POTD was fixing my wife’s favorite pitchfork. The wooden handle had rotted out of the tool end. I went with a piece of Creform stainless steel tubing for a replacement instead of wood. The tubing is actually lighter than the wood and won’t rot out again.
Sadness for my wife when the pitchfork broke off the handle. The replacement is thin-walled stainless steel
I started by turning a piece of polyethylene rod down to the ID of the tubing. The tubing at the handle and the tool end would get a healthy length of plastic inside the tubing for reinforcing, plus something to screw into to secure the handle and pitchfork ferrule.
Turned a plug/filler rod to fit in the ends of the tubing for reinforcement
The handle and pitchfork have tapered internal holes. Started these tapered bushings by drilling out and boring another piece of PE to fit over the OD. I measured the taper of the handle end with calipers at two depths and did the trig for the taper angle. The pitchfork end was a little easier as the wall thickness was consistent, the OD has the same taper as the ID. I set tapered angle blocks on the outside of the pitchfork end and measured across the tool/angle block at two points to get close to the angle.
Drilled
Bored to diameter
Checked fit with the tubing which was left in place for reinforcement while tapering the outside
Thankfully, my Grizzly G0709 lathe has a taper attachment. The compound would have worked too but I didn’t need the practice turning it 35 times each direction to cut a 3 ½” length of taper. I set a piece of the stainless tubing in the bored hole for support and cut the outside taper.
Taper attachment set up to cut the tapered OD
Checking fit with the handle end
Checking fit of the pitchfork ferrule end
I didn’t show it, but the pitchfork end of the tool has a wooden insert with a rectangular hole cut inside to hold the pitchfork. I filled the cavity with polyurethane glue to help reinforce the wood and lock the pitchfork tool into the ferrule. Slipped the reinforcing plastic in the ends, bushings over top, handles/ferrule in place and drilled/tapped a couple of 10-24 holes to lock it together.
All good!
Wife is happy which makes me happy! Thanks for looking.
Bruce