| Project by ColinVW | posted 372 days ago | 1063 views | 3 times favorited | 8 comments |  |
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Here is a hay fork I made last spring from a fresh red oak log. The stock was riven from a 6 foot section that was quartered, then split to 8 billets. Each billet was then shaped on a shaving horse and after shaping I ripped out each of the tines from the fat end. Red oak dowels were riven and the billets were then shaped and driven through a steel plate to uniform diameter. A copper pin was used to stop the tines from running down the handle. These hay forks are incredibly strong due to the fact that the stock used was split from the log, exploiting the weakness of the lignin while maintaining the strength of the wood fibers. The grain follows from the tips of the tips to the butt of the handle, no crossing grain gives the hay fork strength and great flexibility. A very quick and fun project. Check out Drew Langsner’s book Country Woodcraft, to learn how to make one, and other useful implements.
-- CVW
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8 comments so far
ColinVW
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11 posts in 398 days
#1 posted 372 days ago
still needs a couple coats for linseed oil, should turn a nice goldenrod color.
-- CVW
Bob817
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#2 posted 372 days ago
That’s a real nice Hay Fork Colin.
-- ~ Bob ~ Newton, N.H.
Dennisgrosen
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#3 posted 372 days ago
never seen it before … I gess its for loose stacked hay to handle
thanks for sharing
Dennis
Steve Esterby
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#4 posted 371 days ago
excellent!
-- steve...e-mail-themantelshop@hotmail.com........remember,the best teacher is repetition.
Bertha
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#5 posted 371 days ago
Awesome!!!
-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog
BarbS
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#6 posted 371 days ago
Wonderful!
-- http://barbsid.blogspot.com/
ChrisMc45
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#7 posted 371 days ago
Very nifty, I cannot imagine being fast to make but you have skills and knowledge I lack.
When you say tines were “ripped out”, are you using a froe, or a saw? How far do you cut through, how close to the copper pin?
Ver’ naaace.
ColinVW
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11 posts in 398 days
#8 posted 371 days ago
Thanks everyone for your comments.
The green wood works rather quickly actually, and the money is really made in the roughing. 10 min with a hewing hatchet to the billet can save hours at the shaving horse.
When I say ripped I do mean ripped with a 7 to 9 pt rip filed panel saw. I’ve ripped mine quite close to the hole which was bored earlier to accept the copper pin. say a 1/4’’ to 3/8’’. Others prefer to stay shy a full inch, but what I’ve seen is as the tines are splayed after steaming that remaining inch tends to split to the copper pin.
-- CVW
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