Garden hoe head

[Stormcrow]

This was commissioned by a Zombie Squad member as a present for his sister.  Most of the forging was done with Gunnhilda, my homebrewed power hammer.  I started with a piece of new leaf spring stock, forged out the neck and spread out the preform for the socket.  I actually used math to figure up the size of the socket to fit a regular hoe handle with a bit of shaving on the handle to ensure a tight fit.

 

 

 

Then I rolled the socket and cut the hoe free from the parent stock.

 

 

Then I spread the blade out and thinned it down.

 

 

 

Because the neck got forged a bit off-centered when I forged it, the blade came out off-centered.  I trimmed it more even and ground the edge bevel in.

 

 

I stamped my touchmark on the blade, the first time I've done that on a hoe.  Then came the part of the process that is most difficult for me, bending the neck into the appropriate angle.  If the angle's off a bit, it won't work very well.

 

 

Then I hardened the blade and neck in commercial quench oil.

 

 

 

 

After that I tempered it in my kiln.

 

 

This morning after pulling it out, I drilled a hole and forged a little nail to make sure that it stays on the handle once it's fitted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now it's off to its new home, in time for Christmas.  :)

[bigfootnampa]

Nice looking hoe!  

[Charles R. Stevens]

Good thing this is not a gardening forum, you'd end up with 300 different oppinions as to angle and blade shape as well Lol.
Gardeners are a persnickety lot, I live with one (so glad she hasn't seen it)
As to your hoe, great peace of forge work, I imagine it will be a handmedown from "granny" some day.

[bnewberry]

That is nice work. Itnis tough to find good hoes these days. Most just use a shaft that get friction fit to a hole in the handle.

[Stormcrow]

Thank y'all!

 

Bnewberry - Yep, the first one I made was for myself.  Didn't see the point in paying money for a stamped out crappy tool that wouldn't work well when I have the technology to make my own.  :)

 

Charles - I don't doubt it.  I angled this one like my daddy angled his field hoes, and they work well for me, at least.

[mooreknives]

Nice work on the Hoe, Yes all of our tools and clothes come from China and other places where we shed our blood, I still remember the first time I saw something (gloves) at work that was made in Vietnam, I thought I would throw-up. The challenge for today is to find something made in the good old USA. Sorry for the vent, price over quality rules these days.

[Robert Yates]

Hoe ! that is sweet well done i make most all my garden tools also they last for many years much better then any store bought ones .

 

Sam

[Bentiron1946]

Looks kinda like an antique hoe I saw in a shop for around $50 because it was old and hand made by a smith, something rare this day and age.

[trinculo]

What was the dimension of the parent stock?

Nice work as always stormcrow. I really like your style.

[Stormcrow]

Trinculo - The leaf spring is something on the order of 1/4" x 2" or thereabouts.

[homeshow]

Stormcrow you really make it easy to copy your ideas! Thanks!

[rlbaker]

Nice hoe, I've made a couple but somehow they just don't feel well balanced  they felt more like bludgeons than hoes.  so I never use them. I need to try again and pay attention to what styles used to be made. I have made  forest service type MacClouds(sp?) they seem to lend themselves to different proportions and are great universal dirt grubbing tools. I've never made a mini one for the veggie garden but now the wheels are starting to turn.Hmmmm.

[beth]

thats great! i think i might actually make one of them... might make me look after it better...