Your homemade gardening trowel will save you money and provide a sense of self-sufficiency.
A garden trowel is a small hand tool used to dig up soil for planting. Trowels consist of a cylindrical handle attached to a flat blade. The blade curves upward on both sides, allowing you to sculpt conical holes in your garden about 6 inches deep. You can make a gardening trowel at home with scrap materials. Follow these instructions to make a PVC garden trowel that can be used in your garden or sold to other gardeners and garden supply stores. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Forming the handle
1. Cut a 12-inch section of piping with the PVC cutters. Cut this section in a straight line through the diameter of the piping. This will create two symmetrical, U-shaped pieces of PVC. The optimal diameter of piping for this project is 2.5 inches.
2. Measure 6 inches along the length of the PVC and mark that spot for the handle. The handle will be 6 inches long, the joint will be 1 inch long and the remaining 5 inches will form the blade. The joint is the section of pipe that connects the handle to the blade and forms naturally in this process.
3. Put on a pair of flame-retardant gloves to prepare for the heating process.
4. Do not use a propane torch unless you are fully acquainted with all safety protocol.
Heat the PVC pipe with the propane torch. Apply heat for 30 to 60 seconds at a time. This will make the plastic malleable. Follow all necessary safety instructions when using a propane torch and heating plastic. Have at least 3 gallons of cold water in a bucket at your work site. Make sure you are in a well-ventilated area. Apply the heat in small bursts and avoid catching the plastic on fire. Hot PVC will scorch but it will not cause a fire when heated in short spans. If the plastic catches fire, immediately throw it into the cold water. Do not touch the PVC or the torch with any bodily surface. Limit contact with your materials to the flame-retardant gloves.
5. Heat the PVC until it is soft and malleable. Using your flame-retardant gloves, grab a thick magazine and it wrap it around the first 6 inches of piping. Place the broom handle on the inside center of the pipe and gently fold the soft plastic around around its shape. Do not form a complete circle. Leave a small slit of approximately 4 millimeters to help create an optimal angle for the joint between the blade and the handle.
6. Let the PVC cool for 15 minutes before sculpting the blade.
Forming the blade
7. Heat the first 5 inches of PVC. Follow the same precautions you used when sculpting the handle. Follow the same heating instructions. Leave a 1 inch space between the handle and the blade for a naturally-angled joint that provides structural stability to your trowel.
8. Fold the magazine into a cylinder and insert it into the center of the soft, heated plastic. Roll the magazine outward to the right, flattening the right side of the blade. Do not flatten the outermost 1/4 inch of the PVC. This creates curved sides that retain dirt in your garden. When it is flat, roll the magazine in the opposite direction, repeating the process on the left side of the blade.
9. Cut the plastic with PVC cutters at a 45-degree angle on the right side of the blade, beginning 2.5 inches away from the tip and meeting the center of the tip. Repeat this step on the left side, forming a V shape the will easily penetrate the top soil.
10. Enjoy your homemade tool!
Let the PVC cool for 15 minutes. Use your PVC cutters to make any remaining adjustments that fit your needs.
Tags: flame-retardant gloves, propane torch, side blade, your garden, Apply heat