Garden cultivator - video

[Jon]

Garden cultivator. By Cypsmen. 6:24 video:

[WorkerB]

Great idea. Unfortunately my “soil” is heavy clay that sets like rock. Any suggestions as to how to stop the tynes of my garden fork from bending? Do I heat to red then quench or is there a trick?

[Frank S]

Great idea. Unfortunately my “soil” is heavy clay that sets like rock. Any suggestions as to how to stop the tynes of my garden fork from bending? Do I heat to red then quench or is there a trick?

One problem is we have no way of knowing the quality of steel they are made out of. Just heating them until red and quenching could make them brittle enough to snap off the first time you used them. You might be able to heat them this way then reheat them again but not as hot say just before they begin to turn dark blue or around 300c then immediately shove them into heated lime and allow to cool slowly.
If they are made of any kind of better grade of steel this should put a good level of temper in them.
Here's something to note though some steels do not take to water quenching very well at all they become too brittle and require a second or maybe even a 3rd re heating and cooling to toughen them for this reason oil quenching may be a better option.
Again I will stress without actually knowing the grade of steel the fork is made of it could be a crap shoot you may roll sevens, or you could roll snake eyes,

[Elizabeth Greene]

If you take the yellow tines off and just keep the lever mechanism it would be good for digging potatoes or other root crops.