Create Your Own Goat Pitchfork Using 3D Printing and Onshape!

The Ultimate Goat Poop Pitchfork: Your Barn’s New best Friend

Are you tired of not having the proper tools for cleaning up after your goats? Regular pitchforks are designed with larger manure in mind (horses and larger livestock), but when it comes to goat poop—small, compact, and pellet-like—your regular old pitchfork does not cut it. You need something designed with smaller animals in mind! Introducing the Goat Fork: your go-to tool for efficient, quick cleanups in the barn.

Why Do You Need This?

Cleaning your goat’s stall can be monotonous and time-consuming. On top of that it can be difficult when you are trying to conserve bedding, which can be very expensive. A tool that's designed to handle the specific shape and size of goat poop can make cleanup faster and easier. No more trying to scoop up those little pellets with the improper tools, and no more wasting of expensive bedding. This pitchfork has been specially engineered to handle goat manure with precision and efficiency!

What Makes It Special?

1. Custom Tine Spacing: The spacing between each individual tine on the pitchfork is spaced at the perfect distance for picking up goat poop.
2. Horizontal Tine Design: Most pitchforks use a vertical tine design, which is vulnerable to breaking. The Goat Fork introduces a revolutionary horizontal tine design which significantly lowers the chances of tines breaking.
3. Shovel Tip: The Goat Fork features a shovel head tip at the front of the design, which allows for easier scooping, and faster clean up!
4. Interchangeable Handle: On the backing of the Goat Fork, there is a threaded port allowing for the use of interchangeable handles. Now you can choose between a smaller handle or a longer broomstick.

How Does It Work?

Using the Goat Poop Pitchfork is simple:

1. Scoop: Place the fork under a layer of goat droppings.
2. Shake: A quick shake lets any stray bits of straw or hay fall through the prongs while the poop stays on the fork.
3. Dispose: Empty the fork into your compost pile or waste bin.

Perfect for Every Goat Owner

Whether you have a small homestead or a larger goat farm, this pitchfork is a game-changer. Its streamlined design and ease of use make daily chores faster, giving you more time to spend with your goats instead of cleaning up after them.

The supplies needed to make the Goat Fork are as follows:

1. Computer or Device that can access Onshape
2. An Onshape account
3. 3D printer and printing filament

Create a new sketch inside of the Front Plane.

Inside this new sketch, using the corner rectangle tool, create a rectangle with the dimensions 8x3 (inches).

Select the rectangle created in Step 1, and using the extrude tool, extrude the rectangle by 0.5 inches.

Select the front face of the rectangle created in Step 2, and create another sketch. Create a rectangle with the dimensions 0.5x3 along the left or right side of the original rectangle created in Step 2. This process will be repeated to create two small rectangles on either side of the larger rectangle, as shown in the image below.

Select one of the two rectangles (I am using the rectangle located on the left) and use the extrude tool to extend the rectangle outwards by 8 inches, to create the first side of your Goat Fork.

Select the outer face of the rectangle that was just extruded in Step 4. Now create a line that runs 2 inches along the top of the rectangle from the top left corner, and a second line that connects to the bottom right corner of the extruded rectangle as shown below.

Select the right triangle that was formed in the top right part of the rectangle in Step 5, and use the extrude tool to remove 0.5 inches, from the rectangle. This will leave behind a tapered edge that will be used as the outside edge of the Goat Fork.

Repeat Steps 4-6 on the other rectangle created in Step 2. After doing so it should leave you with two mirrored edges, looking like the image below.

We will now start creating the tines of the Goat Fork. First, select the inside face of one of the edges of the Goat Fork (I used the left interior side), and create a new sketch. Using the line tool, create a line that is 0.25 inches in length that runs along the bottom of the edge. At the end of this point using the Circle Tool, create a circle at the end of the line with a diameter of 0.1 inches.

To ensure the tines print well inside the 3D printer, we are going to make the tines have a flat bottom. To create this flat bottom, we will first need to create a line using the line tool moving across the bottom of the edge, following the diameter of the circle. Select the bottom half of the circle and use the trim tool to remove the extraneous part of the circle. You will then be left with a semi-circle with a flat bottom.

To create all the horizontal tines for the Goat Fork, repeat Steps 8 & 9 28 more times, following the procedure laid out. There should be 0.25 inches in-between each tine. Once completed it should look like the image below.

Now you will need to create holes on the other inside edge of the Goat Fork, to ensure the tines are fitted into the other side. Repeat Steps 8-10 on the other inside edge of the Goat Fork.

We will now extrude the holes on one side to create slots for the tines to go in. Select all of the traced semi-circles on one edge that you have created. Using the extrude tool, Remove 0.25 inches from the selected semi-circles.

We will now create the tines which will extend across from the opposite side used in Step 12. Select all of the semi-circles that were created in Steps 8-10, and use the extrude tool, to extend out the tines 7.3 inches. The completed step will yield the image below.

We will now create the scraping tip for the Goat Fork. Select the front edge of the Goat Fork and create a new Sketch. In this Sketch create a rectangle that is 0.5 inches in length and spans from the far-left edge of the front of the Fork to the far right edge, as seen in the image below.

Using the Extrude tool, extrude the rectangle created in Step 14, by 0.05 inches.

We now need to create a threaded hole on the back side of the Goat Fork, to allow for broomsticks or handles to be screwed into the Fork Head. To start this, create a new sketch on the back side of the Goat Fork, and a create line using the line tool that runs from the centerline of the backing, straight down with a length of 1.5 inches. Now create a circle using the circle tool that has a diameter of 1.1 inches.

Using the extrude tool, extrude the circle created in Step 16 by 0.75 inches.

Select the outermost surface of the cylinder that was just created in Step 17 and create a new surface. Create a circle with a diameter of 0.875 inches. Once you have created the circle, using the extrude tool, remove 0.75 inches from the original cylander as shown below.

We now need to thread the inside of the cylinder that has been created. To do this, select the surface on the inside of the cylinder created in Steps 18 & 19 and use the helix tool. Ensure that the target turns are at least 6 revolutions.

We now need to create a small triangle to create the grooves that will be our threads. Select the endpoint on the outermost edge of the helix. Create a new sketch, here you will make a small right triangle, with which will be used in the next step. You can do this a number of ways, I just used the line segment tool to make three lines into a right triangle.

Open the sweep tool and select the right triangle that was created in the previous step. This will be used as the edges and sketch curves to sweep. You will then select the helix that was created in Step 19 which will be used as the Sweep Path.