Sheaf Toss Fork Modifications?

[powwowdancer]

I participated in Highland Games for the first time this year, learning quite a bit in the process. One thing I learned is that each competitor must provide his own fork for the sheaf toss for height. I've purchased a three tine fork for this purpose, but I noticed at the games that their forks were "modified" in certain ways. It looked to me like the shoulders of the tines were wrapped or otherwise built up to add thickness to the diameter, with a very abrupt taper going down the top (thickest part) of the tine. How is this done? What is acceptable? I noticed lots of "customization" of handles for decoration, which was pretty much self-explanatory, but I was considering grinding then sanding the tines, working my way to 1500 grit wet sand paper. Is that a bad idea? I thought that a particularly smooth tine would better facilitate a more clean release of the "sheaf." I've managed to rig up several ersatz weights for practicing my somewhat spastic techniques, especially the 56# weight for distance. I've cobbled together a "hammer," an adjustable "height" bar for weight and sheaf toss, found a 26 pound Braemar stone, etc., and the freakin' fork is the last item I need to be able to practice events in order to do a little better (hopefully) at next years games. I've got plenty of burlap and I live in a very rural area, so baling twine is not an issue, but all my searches for how to modify ones fork have come up with nothing useful. Any advice that anyone could offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Dughlas mor]

Hi, powwowdancer. I`d suggest that you ask the mods to move your post to the Highland athletics sub forum, you`ll probably get a quicker response. I don`t know anything about tossing sheaves, but I can see the advantage of a tapered tine. Once the sheaf moves just a little, it would basically no longer be in contact with the tine. Best of luck with your throwing!

[cessna152towser]

Thread moved to where it will hopefully be seen and responded to by one of our resident experts.

[Alan H]

Absolutely, smooth the tines however you can. I used a grinder, then a file, then coarse grit emery paper and finished off with about 120 grit. 1500 grit is probably not necessary. You're not creating a surgical instrument, here!

I personally used tape and some 1-inch PVC to make a more comfortable grip, but I've seen forks with no adaption and also see forks with really nice wood handles at the bottom of the tines..

[powwowdancer]

Does it matter how thick you wrap it? Do you continue for an inch or two down each tine? I've sen others do that, with the wrapping forming a cone towards the tip. The fork I ordered has a wooden handle, but I intend to put grip tape on it in the two places my hands will go. Also, the two outer tines on mine angle slightly outwards. I'm thinking about bending them parallel with the center tine for an easier release; is that a good idea? Thanks a lot for your answer. There is so little out there on the internet regarding the exact way to do this, and absolutely nothing affordable in the way of "practice equipment." I've been a regular at Ace hardware, buying chain, bolts, steel pipe and lock nuts for fabricating practice gear out of kettlebells. My hammer is a four foot steel pipe with a kettlebell chained to the end, (I started out with a similar length of pvc pipe, but alas, after about then throws, it broke). The cheapest 56# throw weight I could find was almost $200, so I'm using kettlebells chained to a thin steel "ring" for that. The last item I need is a fork, and I want to be sure I do it right.

[Alan H]

OK, something to keep in mind is that different regions of the country have different rules about sheaf forks. I'm in California, and here we allow more or less anything. My Sheaf fork is a Home Depot-purchased 5-time manure fork, cut down to just two tines. I hacksawed off the outer tines and then removed the middle tine. The tines on this fork are quite rigid, there's almost no "spring".

At a Games in June I remembered halfway there, that I'd forgotten my fork. I used a very springy antique 3-tine and the feel was so wildly different that I heaved my first throw into the WOB standards 15 feet away, off to the side. Anyway, whatever you get, practice with it. Know that in the South...Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, the Carolinas, you can't use a fork like mine. It has to be a three-time. So if you plan to travel widely to Games all over the country, it might pay to go with a three-tine hay fork.

I would say to "tape the tines" no higher than where they'll relieve some friction on your hands/fingers. How you modify the very bottom of the tines to be comfortable for your hand is probably up to you. Where you tape the handle is TOTALLY up to you, no matter where you are. Be very careful applying heat to the tines in any way, unless you know what you're doing. You can screw up the temper of the steel pretty easily.