Wednesday, May 29, 2013
growin tool handles or an implement tree
All homestead have implements of destruction with broken handles. More often than not it is easier and as cheap to simply buy a new one which leaves us all with a pile of perfectly usable if they had a handle implements. We are no different and found ourselves with this nice assortment which we burned the old handles out of.
Many years ago we ran across a web page that showed an ol feller growing his own tool handles and we thought how cool, one day we are gonna do that. Finally this year, the trees we had coppiced, for another experiment, were ready to fit the implements on and attempt to grow our own handles. Who knows if it will actually work, how long it will take, or if the handles will be straight enough to use. In the mean time, they implement trees will look neat and be a conversation piece.
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I believe my neighbors would be thinking I'm even more of a dumbass than they already think I am. :)
ReplyDelete"Look, Ma! He done got his shovel stuck up in a tree!"
Around here we have these little red cedars. Mostly people cut them down to make fence posts out of as they last forever and they're pretty straight. I've used a few straight ones for walking sticks. I suppose it wouldn't be difficult to ad hoc one together as a shovel handle though.
Let us know in a few years how the shovel handle tree project turns out. You've got more patience than I gots. :)
The shovels in the poplar will not work out. Poplar is too soft. The maple is a better choice. Traditionally, the best tool handles have been ash, but hickory is often choice. Seems that for this zany idea to ever possibly succeed, you would have to be careful to assure that the branch went thru the implement head such that buds and leaves above were still connected with trunk and roots below. If not, most trees would self-prune away these dead end branches ending into tool heads. If it works, and could be repeated, then, talk about "green". You could ask top-dollar for such tools. Imagine the tool farms!
ReplyDeleteDown here in Down Under, we have stands of Fishing Rod trees (guess what they used to used for!). Perhaps the timber is too soft, but they are dead straight and the right thickness to give this project a try.
ReplyDeleteWonderful idea - love the pics! Love the comment about "done stuck up a tree" :-)
thanks heaps,
Trudy Alm