Home made trowel/spade!

I got bored yesterday as it was wet so decided to make something Ive wanted for a while. I break and lose loads of hand trowels a year, my latest to break was a expensive stainless steel darlac. The weld broke weeding out a dandelion.

What I wanted is the strength of a spade but the lightness and blade size of a trowel but most importantly carbon steel so I can have it razor sharp and a handle on top to give leveradge.

Que a carbootsale spade and four hours of grinding, sanding and a half hour of peaning two new rivets.


The spade, pattern drawn on in welders chalk ready to cut:



My old trowel, lasted a month b4 breaking whilst leavring out a dandelion root!!





Finished job, a few coats of linseed oil later and of course the obligatory red paint that all my tools are marked with!

 

Blimey that's a weapon and a half! Dandelions up and down the country quaking in their roots I expect!

 

Looks the biz; are you taking orders? I'm fed up breaking hand trowels doing what seems like simple gardening. I only buy cheap ones now as the expensive ones break just as easily.

 

Poor old spade, it looks like that was some ones pride and joy a few years back.:D

Do you really find a hand trowel much use, other than planting, I dont use one.

 

Lol Pete, for planting and weeding in tightly planted borders (cottadge garden style) I use one a lot everything else I use a hoe in and or full sized tools.

 

That's great Pro, but you will have to be honest with us and let us know if/when it breaks! You know you make us that just sit around when it's raining feel guilty don't you!

You'll have to start taking orders - something to keep you busy when you are not working (whenever that is), lol. You could have a good little sideline there although for the amount of work you do on it it would be quite expensive but then, would last for years. Let us know how it works out.

cheers

 

Looks good, Pro. I've always preferred carbon steel for any tool that is subject to levering or needs sharpening. Stainless steel may shed the mud easier but it just doesn't seem as strong.