Mora Hand Auger

[eyeguy 54]

whats the best way to make it work with a drill.  Got a dandy old one for 5 bucks and will use it for tip up northern. 

[eyeguy 54]

is there a long version of this out there?

[Agronomist_at_IA]

U want an adaptor with a round dis I. Bear creek makes them I think

[eyeguy 54]

I think I will cut it off just below the handle and figure out how to make it fit a 1/2 inch drill

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Oh that is an old screw on handle one. Go on e of the bay and a guy makes and sells the adaptor for it.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

[mrpike1973]

Considering a new Mora is 50 bucks I would do that I'm guessing the blades need to be replaced? They are 30 bucks right there. You probably will want a extension the Clam brand fits and is 15 bucks. Just my opinion but i have been down this road before. The regular Mora is to short and you will have a sore back. The Mora works great as a auger on a drill I have a seven inch and works great I use it for  pike also. I use the Clam plate which helps a lot the 7 and 8 inch will grab more can't remember if you have a Milwaukee or not but the handle twisted off on me with the 8 inch ruined the drill and not worth that . I would really recommend a Clam plate If this auger is 7-8 inch as I twisted my wrist, when I got done I could have bought the most expensive auger out there for what it cost in medical bills. The Mora is a great little auger not trying to be a Debbie downer but many people have been hurt with those bigger augers and just using the drill the Mora's do not always cut through as clean as a Nils or a K-drill when they catch they will hurt. Just my opinion.

[papadarv]

Here is what i used to convert my 6" hand Mora to a clam adapter & drill adapter. Section of schedule 80 grey 3/4 grey PVC. ID is same size as your Nills drill adapter and the Mora hand crank handle. Section of 1" thin wall conduit. Couple 5/16 #8 hard bolts & nuts. Cut the handle jist below the bend. You will end up with a 44" bit. Cut the conduit to desired lenght. I used 6". Cut the Schedule 80 PVCto 1" longer than the Conduit. Using a heavy hammer drive the Schedule 80 PVC into the conduit using wood blocks to protect the PVC. Cut off the extra inch of PVC at the conduit. Push the PVC/ Conduit onto the cut Mora shaft. Drill 5/16 through both insert bolt. Mark and drill 5/16 hole to match your adapter depth 1/2 way through the open end of the shaft, insert adapter and align holes. Put 5/16 drill bit through hole and adapter hole. Continue drilling 5/16 hole through shaft this aligns a stright drilled hole. Bolt adapter to shaft.  

I added a point using a 1" wood spade bit welding it to a 3/8 bolt. Drilled and tap a 3/8 hole in auger between blades. I think Eskimo sells a threaded point if you dont want to make one. 

Drilling ice holes with a Mora  standard smooth blade is slow & takes a lot of effort, thats why I modify mine per pic. Big key to cutting success with my chipper & laser knockoffs is to add a .040 shim between the blade screws and blade cutting edge. Give it another 12 deg. cut angle.

If uou need an extension use an 18" or whatever lecght of 1" Conduit but drive 4" t0 6" PVCto each eng of conduit.

If your going to reverse the drill and slush the hole, weld the handle to the nut at the blue auger shaft unless you want your drill at the bottom of the lake. 

Dont know cost as i had the parts laying around except the $5 i paid for the auger ata garagr sale.

Bottom pic - Other augers are configured for my Mako Eskimo gas power head. I retired my 10 incher.

 

Edited October 28, 2018 by papadarv

[papadarv]

21 minutes ago, mrpike1973 said:

Considering a new Mora is 50 bucks I would do that I'm guessing the blades need to be replaced? They are 30 bucks right there. You probably will want a extension the Clam brand fits and is 15 bucks. Just my opinion but i have been down this road before. The regular Mora is to short and you will have a sore back. The Mora works great as a auger on a drill I have a seven inch and works great I use it for  pike also. I use the Clam plate which helps a lot the 7 and 8 inch will grab more can't remember if you have a Milwaukee or not but the handle twisted off on me with the 8 inch ruined the drill and not worth that . I would really recommend a Clam plate If this auger is 7-8 inch as I twisted my wrist, when I got done I could have bought the most expensive auger out there for what it cost in medical bills. The Mora is a great little auger not trying to be a Debbie downer but many people have been hurt with those bigger augers and just using the drill the Mora's do not always cut through as clean as a Nils or a K-drill when they catch they will hurt. Just my opinion.

