Weeding tool

[Andy Mac]

This may be of interest to the gardeners out there...
I have made a number of garden tools over the years, like hoes and rakes, some from timber (Zen gravel rake) but most from steel. The most successful one is a little weeding tool, like a small pick, and I use it constantly. In fact so successful I made another, slightly bigger.
I based the design loosely on something I saw in a magazine ad, which was Vietnamese I think. I cut a section of very large bandsaw blade (from a sandstone quarry) using oxy-acet, and knocked out an oval hole at one end. After a quick grind to shape, I then heated the blank and hammered it to shape on the anvil. I welded a squashed section of pipe into the oval hole, then cleaned it all up before annealing and tempering.
A handle of spotted gum was attached (one was a broken tomahawk handle) and off you go...really good for picking weeds out between plants, great for hooking out Kikuya, and just an all-round gardening tool for planting and loosening soil.
I call it the 'Beak', & wouldn't be without one!

Cheers,

[Bleedin Thumb]

AM, that looks great, I recon bush regen guys would lust over that.
Good market if your into that sort ofv thing.

I spent 7 mths in Europe in 1990 doing the OS trip and worked in Holland as a gardener for a stint and their favourite tool was a shoovale" (apologies to all the Dutch for my spelling etc) which was a wonderful blade on a long handle that skims below the soil surface and cuts the roots off weeds killing them. I've seen similar here but nowhere near as good - you should give one a go.

[Bob38S]

Ideal weed remover is a hammer - find one {I did at SupaCheap for the grand sum of $9.99 - fibreglass handle and all] which has a very - repeat - very open claw.
Simply drive it down beside the weed and lever out as you would a nail - works really great.
Sometimes a weed may get caught in the claw part but just a rub in reverse on the ground and you are ready to remove the next one.
Give it a go - you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Regards,
Bob

[watson]

G'day AndyMac,
I'd better keep your description, as I copied your photo and left it on the desktop........herself opened it and wants one.......bugger!
What width was the original bandsaw blade????
Regards,
Noel
PS very good photo too!

[rodm]

Andy,
Thirty years ago an Italian Carpenter who was my woodworking mentor made a few of these that were very similar. He made both long and short handle versions.
Thanks for remindiing me of him.

[Andy Mac]

Hi there,
Glad you like the tools!

What width was the original bandsaw blade????

Its a monster, about 75mm I think, without going out and measuring my stash. Plenty thick too, at least 2.5mm.

Cheers,

[Honorary Bloke]

Stewth! Thought it read wedding tool. My bad.

[Bluegum]

Looks great Andy. Something so simple, might be an market there for you. Never know.

[some_one]

How about going to that show on ABC I think it is called NEW INVENTORS?? You never know who might be watching??

[MAPLEMAN]

What an interesting concept, good for those close up jobs where you are down on your knees but I like the hoe with a long handle for chipping up most weeds and the end of the mattock for the stubborn ones like grass clumps, less kneeling and bending.