shaping fork tines

OK, I've got the fork, I've removed the extra tines and now I need to make the two remaining tines nice and shiny and smooth and pointy.  There's no way I can do this with a file. The tines are way too hard, I'll be at it every day for three weeks.  So how do y'all get the initial shape and taper in the fork tines?

Once I've got a nice shape I'll go after it with a couple of grades of emery paper to make 'em smooth.

I clamped the fork to my outdoor work bench and then attacked the tines with an angle grinder.  The tines on your fork most probably have a diamond profile and you'll want to work the profile down until it's round. Don't go crazy with the grinder, just remove a little at a time.  Keep the grinder moving at all times so you don't dig out more than you should.

After that, it's all about the flat file.  It shouldn't take very long to do if your fork is clamped solidly.  Draw the file along the length of the tine. Doesn't matter if the file is flat and the tines are curved as the edge of the file cuts just as well as the flat.

Once you've got the tines all nice and shiny, hit them with progressively finer grits of wet-or-dry paper.  Don't use water or anything else.  Dry is fine.  I stopped at 600 grit.

Last thing is to apply some WD-40 to the tines to make them slick.  Re-apply as needed.

...or $35 and trip to Lowes or Home Depot and you will have one for life.

Caught a sale on my Makita and paid only $29 for it.

OR - just put a few coats of paint on the tines and then start your smoothing.  The paint will fill in the low places and the tines will then be easier to get smooth!

I don't think the profile matters that much on an older thin-tined fork. 

The five tined barley forks available on the West Coast have relatively thick tines and removing the diamond profile brings them more in line with the older style tines.

As long as the bag slides off the tines with little or no hesitation and the fork "rings" after the toss, you'll be fine.

Go to harbor Freight pick up a cheap angle grinder. Dremels aren't made for
heavy metal grinding you'll just screw it up.The newer tines that are on
union forks have a great deal of casting marks, you will spend some time(1 -
3 hrs depending on what you want) knocking those down, I like a round rat
tail file which works well then when the metal feels smooth a consistant take
a scotch brite & fine sanding wheel in a drill (not cordless) and that will getit
to a point that is really smooth.

there is less work on the older thiner fork tines than there is on the new
ones. Basically knock the rust off with some navel jelly and some steel wool
and clean them up and you should be ready to go.