Pricing for new is as you stated but there are hundreds of the Mora hand augers with old hard steel blades in attics and garages that with a bit of imagineering and effort to bring to a modern state. 

My latest I got 2 for $15.00. Cut the auger flights off 1 and welded the shaft to the better one making it a 5 foot auger bit for comfort drilling in my wheel house wheels up. Added a collar for power head reciever (gas or cordless wth adapter & ION quick release. Than modified the blade as per above post and photo. They drill ice at 1" per second (32" in 28 seconds) with little to no effort. Pic of auger on my Mud Mxer with quick release. Also direct to Mud Mixer no chuck so no chance of auger going down the drilled hole when the chuck comes loose. 8 in plate or floats on shaft not required.

[mrpike1973]

I like the bungee idea on the blade !

[papadarv]

1 hour ago, mrpike1973 said:

I like the bungee idea on the blade !

Bungee idea came from Eskimo which has a slightly different design Bungee on the retired 10 incher that came with M43 Mako a few years back. Why run to Gander to buy new when old recycle is just as, if not better, than new.

[Rick G]

I can weld a half inch shaft to wherever you decide to cut it off if you would like

[papadarv]

4 hours ago, Rick G said:

I can weld a half inch shaft to wherever you decide to cut it off if you would like

@eyeguy 54 the id of the Mora crank shaft is .540. Have @Rick G wrap a .020 sleve around the 1/2" shaft to keep it tight & stright when he welds it. While he is at it have him weld the handle shaft where its screwed onto the auger. Only drawback is adding an extension if needed.

[eyeguy 54]

pic is not from the one I got. its welded where they meet. Thx for the ideas. wont use it if ice to thick. they id looks to be 17/32. is that .540 or .5312?

 

[papadarv]

10 hours ago, eyeguy 54 said:

pic is not from the one I got. its welded where they meet. Thx for the ideas. wont use it if ice to thick. they id looks to be 17/32. is that .540 or .5312?

 

Correct id is 17/32. Finding a 17/32 steel shaft is difficult to find and costly. You will need to go to someone that sells  DOM steel. 

[bobberineyes]

You do good work that's for sure PD. I'm wondering though,  I modified an old mora hand auger a couple of years ago to a drill which works well but still has shaver blades on it. Did it take much to switch over to chipper blades? These have shims under them which I suppose it's getting out drilling and perhaps trying with or without the shims to find the right angle..

[leech~~]

1 hour ago, bobberineyes said:

You do good work that's for sure PD. I'm wondering though,  I modified an old mora hand auger a couple of years ago to a drill which works well but still has shaver blades on it. Did it take much to switch over to chipper blades? These have shims under them which I suppose it's getting out drilling and perhaps trying with or without the shims to find the right angle..

If you look at his pictures above.  He took the shaver blades and ground teeth into them  to make more of chipper blades. 

 

Edited November 29, 2021 by leech~~

[bobberineyes]

27 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

If you look at his pictures above.  He took the shaver blades and ground teeth into them  to make more of chipper blades. 

 

 

[bobberineyes]

You into the sauce again Leech?

[leech~~]

1 hour ago, bobberineyes said:

You into the sauce again Leech?

 

Huum? 

You:  I modified an old mora hand auger a couple of years ago to a drill which works well but still has shaver blades on it. Did it take much to switch over to chipper blades?

Me: If you look at his pictures above.  He took the shaver blades and ground teeth into them  to make more of chipper blades. 

He didn't switch to chipper blades. He made his own out of shaver blades.   Or am I missing your question?  

[bobberineyes]

I wasn't asking you anything leech, it was for papadarv. He talks about it in another thread running smooth vs chipper blades ( you should look it up). So my question to him was basically how much tinkering did it take to get the right angle and shims to work is all.

[papadarv]

4 hours ago, bobberineyes said:

I wasn't asking you anything leech, it was for papadarv. He talks about it in another thread running smooth vs chipper blades ( you should look it up). So my question to him was basically how much tinkering did it take to get the right angle and shims to work is all.

