February 10, 201115 yr I've been baffled for years on the subject of how the English garden forks are made. A neighbor with a small market garden has asked me to make a half dozen, and supplied 4340 (if I remember correctly) 1/2"x1/2" stock- I think it can be done, but I'd sure like to know how the big kids do it before I beat my head against the wall- they're advertised as "one piece" without welds, and I just don't get how to get that shape from one piece of anything. I showed Peter Ross an older example years ago, and he thought that it had been cut from sheet stock and then tines and socket forged piece by piece...this was a many-tined manure fork though... Help? Thanks! Andy G. Guemes Island, WA
February 10, 201115 yr I have seen step drawings of this in some of my books. It does not appear to be a project for an ordinary smith. They start with a pretty hunky chunk of steel and butcher a piece out of the side for the tang. Then forge out the center and split the ends and forge the four pieces into tines. No way that you could do that with 1/2" square stock. You might be able to forge weld 4 pieces of 1/2" stock though.
February 10, 201115 yr I have seen step drawings of this in some of my books. It does not appear to be a project for an ordinary smith. They start with a pretty hunky chunk of steel and butcher a piece out of the side for the tang. Then forge out the center and split the ends and forge the four pieces into tines. No way that you could do that with 1/2" square stock. You might be able to forge weld 4 pieces of 1/2" stock though. was googling garden forks, and stumbled across this 'modern' take that might be adaptable to a smithing approach and a bit easier.
February 10, 201115 yr I don't know how many tines your fork needs but bigfoot is correct. Good one piece forks are hot cut and opened out. Each tine and the tang are then drawn out to length shaped and tempered.It takes a lot of skill and practice with convenience bends and cutting to accomplish this.
February 10, 201115 yr Author I don't know how many tines your fork needs but bigfoot is correct. Good one piece forks are hot cut and opened out. Each tine and the tang are then drawn out to length shaped and tempered.It takes a lot of skill and practice with convenience bends and cutting to accomplish this. Four tined fork is what I'm looking for, the example he'd like to have is here: http://www.smithandspeed.com/catalog/item/4542400/6169485.htm It's not so much that I wouldn't like to do one just for fun, but if I have to break it out of bigger stock it's probably not worth the setup time to make the fixtures needed to do it efficiently. Thanks so much for the input! If you EVER find the step by step, would you share it? Andy G.
February 10, 201115 yr Four tined fork is what I'm looking for, the example he'd like to have is here: http://www.smithandspeed.com/catalog/item/4542400/6169485.htm It's not so much that I wouldn't like to do one just for fun, but if I have to break it out of bigger stock it's probably not worth the setup time to make the fixtures needed to do it efficiently. Thanks so much for the input! If you EVER find the step by step, would you share it? Andy G. Thes are produced commercially, made in batches and using large gas ovens where the blanks and part forged pieces are soaked in tiers inside. Powerhammers are used as well as specialist jigs/formers. The individual blank size for a fork similar to the one shown would be approximately 3" wide x 3/4" thick about 5" long. Rough guide to making one 3 splits in one end, open these on centre and forge a square end making a T shape, fuller down beyond and this piece is drawn out and forged for the socket. The inside pair of tines are then drawn out, and then the outer pair. Not a job for the faint hearted (especially if you dont have a power hammer to draw out the tines), and expect to spend a day (or more) making one, a striker would be handy. If you decide to have a go, good luck with it. Added bit http://www.bulldogtools.co.uk/index.php?mod=11 This Video shows a spade being made, they also make forks, blanks could be similar, but the end used for the spade blade would be split and drawn out into tines. Edited February 10, 201115 yr by John B
February 10, 201115 yr Author Thanks John- Like any good blacksmith, you just have to think backwards, turning a garden fork into a chunk of thick flat bar. I do have a small power hammer, and it wouldn't be terribly hard to do, but I think it (as you say) take most of a day for the first one and be a lot of pounding...I think I have better things to do just now! Makes perfect sense, though, I can see it now. The time consuming part for me is always the slitting/cutting, and then cleaning it up afterwards so it forges out clean. This would make a dandy demonstration, though, for a conference, wouldn't it? AG
February 10, 201115 yr One of the historical smithys I visited in Germany had a video of the smith make a hoe from 2" stock using a board hammer to start the sides out and then a powerhammer to refine it---all water powered BTW. There has been a smithy in that spot since the 1400's they said.
February 10, 201115 yr Might be kind of a longish demo though. I have looked for that set of drawings and haven't found it yet... but I will let you know where it is if I figure it out. I doubt that I can post it as I think it must be copyrighted, though maybe not as it could be in an older book where the copyrights have expired.
February 11, 201115 yr one of the old blacksmith's journal had plans for a four-tined garden fork. as always, excellently illustrated with detailed step-by-step. last time i checked he still had back issues available on his web page.
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