The teeth on a factory made wooden hayrake are often the first part to break because they’re made from cheap dowel. I made the teeth for my rakes from ash with the fibers of the timber running perfectly along each tooth making them a strong as possible for a lifetime of work. I start by splitting a small log into square Billets each one just slightly larger than the finished tooth.
These billets are then knocked through a tine cutter, a simple tool consisting of a steel tube sharpened at one end. There’s a bit of a knack to get the teeth to go straight through the cutter but once you’re in the zone it’s quite addictive and quick to build up a good stock of teeth. My Devon state basket is perfect for storing the finished teeth in.
I’ll have a small number of wooden hay rakes available for sale at my Learn to Scythe courses and also hope to be running another workshop so that people can learn to make their own rake for themselves. Here’s Anthony looking rightly proud with a rake made with me last year.
