice drills, without exception, are designed for drilling holes in ice 1 m thick. But drills from Finnish and Swedish manufacturers have longer augers, as they are designed for more severe climatic conditions.

Recently, more and more often on winter fishing you can find ice screws driven by rechargeable batteries. This makes drilling holes for fishing much easier, while drilling is carried out almost silently, which allows you to successfully use these tools in shallow water.

Do it yourself

Recently, many models of cordless screwdrivers with good power have appeared that are suitable for making electric drills. Which ice drill to choose? The best ones are from proven, reliable brands - Makita, Bosch, Metabo, etc. You can also use a cordless drill, but this is less convenient, because it does not have a reverse motion.

So, you will need a powerful screwdriver for an ice auger, a hand-held ice ax and an adapter to connect them together. It is not advisable to use a drill with a screw diameter larger than 10-13 cm for manufacturing, otherwise the screwdriver battery will discharge too quickly and the likelihood of breakdown will increase. The main thing is to make an adapter for an ice drill for a screwdriver.

You can’t do it with hand tools alone, so if you don’t have them on hand, you can buy ready-made ones or order them from a milling turner. The adapter is made from a single piece of metal circle . On one side it has a cylindrical recess and is connected to the auger using a bolt and nut, on the other side there is a hexagonal shank, which is fixed in the screwdriver chuck. The handle for the adapter is optional, but it greatly facilitates the operation of the electric ice drill.

In addition, there are situations when the adapter is disconnected from the screwdriver without permission, and its fastening in the chuck is weakened. In this case, the handle will not allow the working part of the drill to go under water.

Today's editorial assignment obliges us to talk about making an ice drill with our own hands from scratch and modifying existing models with gasoline engines using a gearbox.