HOW TO MAKE A FLAT CUTTER FOKINA DO IT YOURSELF

Soil cultivation with flat-cuts, in which the layers of the earth do not turn over, and the stubble is preserved and protects the earth from weathering and drying, has long been known (at the end of the 19th century, I. E. Ovsinsky was successfully used). At the same time, an increase in the yield and a decrease in the amount of labor applied were recorded.

Particularly vividly all the advantages of flat-cutting plowing manifested themselves during the development of virgin lands in Kazakhstan in the 1950s.

In individual farms, gardeners and gardeners are actively using various manual flat-cutting cultivators.

Among the most successful and common modifications is Fokin's flat-cutter. Note that this flat cutter - a hand-held cultivator is quite capable of making it yourself with your own hands with the help of drawings and step-by-step instructions.

Did you know? Vladimir Vasilyevich Fokin (1941-2002) - inventor of the hand cultivator named after him. Due to disability (he suffered a massive myocardial infarction in 1987), the author of the future invention could not actively engage in his hobby - growing plants. Not succumbing to the disease, V. Fokin continued his rationalization activities in the early 1990s. managed to get an effective and easy-to-use tool that does not require excessive physical effort (the disabled author processed up to 40 acres per day with his help).

Why do I need a flatbed Fokina summer resident

Before you make your own Fokin flat cutter, you need to figure out what it is, how it works. The main principle of the Fokin flat-cutter robots is planar cutting of the soil at a depth of 5 to 15 cm.

Such pruning damages the roots of weeds (when they die off, they will fertilize the soil), loosens the soil, increases its hygroscopicity. Regular use of a flat cutter for two to three years allows improving the soil structure and increasing the yield.

Exercise when using a manual cultivator is two to three times lower compared to the work of a conventional garden hopper or shovel (with a minimum of load, people with problems of the joints, the spine, the cardiovascular system, etc. can do gardening).

Important! The thickness of the mulch layer does not affect the efficiency of the Fokin flat cutter.

Manual flat cutter is a fairly versatile tool. He is able to perform more than twenty different operations. Among them:

horizontal soil loosening up to 5-10 cm - planar cutting (non-sown beds, aisle);
the formation of the beds - alternate stinging of the earth and the weeds to be cut off from both between (the optimum width of the bed is 1 m);
leveling the surface of the bed - deepening the blade by 1-2 cm, smoothly or accelerating to row along the bed and towards yourself (lumps of earth are crushed, if you move all the time when leveling along the northern boundary, the southern slope of the bed is gradually formed);
cutting of grooves for seeds and their subsequent powder;
weeding weeding (plane loosening before sowing and 3-4 times after sowing at weekly intervals);
hilling (used as a chipper);
loosening strawberries and cutting off whiskers;
cutting of raspberry and weeds;
extraction from the root of weeds growing in the immediate vicinity of the garden plant (there is no need to bend down);
grinding of large fragments of manure and uniform distribution over the surface (surpasses the forks in efficiency);
loosening pristvolnyh circles of fruit trees, etc.

How to choose material for a flat cutter

To make a flat cutter for a garden or vegetable garden, in principle, is easy. The first step is to pick the right material - for the planer itself and for the cutting.

For the manufacture of a flat cutter, a strip of metal 40–45 mm wide, up to 400 mm long, is needed. Metal should be increased wear resistance. Ordinary iron for flat-cutters is not suitable (it will quickly get blunt, bend, etc.).

V. V. Fokin made his flat cutter from spring steel 65G, therefore, the best option would be to use a thin (5-6 mm) spring from a passenger car (caravan) or a plate of torsion suspension (from ZAZ, LuAZ) as a blank.

It is more difficult to process such material at home, but the result will meet all expectations - the planer will serve for a long time and efficiently. Experienced gardeners recommend Fokin's flat-cutter as one of the options to make yourself from a steel corner (having previously cut it with a grinder into two lanes). For cuttings can be used:

pine tree - the most affordable and cheap material, easily processed, but short-lived (quickly breaks down, cracks);
birch - durable and inexpensive material (quality is superior to pine), easily processed, but needs longer polishing - the best option for a flat cutter;
ash - an expensive option, but the quality is very high (the density is one and a half times greater than that of birch), wood with longitudinal fibers, does not deform, polishes perfectly. Ash shank will last for many years.

Important! For wintering, the flat cutter is cleaned of the ground, washed, wiped and lubricated with engine oil (it is possible by working out). It is also possible to store the flat cutter in a container with sand impregnated with mining. This method is also good because it prevents accidental contact with the flat-blade.

Ploskorez Fokina do-it-yourself: step-by-step instruction with drawings

When making a Fokin flat cutter with your own hands, you should follow the drawings and instructions as much as possible - this will help preserve the ergonomic properties and technological qualities of the product.

