I feel goofy posting this but I take those old tools and "fix" them myself. Here is an itcher that has a little bit longer but very lightweight handle I made last year. Well crap. The website cannot size a picture properly. hang on. Yeah thats a cork in the end. It seemed reasonable at the time.
Post them here too please - Let's all share ideas! Who knows what innovations will evolve out of it! As for what I'm doing right now. Well, the thing I won't advice anyone else to do, (if someone feels like trying out my idea) - Don't try this with high carbon steel, as it's very difficult to work with, (unless you can heat it up, it simply refuses to be shaped, as it's too damn hard). After which there is the quenching process too, then tempering also. Yes the final product will be super strong, (and will even shatter rocks if it collided with any while working in the soil). But see how long I've put off this project? It's only because it really made me very tired, (physically), to the point where the fun factor almost disappeared for me... So just do it in ordinary steel, and make life easier for yourselves. That's my advice.
Wondering if building a single gardening tool, all in metal, with a fork at one end and a spade at the other is better? Or having 2 different tools with an off the shelf wooden and plastic handle a better idea?
I agree with you! But what I'm debating right now is - Should I make one tool that does 2 jobs? Or make 2 seperate tools? That's what it's all come down to... I know I'll be very angry if 1 of the 2 ever got misplaced. Or if someone borrowed them, and conveniently "forgot" To return one, and later pretends that they had only borrowed one. Or if 1 of the 2 accidentally gets forgotten or left behind when I'm out in the wild exploring. Having 2 things to carry at the same time means having twice the amount of things to keep track of... Another advantage of having a single tool that does 2 jobs is saving in overall size and weight. Also, when combined it can function as a fighting weapon too, in a self-defense or survival situation, like a zombie invasion.
I do not see how I could hold it, or pick it up with all that metal and capacity. Or are you actually about to build a tractor?
All welded up! Super strong! Just some finishing touches left, which I'll do later. But for now it's perfect. 3 and a half feet long, 4 and a quarter inches wide at both ends. Will rust-proof abd paint it tomorrow.
He knew how to use it. https://www.usni.org/magazines/nava... real life, Eddie Albert,hero in World War II.
