Fix a Broken Spade Handle - No talking 

And the sigh they give you as they get out four candles...

I asked for some hose at my local woodwork shop (admittedly, the ‘h’ may have been a little silent) and got a brilliant “are you taking the p…ss” look.

I asked if they sell ‘fork handles’ last week and the storeman said “no, we only sell them in packs of six” before bursting into laughter. I knew before I asked that there was likely to be some sort of reaction 😅

Yeah, thats the worst bit! Let me know how you get on!

Haha, thanks! Speeding up the video makes me look a bit faster it must be said!

Haha, especially if you've watched some of my other videos! Hard for me to keep quiet!

Brilliant! The hardest bit is always getting the old handle out!

@@englishhomestead old handle came out a treat, I liked the way you cut back the rivets after they'd gone in The fork is oiled, and ready to rock. Great vlog, thank you

@@richswain7154 that's great to hear! Hope it gives you many happy hours!

Thanks!

I think that gardeners of old were more like the average height of about 5'8" and not the 6' of today (not as many grow up hungry these days) but we still make everything the same size. This one was a bit longer than the old ones I had and I always loved it for that, so it's great that I can have it back in operation again.

We used to use Stockholm tar on the sheep if they ever had a wound in the summer to stop the flies laying maggots in it! Never thought to use it in my woodwork. I tend to use linseed oil for anything in the garden. I like the idea of heating a finish to help it sink in.

@@englishhomestead Funny you mention that b/c I use Stockholm Tar on my own skin. 😀Pine Tar Soap is great for people who have sensitive skin, and just plain smells great. It's also good for waterproofing canvas and tarred canvas was the overcoat of choice for British sailors since they were already using pine tar to keep the wood and rope of their vessels in good order. Mikko's channel has a good tutorial on how to make your own, and is just a great channel to watch. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5lbHjXmdILQ.html I mix the Tar with Turpentine to stretch it out a bit more, then use a heat gun or torch to cook off the VOCs after painting it on. This helps the tar sink deep into the pores of the wood, something I think's important for that first application. Every year, give your handles a light cleaning to knock off the dirt and such, then apply a light coat of tar-n-turp. Not only does it keep the wood lively and looking good, but the boring bugs hate the taste! Unlike Linseed Oil, pine tar has those natural anti-microbial things going on so it helps stop the wood from rotting and doesn't encourage mold blooms if the wood is in a damp environ. On wood that'll be enclosed, like the end of a shovel handle stuck in a metal ferrule, a coating of pine tar will prevent rot from happening. Experiment with different blends until you find what you like best. Stockholm Tar is expensive on this side of the pond so thinning it out with some Turpentine just makes sense even if it wasn't also helping it penetrate into the wood. Sailors and Yachtsmen have their preferred recipes of "boat soup" that they swear by. Furniture makers will tell you to add beeswax to make a nice polish that's traditional. The only thing you can do wrong is to not use the Pine Tar in the first place. 😁

@@threeriversforge1997 thanks! I will have to try it. I can't imagine putting it on my skin though. The stuff we had for the sheepnwas thick black stuff that would stick to everything.

@@englishhomestead Yikes! The Tenda Brand that I use is gloriously thin, like a syrup, and goes on wonderfully. Seems like a lot of the livestock tars are over-cooked, imo, to get out every last bit of turpentine that they can sell separately. For woodwork, I thin my Tenda pine tar down even more with turpentine so it'll stretch farther and soak in a little easier rather than just sitting on top like a paint. Turpentine also has that magic anti-microbial action going on, so putting it back in the tar only helps. Here's a vid from a gent exploring how a few common brands of Stockholm Tar will soak into rope to waterproof it. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-s3jSe_q4c68.html As you can see, neither are thick as grease. Davey's is the oldest English maker still in business and was making Stockholm Tar for the Royal Navy way back in the day.

Cheers Jimmy!

That shave horse has been used so many times lately. Especially when making things like the greenwood gates from yew. It's the second one I've made. When we moved here I had nowhere to store it and sold it, I wish I had just left it outside like this one as I soon learnt I didn't want to be without! The hammer was given to me by a good friend just before he joined the marines!

@@englishhomestead Is the Estwing one of the longer ones? Mine is and took a bit of getting used to.

@@EnglishCountryLife no, just the normal length one. Not sure how I'd do with a longer hammer, I'm not very good with change. This is very close to my Stanley steelmaster in shape and balance.

I did a second one this afternoon where it had been sat out for years and the handle had rotted in there so I couldn't get a fixing into it to pull it out. for that one I had to drill it out and it was much more work! I try to repair every tool if possible. I have a fork handle left to do so might do that as a more detailed video in the future.

@@englishhomestead I have replaced handles on a few of mine, and for others. A late friend got me into doing that about 20 years ago. He usually lit a bonfire and put the old spade head into it and waited until the handle stump burnt out. I was never happy about the risk of affecting the temper on the steel with it being in the fire for so long.

@@Maker_of_Things yeah, I agree with you on that one. Although I'm sure it's how it was done years ago. I did wonder about heating this back up before putting the handle back on, but then wondered how tight do I really want it? This won't move now.

@@englishhomestead I 'slam' the spade into the ground a couple of times to fit the handle and if I can't pull it back out by hand I then put the rivets in. I figure it will only get tighter in use, especially is it gets a little damp.

@@Maker_of_Things yeah, exactly that. Plus it's never stored in a dry place really, especially in it's main season of use.

In truth I slowed it down a bit for the camera...

😅😅 Having a full kit of tools is essential to how I live. Other than the rivets and the handle itself nothing was bought specially.

I'm really quite annoying in real life! 🙃

Thanks...

It's called a shave horse and is utterly useful! This one is built from 4x2 timber and is easily constructed in a few hours. Google the lunber horse 2000 and you should be able to find the plans for it free online. It's a great bit of kit coupled with a draw knife or spokeshave. You'll never regret having one. Hardest bit of Woodworking is figuring the best way to hold the timber.

@@englishhomestead Eso Es Todo Mi Buen / That's What I'm Talking 'Bout Bro just got off work saw notification did my happy dance "fine, fine, fine, very good, very good, very good" *SLAPS SUBSCRIBE* Button 👍 Thank You really appreciated edit: i cut handle and reused it, little shorter, going to buy harbor freight $22 since handle is $17

@@fvrrljr I'm going to make a handle from scratch soon out of a plank of Ash hopefully. Should be a fun project. Thanks for subscribing!

The tools in my hands is called a draw knife. I'm holding the work with a shave horse (the thing I'm sat on).

@@englishhomestead thanks for the reply

@@ABY68193 no worries. Feel free to ask anything, if I know the answer I'll tell you! Although not promising I'll always know!

It's one of my only non talking videos. I have lots of projects for the garden and smallholding on my channel. I probably talk too much on them!

Thank you! ❤