pitch forks?

[Clueless Newbie]

has anybody ever made their own pitch forks? materials, design?

[Timberwolf]

they make steel rods 1/4"-1/2" that you can easily bend up and weld together. Then need to head treat it so it will be springy. The easiest way I've found is to heat until its red hot and quench in oil. Then allow it to cool and heat it again just until it turns the color of straw (~700* F) and it will be good to go.

[Clueless Newbie]

Thanks Timberwolf!

[bajajoaquin]

I think that you're going to want to check which rods you buy. Regular old mild steel won't harden and temper much. I'm not up to date on my alloys, but I think you'll need something with 30 points of carbon or more in order to do much meaningful hardening.

[usmcpop]

Evenly heating something the size of a pitchfork to quenching temperature isn't easy.

[Timberwolf]

i absolutlely agree USMC but he was asking how to make one and I was tellin :cool: ideally you would either temper it in an oven or the best way I've found personally(I use it to make springs for guns and such that cannot be bought anywhere) is to heat up a pot of lead. Then dip the spring in until the lead no longer sticks to it. Then just let it air cool. Of course for the materials and time it would be easier to go buy one or get one at a farm auction....

[bajajoaquin]

Well, if we're just talkin' about how to make them, regardless of relative cost he should head on over to I Forge Iron, and ask how to make them properly: with a coal forge, anvil, and hammer!

It would be easier to heat them to a cherry red with a coal fire, too!

[usmcpop]

Timberwolf, I don't think you'll get a pot of lead up to the temperature required for hardening.

[Timberwolf]

the hardening in this case is done by heating the whole thing red hot and oil quenching. The stress relief to the steel and the "springiness" is from the reheating in the lead. I'm not saying it is the best way, I am just saying that this is a way that is used to stress relieve metal in order to give it properties that may be ideal for such a device. Just throwing out some ideas for the man.....no need to jump my case. if you got some better ideas throw them out. I'm just giving examples of how we temper some types of steel and what we use it for and am giving him an idea of approximately how hot it needs to be.

[usmcpop]

I misread the bit about the lead, sorry.