Garden hoe head

Storm Crow

Storm Crow

Joined
Apr 12, 2006
Messages
2,506
I know it's not an ax, but this seems the most appropriate sub-forum.

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.

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

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Then I spread the blade out and thinned it down.

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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.

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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.

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

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After that I tempered it in my kiln.

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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.

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And now it's off to its new home, in time for Christmas. :)
 
Thanks for posting those up, Randy. No "s" in my last name, though. :)

I need to get some more video of me forging ahead with Gunnhilda. Maybe an ax head? I'm working toward doing some more of those in the near future. We'll see if I forge one while someone's around to film it.
 
Fantastic! I've wanted to do a hoe for some time. (No, not that kind of ho. Come on guys, this is a family friendly forum).
But instead of a leaf spring I want to make it out of some cheap-a$$ re-enactment sword. Literally pound a sword into a plowshare of sorts. What gardener/wannabe smith wouldn't love doing that.
 
Nicely done! Did you determine head geometry based on handle length and user height? I don't have the luxury of ground fit for hand tools like this, so I never really used one much. Looks fantastic though and I imagine will be a source of pride for the avid gardener!


-Xander
 
Storm Crow...welcome back to the ATH! Haven't seen you around in quite awhile. I, for one, would love to see some more of your axes!

That hoe is awesome. The big machete in the video is really sweet!

Now that power hammer...I'm in awe. That's straight up bad ass. I'm thoroughly impressed!
 
Square Peg - That would be hilarious! :D

Fast14riot - I used a fairly standard hoe handle to figure the socket size (2piR for the top and bottom), and the angle is based on an earlier one I made which was adjusted to the angle of some field hoes that my daddy had set.

M3mphis - You'll see more of me. I have stuff up my sleeve that's been brewing a long time that I hope to be able to unveil soon. :) Aside from camp axes that are upcoming.

Gunnhilda may not be the most powerful hammer out there, but she makes more noise than any commercial hammer I've been around. :D She has completely altered the way I work and the scale and speed I can do it in. That and the three-stations hydraulic forging press.
 
You should think about making some halbred style zombie slaying weapons, I bet you could sell a few of them.
 
Storm Crow said:
Thanks for posting those up, Randy. No "s" in my last name, though. :)

I need to get some more video of me forging ahead with Gunnhilda. Maybe an ax head? I'm working toward doing some more of those in the near future. We'll see if I forge one while someone's around to film it.
Click to expand...

sorry James. Must be a Texas thing, we have a lot of "Helms" here in NC, lol
 
No problem, Randy. I worked for a man for a year and he still wrote my name "Helms" on the weekly paycheck. :D Then I had the student back in my teaching days who thought he was height of hilarity to call me "Mr. Helmet". He missed when I explained to the rest of the class the connection between "helm" and "helmet" because he was in juvenile hall at the time.

Omniviking - Very much so. I really enjoy using good hand tools and strive to make sure that's what I make. :)
 
That's an excellent looking hoe! Very nice work on it. Your work is always something I keep an eye out for. Ever consider making a hay knife? :)
 
Very nice looking hoe. Good workmanship.

I purchased a couple of hoe last year that were made from old Disc blades. Best hoes I have ever used. They have enough weight to do the job, but still light enough to control easily. They take and hold an edge like none other I have ever used. I'm betting the one you made will be every bit as good.
 
Nice workmanship on your hoe. Your early pictures looked like you had the makings of a nice bark spud going on.
 
I just wanted to bump this thread and see if Storm Crow had made any more garden tools. This hoe came out so nice, I hope you haven't stopped there.
 
The earlier stages reminded me of an ice fishing spud, to chip a hole in the winter ice. Consider that you may well have a market for those through Fleabay.
 
Square_peg - None since that one. Knives and bush swords and tomahawks and stuff around the shop to do all those more efficiently, but no garden implements lately.
 
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