Lock gate rake

[Carl Ryan]

This should be an easy question but my memory has deserted me. What is the name of the rake used to remove rubbish from behind lock gates.

 

Carl

[RLWP]

Keb

 

Richard

[Ray T]

Available here: http://www.tudorenvironmental.co.uk/

 

Also known as a manure rake or drag. Page 7 on link below.

 

http://www.tudorenvironmental.co.uk/images/1Tools1-19.pdf

 

Edited November 17, 2013 by Ray T

[Carl Ryan]

Many thanks. I thought that is what it is called but could not find it in a dictioanary. Not going senile then.

 

Carl

[pete.i]

There ya go.

[furnessvale]

Available here: http://www.tudorenvironmental.co.uk/

 

Also known as a manure rake or drag. Page 7 on link below.

 

http://www.tudorenvironmental.co.uk/images/1Tools1-19.pdf

 

Although the head is correct, the maximum shaft length at 72" is not much use for canal work. Rather than spend good money on one of these, then throwing the handle away, a cheaper option would be to bend up an old fork and fit a new long handle. (Unless anyone knows where a genuine keb can be purchased)

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[Mike Tee]

Head only here -

 

http://erichunter-tools.co.uk/garden-tools/drag-rakes/grubbers-manure-drags.html

[RLWP]

We've been here before! A Keb has a longer straight bit between the cross bar and the horizontal tines, making it more effective for scooping coal and stuff

 

Richard

[furnessvale]

We've been here before! A Keb has a longer straight bit between the cross bar and the horizontal tines, making it more effective for scooping coal and stuff

 

Richard

Yes. The problem is that, unless someone knows different, the correct old style keb is no longer offered for sale by anyone.

 

That leaves three alternatives:

 

1. Manufacture your own from scratch.

2. Buy one of these manure rakes.

3. Get an old fork and bend to an approximation of a keb.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[RLWP]

I've been leaning on Number 1 son to do something about this. We have the forge, he has the skills, we have a keb to copy...

 

He's decided to buy a house instead

 

Richard

[David Schweizer]

I made my own Keb head from an old four thine socket garden fork. I heated up each tine individually to red hot and bent half way along in the vice, and repeated the process another three times. As long as you scribe a line on all the tines before heating they should all end up the same length. Long handles are much harder to find than in the past, but there are still a couple of companies making them, here is one :- http://richardcarterltd.co.uk/product/parallel-ash-poles/

 

Interestingly what is sold theres days as a manure drag is a shadow of what they used to be. As a lad I helped out on a dairy farm at the weekends and the drags we had not only had far more than four tines, they also had ball ends, to stop them scoring the milking shed floor. The had much longer handles, todays examples must be very uncomfortable fo anyone over 5ft tall to use.

Edited November 18, 2013 by David Schweizer

[Grace and Favour]

Another vote for http://richardcarterltd.co.uk/

 

I have found them extremely helpful and a pleasure to deal with