Pitchfork projects/ideas

[rabbitcreek]

The old home place that my Great Grandfather built and that I was raised in may be sold in the near future. We have always picked up and saved the old bits and pieces of tools or harness that we found in the fields or barn yard. I've got 6 old pitchfork tines that are older than my 56 years and may go back to the early 1900s. I know they are just rusty old junk to most people but when I think of hours and sweat spent using these tools by my family members trying to feed their families, I just can't throw them away.

So I would like ideas on how to transform these into blade/spear/weapon or rustic decorative items. This is my first post and I have tried for over an hour to attach photos with no luck. I hope someone can help me do something cool with these. If I can figure out how to attach photos I have a "pulling" type tool that I have no idea what it is, I hope someone can identify it.

Thanks in advance for your help
Rabbitcreek

[yablanowitz]

You need a paid membership to upload pictures directly. Frankly, it's kind of a pain in the butt. I opened a free account at Photobucket, upload my pictures to that, then copy the IMG tagged code they provide and paste it into my post where I want the picture to appear.

As for ideas for things to do, would you like to preserve these things as recognizable implements or create something new with them? If the latter, can you weld? There are all kinds of cool sculptures out there made from bits of scrap.

[fast14riot]

For a simple modification, you could have a handy marlin spike. Drill a lanyard hole in the fat end. They are handy tools to have around, and good for many things other than splicing and undoing knots.

Heat them, bend them, and hammer the end flat for coat hooks. Take a piece of fence board from the property to mount them on.

For tool research, check out yesteryeartools.com also the axe forum here has many tool collectors that hang around.


-Xander