How to Make Garden Rakes

Split the end of the rod carefully to a length of 1 foot. Wrap wire tightly around it at the base of the split, to prevent further splitting, and drive a wedge between the two halves at the very end. Soak the split end in water for 24 hours and drive the wedge as close to the wire as possible. Allow the rod to dry.

Hold the split end of the rod against the edge of the larger piece of wood and mark in pencil the angle and points at which it intersects. Use your larger mortiser to drill two square holes through the wood at the correct angle and position.

Drill a holes for each tine along the length of the wood base piece, using the smaller mortiser, on a side at right angles to that in which you made the first two mortises.

Whittle the split ends of the rod down to make tenons that will fit their mortises. Cut the dowels to 4-inch lengths and sand one end of each to a point or round. Whittle the opposite end to a square tenon that will fit the smaller mortises.

Coat all tenons in wood glue and assemble the rake, inserting the split ends of the rod into the larger mortises to form the handle and base rake head and sticking the dowels into their holes to make the tines. Wait 24 hours for the glue to dry before removing the wedge. Coat the entire rake with wood finish to protect it from the elements.