In addition to metal and wood, for the manufacture of a flat cutter you will need:

electric drill;
hammer;
blowtorch;
machine oil - working out (for hardening and anti-corrosion treatment);
vice;
pliers and two wrenches 10 x 12;
Bulgarian;
grinder;
whetstone;
sandpaper;
plane;
bolts, washers and nuts.

Important! Fokin's flat cutter has well-defined dimensions: increasing the blade length will not improve the kosar qualities of a flat cutter (you can often find similar tips on the Internet). This will lead to the loss of universality and the inability to perform most of the operations. For mowing is better to use a braid.

Billet manufacturing process

A blank of ordinary iron is cut to size. When using high-alloy steel, it should be borne in mind that the workpiece will be both hard and brittle.

Before its further processing, the steel must be “released”. For this you need:

heat the workpiece evenly with a blowtorch (gasoline or gas) along the entire length until it becomes the color of a cherry (it is important not to overheat if it starts to turn orange - it is already overheating);
after making sure that the billet has become a cherry color, leave it to cool. This treatment is best done in the summer or in a warm room - the cooling will be more uniform.

After the workpiece has completely cooled, you can already make a flat cutter with your own hands. Cutting grinder right length, you can proceed to the next step - marking according to the drawing (where to drill holes, where to bend).

Deformation of the workpiece

The stage of deformation of the workpiece is important in that it is necessary to give the desired shape and preserve the angles. The workpiece should be clamped in a vice and with the help of a hammer according to the marks, bend the metal (the places of the folds can be preheated with a blowtorch):

the first bend should have an angle of 95-105 degrees;
the second is 110-130 degrees;
the third bend is similar to the second;
the last, fourth bend, is made in the same range, driving the billet under the handle.

The sequence of deformation can not be changed (otherwise the last fold will not work). Thus, we get the workpiece of the so-called large Fokin flat cutter, in which the blade dimensions are 170 mm.

Did you know? The shape of the cutting for a flat cutter differs from the shape of the cuttings of shovels and hoppers. The rectangular stalk does not slip, does not rotate in the palm of your hand. This form reduces the chance to rub calluses and provides a more comfortable grip. To increase the life of the cutting, gardeners recommend treating it after sanding with “zero” hot vegetable oil.

Workpiece transformation and flat grinding

The last stage is the drilling of holes, shaping, sharpening and hardening. Drilling holes does not cause any problems.

The final shape is given according to the drawing with a grinder and grinder. The grinder cuts at the angle of 45 degrees the edge of the working part of the flat-cutter, including the end. On how to sharpen Fokin's flat-cutter, correctly or not, further efficiency of his work depends.

Sharpening double edged (both edges are sharpened, including the end of the blade). It is best of all to make sharpening on a grinding machine, you can trim it with a manual sharpener. Sharpening should begin with the tip of the flat cutter. After that, it is subjected to quenching (you can do without it, but the flat-cutter will be blunt faster).

Hardening is as follows:

pour oil into the tank - testing (so that when immersed, the workpiece was covered with it);
heat the workpiece with a blowtorch (until cherry color);
quickly for 2-3 seconds, immerse it in oil, remove it and after 5 seconds immerse it again, then remove and immerse it again (repeat until the oil stops boiling when in contact with the metal);
hang cool. The surface of the workpiece should turn black (corrosion protection), the metal acquires greater strength.

Important! If you have made a product for your own use, and not for sale, you have not violated anyone's copyright.

Making a cutting

Before you make a cutting with your own hands, you need to decide on the material (we have already done) and the blank. The blank for the cutting should be in the form of a rectangular slat with a width of 45 mm and a thickness of 20 mm.

Initially, you need to give it the necessary form (it is a bit like a hockey stick):

a plane to process all four edges (the plane must be adjusted so that it removes a very small layer of wood). Edges 15–20 cm from the lower end should be left intact (rectangular shape will facilitate fixing marking and tight fit);
process the surface of the shank sandpaper (protect yourself from splinters);
at a distance of 150 mm from the lower edge, draw two parallel lines in the center (the distance between them should be 5 mm);
attach a flat cutter to the bottom edge of the handle;
combine the drilled holes on the flat cutter with our marking;
mark along one of the holes;
drill a hole (lay a board or a wooden block under the drill) and prepare a bolt and a nut;
Attach a flat cutter (one of the remaining holes on the flat cut should match the line drawn). It is better to use large iron washers between the head of the bolt and the handle. This will allow to tighten the nut tighter, protects the tree from destruction.
drill the cutting through the hole in the planer;
insert and tighten the second mount. Flat cutter is ready to use.

The handle for the Fokin flat cutter assembled, if it is placed vertically, should be 20 cm below the shoulder, so the dimensions of the handle for each will be their own, individual.