[AT] OT - using pitchfork

[Ralph Goff]

I use one of these forks every day and have for most of my life it seems. 
Its been a good while since replacing a handle though. I do recall using the 
burn method but don't think it was too good for the temper of the fork and 
tines. I'd favour the drilling method.
I've never handled much loose hay as we were mostly into bales by the time I 
was big enough to handle a pitch fork. But my Dad and grandfather must have 
handled a good many tons of hay this way. That hay was usually raked with 
the old horse rake and then "coiled" by hand with pitchforks to dry further. 
Later it was pitchforked onto the "hayrack" and hauled usually to the yard 
and again forked into the hayloft of the barn or else built into a stack 
that would shed water and preserve the hay for winter's use.
I was always impressed how my Dad could handle straw bales on the end of a 
pitchfork when putting the higher layers onto a load of bales or the stack 
in the yard. I never seemed to have the upper body strength to make this 
method work. Heres a picture of him stacking some wheat straw back in about 
1984. Being over six feet tall and using the full length of the pitchfork 
handle he could put those bales way up there.
http://www.redpowermagazine.com/forums//index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=20079

Ralph in Sask.
http://lgoff.sasktelwebsite.net/

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Brueck" <b2 at chooka.net>
To: "'Antique tractor email discussion group'" 
<at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Monday, February 06, 2006 11:29 AM
Subject: RE: [AT] OT - using pitchfork


>I qualify to answer this one.  I always drill 'em out.
>
> It's been a while, but last I checked I could get handles at the local 
> farm
> supply.  It's called Fleet Farm in this part of the country, but that's
> regional.  Seems like I usually end up shaping the wood a little or
> sometimes a lot to match the implement.
>
> B²
>
> Bill Brueck (brick)
> Chatfield, MN, USA
>