How to Make a Blade for a Hoe

Create the shape of the hoe blade. The standard shape of a hoe consists of a round back end and a flat, wide body ending with the front blade edge. The wide middle section of the hoe is important in picking up and relocating dirt.

Put on your goggles and thick work gloves. Clamp the plate down and use a circular saw, or, although not quite as good, a jigsaw with a metal-cutting blade, to cut the steel plate into the shape of the hoe blade.

Sharpen the flat edge of the blade with the grinder and metal file.

Place the pipe coupling at the center on the rear, round side of the saw as it would be once mounted to the blade. This can be done by laying the plate flat and positioning the pipe so that it's half off the rear side. The finished bottom of the pipe and blade should be flat. Use a pencil, pen or a scratching tool to mark the curve of the coupling off the rear end of the blade. Cut out the semi-circular section of the rear so that it fits flush to the back to the blade, or locate a place near the rear of the blade to place the coupling and trace a circle around the entire circumference.

Cut the pipe to about 1 inch to create a good mounting for the handle. The exact diameter of the pipe depends on that of the handle. Err on the smaller side because the pipe at the handle can be sanded down to fit.

Clamp the blade down to the welding table and place the pipe so that it's either flush in the groove or to the mark placed on the blade. Weld the pipe onto the blade. Clean the weld and check that the blade and pipe are perpendicular. Allow the weld to set and then push and pull to check the strength. Fit the handle into the pipe to complete the hoe.