From a local stream eyesore to a hand forged garden hook.
On April 4, 2009, Guilford parent Ricardo Whitaker brought community parents and
children together in support of the Patuxent River Keepers annual stream clean up effort.
The Guilford “Raising the Bar” event collected over 15 large garbage bags of debris and
dumped items from the Oakland Mills stream. During the stream clean up, Howard
County Board of Education member, Allen Dyer, retrieved a long, rusty steel rod.
On April 16, 2009, during a Howard County Board of Education meeting, Allen reported
on the Guilford “Raising the Bar” stream clean up and displayed the rusty rod retrieved
from the stream. Fellow board member Ellen Giles suggested the metal rod be recycled
into a plant hanger or garden accessory.
On October 3, 2009, during a blacksmith demonstration at the Fall Festival for the
Howard County Conservancy, Allen hand forged a portion of the rusty rod from the
Oakland Mills stream into a hook for use around the yard or in the garden.
On October 16, 2009, at the Long Reach High School Conexiones Night, Allen donated
the hand forged garden hook to the silent auction for the benefit of the awards program.
Hand Forged Garden Hook: Creation and Care.
This garden hook was hand forged at the Howard County Conservancy blacksmith shop
using traditional blacksmith tools and a coal fired forge.
First, a hardy cutoff tool was used to cut a length from the discarded and heavily corroded
steel rod that had been retrieved from the Oakland Mills stream. Second, the end of the
heated rod was squared off, drawn out and scrolled into a square ribbon tip. Third, the
horn of the anvil was used to shape the hook curve. Fourth, a section of the rod just
above the hook curve was heated, squared and then twisted between the post vise and a
wrench. Fifth, the top end of hook was heated, drawn out and spread. Sixth, a punch was
used to punch a hole in the top of the hook. After the demonstration at the Conservancy,
the hook was wire brushed to remove scale, touchmarked with “DYER 2009", and given
a mineral oil finish.
