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.

 

[rhinoknives]

Very cool Garden Hoe for little Sis!

Nice work! She and any children will be planting and reaping with that baby for several generations.

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com

 

[Lagrange]

That is cool. I really never thought about it, but a hoe? why not? And a nice one at that!

 

[cwilliams]

Nice job on the hoe looks very well done. But you cant talk about your home brew powerhammer and then not show pics. Thats just mean.
CW

 

[Stormcrow]

CW - Go to Youtube and search for Gunnhilda hammer and you'll get some videos of it.

 

[TASelf]

Awesome hammer, very cool!

 

[12345678910]

I've used some hoes in my life and the handle to socket fit is really important to avoid wobble.

Did you form the taper on a mandrel or free hand it ?
It's a nice feature to keep the bottom end of that taper open so you can drive it on a little further as it shrinks.


The hardware store stuff now is so poorly made, this one will stand right out.

I've known people that keep hoes handy for use as a reacher, grabber, walking stick and never sees the garden at all.

How would you do a solid socket ?

 

[Stormcrow]

Count - I free-handed the socket for the most part, using the step on my anvil to start it. I did have to use a mandrel a little to get the seam where it wasn't overlapped down at the bottom. I also used a swage block a little to make sure the socket was nice and round.

As for a solid socket, I'd probably arc weld it. Not much reason to, though; this is plenty strong and you will break the handle or bend the neck before the socket goes anywhere.