Trying to make a "D" handle for a scoop shovel. I started with a piece of 1.5" 10 gauge tubing because I have a bunch and it fits the shovel. I did some of the heating with OA to try and localize where I wanted it to bend. Everything was going fine till she cracked. I was trying to spread it open on the horn and probably didn't have enough heat where it cracked. Also the horn doesn't seem too well suited for evenly opening it up, it wants to twist. I have some heavy wall 2.5" pipe I may try in place of the horn. Thinking about mig welding the crack and continuing on. Any advice welcomed.

Make the Handle straight!! Has worked that way for Years.

When you experiment with exhaust tubing, the material tells you what it doesn't want to do. It is good for Exhaust work.

Neil

Neil,

 

This is a scoop shovel. A straight handle would be very awkward and difficult to keep balanced when loaded.

 

bigb, you obviously know how a scoop shovel functions Vs a spade. Keep trying to make that handle, no tellin how much knowledge you will gain from the process.

Good Morning,

A 5" piece welded on the end to make a "T" would do the same thing.

The material you are starting with is exhaust tubing. It's strength is low.

Neil

Slide a collar / washer up and over the tubing and then do some welding...add a horizontal wood handle and you've got it.     DIY

9 hours ago, swedefiddle said:

Good Morning,

A 5" piece welded on the end to make a "T" would do the same thing.

The material you are starting with is exhaust tubing. It's strength is low.

Neil

That might work but in looking at some older, original D handles (before they all went to plastic) they look to be made from pipe/tubing. I am mainly doing this for fun and experience and wanted to make an original looking handle with a piece of hard wood for the grip. I suppose the steel handles were probably stamped in the last 60 years or so? I have access to all kinds of tubing and rigid pipe, Do you think it is a futile endeavor? What about rigid pipe? I also thought about starting with two pieces of flat stock and shape them then thru bolt them to the handle. I am bound and determined to spend 3 days fixing a $17 shovel!

8 hours ago, Bhutton said:

Slide a collar / washer up and over the tubing and then do some welding...add a horizontal wood handle and you've got it.     DIY

I like that idea

11 hours ago, swedefiddle said:

Good Morning,

A 5" piece welded on the end to make a "T" would do the same thing.

The material you are starting with is exhaust tubing. It's strength is low.

Neil

I think I understand. Weld a piece of flat stock onto the end of my tubing and bend it up into a "U" to hold the grip? I know it's probably tiring explaining things to all the newbies that come through but just so you know I really do appreciate your help.

2 hours ago, bigb said:

 Do you think it is a futile endeavor?

No such critter. All endeavors are worthwhile persuits when you are learning. It's for your joy and knowledge, so I say roll with it. If it was for production/sales, I'd suggest searching for a different method

Learning how to make that form out of metal will do you wonders.  Everyone that's telling you to make a T-handle is only looking at it as a solution to getting a handle on a shovel quick and efficient..... and they don't know how to make the form you're asking about.

I know I've seen a tutorial about those D handles somewhere.  Might be in one of my books.  Might have been something I've seen on the internet.  I'll search a bit!

It looks like you're trying to duplicate a process, that was most likely done in a closed die.
Obviously, a "U" shaped piece, made from an appropriate size of flat bar would be easy to form.

The trick then, is to mount it firmly to the end of the handle.

I would think a couple of inches of tubing on the end of the handle, to act as a reinforcing sleeve, and several inches of flat "tang" added to the bottom of the "U" shaped piece, and inserted into the end of the handle, might work.

I'd probably stick a rivet through the reinforcing sleeve, that also passed through the tang, ... thereby locking everything together.

 

.

 

 

That's what I'm thinking Smoothbore, stamped from a flat piece of med carbon steel, rolled into the socket with the sides formed. Two strokes in the press, a little dressing to close the socket and drop it in the water to harden.

Were I going to make one I think I'd spray a D handle with wax and cover it in duct tape. Cut the tape at the seam in the socket, flatten it out and use it for the template to cut the steel sheet. Form the handle sides before you roll the socket and curve the handles HOT. It should form right up.

Frosty The Lucky.

Thanks for all the replies. I'll post up what I come up with, although it may be a while as my forge time is limited with running a business, family and home chores that always seem to pile up on me. Sometimes my workbench gets piled up with items needing repair and I just have to stop and fix them. Last weekend it was a wooden cow skull with a broken horn, a 12 volt impact driver that needed brushes, a Bosch multi-tool that needed a new cord and a steering stabilizer on my F-350. All this after the yard work and tree trimming and roof repair.

 

Success!

 

I knew this piece of scrap I got at the yard would come in handy someday.

 

 

And a nice piece of varnished Arizona Mesquite off one of my own trees for the grip, with a little curve for comfort.

 

 

 

 

 

I wanted to do rivets but after an hour or so practicing on scrap with limited resources and no real rivet tools I decided that this would be bolted.

 

 

 

The bucket tooth welded to the 1/2" plate is my home made bottom tool. I used it to split the lengthwise cut open. I use it to open my split crosses as well, works great.

 

 

 

This time I drilled a 1/4 inch hole at the ends of the split. I also heated more of the piece at once with a larger fire. No splitting.

Neil, I don't think it is exhaust tubing. Exhaust tubing is 16 gauge, this is 10 gauge CRS. I can tell you that the finished product is rigid and strong, it does not flex with a full load of gravel.

Persistence pays off! Looks good, how's it work? That bottom tool you made sure looks like a primo kindlin splitter to me.

Frosty The Lucky.

fully folded version from sheet metal, its not a big stretch from your welded handle