 

Most of the "Drill" Augers are designed around the age old Sweedish Mora Hand augers. The blue shafft/tube that holds the flights and drill head have a .875 ID and the OD of the Hand Crank shaft is .750 same size as the Clam Plate and many other drill driven adapters. Almost all gas power heads fit .875 (7/8") auger shafts.

 

I buy Mora hand augers from Another Man's Treasure, garage sales, Flea Markets. $15.00 max I pay. I get lots for $5 to $10. The beat up augers l cut the flights and heads off the shaft and weld the shaft to good augers to extend auger length.

 

I believe the K-Drill is the best built, best design, most durable so I imulamulated that blade and center point. I made a very agressive (large cut-outs) between 4 cutting lands and smaller cuts between 5 cutting lands. Than I calculated the K-Drill blade  cut angle adding .040 shims to the leading Mora blade edge. I cut the blade groves using an Angle Grinder with 1/4" grinding wheel. Grind very slow as the grinding wheels cut very fast.

Turns out the agressive 8.5" blades are too agressive and stop my Milwaukee 2804 drill if pressure is applied while drilling. I use it on my Mako gas auger. The less aggressive blade cuts about 1/4" of ice per revelation.

I bought a K-drill at the Blane Hard Water Expo, it's less than 1/2 the weight of my Mora setup, retiring my Mora Augers

Very agessice blades

 

The black pieces behind the cutting are cupped to threw the slush away from the hole.

 

drilled ice 1/4"+ cut per rev

 

correct blade cut angle

 

the center point that works very well

 

My K-Drill set up with the Ion Quick Release

[leech~~]

5 hours ago, bobberineyes said:

I wasn't asking you anything leech, it was for papadarv. He talks about it in another thread running smooth vs chipper blades ( you should look it up). So my question to him was basically how much tinkering did it take to get the right angle and shims to work is all.

Oop!  Sorry for trying to help.

[papadarv]

9 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

Oop!  Sorry for trying to help.

Thanks leech you were right on for my Mora Augers

[bobberineyes]

Thanks for replying pd. I was just trying to get more life out blades, going on a year 2 with the shaver blades but my old gasser with chipper never been sharpen.  I too have the blue mora which a buddy from Zeigler machined a couple pcs to make it work, but it won't have a center piece if I had chipper blades. Maybe I'm better off leaving the shaver blades on and just replace or try to sharpen. 

[leech~~]

1 hour ago, bobberineyes said:

Thanks for replying pd. I was just trying to get more life out blades, going on a year 2 with the shaver blades but my old gasser with chipper never been sharpen.  I too have the blue mora which a buddy from Zeigler machined a couple pcs to make it work, but it won't have a center piece if I had chipper blades. Maybe I'm better off leaving the shaver blades on and just replace or try to sharpen. 

Well you could.........oh never mind.

[papadarv]

4 hours ago, bobberineyes said:

Thanks for replying pd. I was just trying to get more life out blades, going on a year 2 with the shaver blades but my old gasser with chipper never been sharpen.  I too have the blue mora which a buddy from Zeigler machined a couple pcs to make it work, but it won't have a center piece if I had chipper blades. Maybe I'm better off leaving the shaver blades on and just replace or try to sharpen. 

Eskimo blades fit the Mora blue augers. They sell for about $20

Edited December 1, 2021 by papadarv

[Mike89]

hey bobber, I might have a set of mora blades yet, if ya want them ya can have them... 

[papadarv]

19 hours ago, bobberineyes said:

Thanks for replying pd. I was just trying to get more life out blades, going on a year 2 with the shaver blades but my old gasser with chipper never been sharpen.  I too have the blue mora which a buddy from Zeigler machined a couple pcs to make it work, but it won't have a center piece if I had chipper blades. Maybe I'm better off leaving the shaver blades on and just replace or try to sharpen. 

All of my augers Mora, Eskimo Ion etc, have a center point as they all drift/slide without. I make them using  3/4" or 1" flat spade wood drill bit and a 3/8" bolt with head cut off and slot to weld the spade point to the bolt. I drill and tap the existing hole in the auger to 3/8. I use my Dremel tool to put the final edge on the point. My chipper blades last twice as long as the smooth blade and much easier to Sharpen. 

[leech~~]

Points are a hugh advantage for drilling and redrilling holes!