Reviving an old tool - a scythe

I have mentioned some of the stuff inherited from my parents cottage from time to time, including the rusty sledge hammer and the canoe built circa 1974.

Much older than both of those, however, is the scythe.   I have resisted buying another gas powered tool and have been using the scythe to cut back growing brush along the edge of the cottage clearing and the driveway.  A few years ago, I joined other cottage owners to cut back the growth along the main road. Not surprisingly, I was the only one to show up with a scythe.  Everyone else had their gas powered trimmers. (It wasn't the first time I was caught doing things differently from the crowd.)

I can tell you it's good workout, but with a sharp blade, it works quite well.

The background of the old scythe is a little unclear.  We think it belonged to my grandfather, which would make sense given how old it appears to be.  I'm guessing he would have used it in the 1940s or 50s, but it could be older still.  Our uncle then would have had it for a period of time and passed it along to our dad when he was moving out west in the 1980s.

I know Dad used it at his cottage, and I think that's the first place I did too.

By today's standards, its design is quite primitive.  The wooden shaft is attached to the steel blade with an unusual hardware design. Instead of a collar with clamp to tighten, it has two pieces that secure a short arm of the 'L' shaped blade against the handle.   Last fall, while clearing some brush, the lower end of the shaft of the wooden handle finally broke off just above where it meets the steel hardware that attaches it to the blade.  The original end had been shaved and worked to just the right width and shape for the hardware components to fit and two holes through the shaft held the nuts and bolts securing the two main pieces of steel in place.

This week I undertook to cut off the base of the broken handle and replicate that shape on the remaining shaft and reattach the hardware to extend the life of the scythe.  Using a wide range of hand tools, including a saw, drills, files and chisels over 5 hours, I was eventually able to reassemble the pieces and reattach the hardware.  You can see the results in the picture above. Hopefully, it will all hold together when I next clear the brush around the lot, quietly. 

Hot Water!

Warning: the following post contains technical information of interest to persons conducting research for a DIY project,  or other people interested in off grid projects. If you're looking for the wildly entertaining blog post normally featured here, you might want to skip this one. I decided to post this entry because I found it hard to find information about small scale off grid projects like this one for a cottage.  Please do your own research by talking to solar power experts and viewing other sites and you tube videos.  I am just sharing my experience to help you identify possible options for your own plans. Feel free to post a comment if you want to ask me a question.

On Diving

With the recent Euro soccer tournament and the NHL playoffs a not too distant memory, it occurred to me that the primary meaning of the word "diving" is evolving. While the change is not as complete as the meaning that "surfing" has undergone thanks to the internet, the change for "diving" is decidedly for the worse. This is my stand for the conventional, wonderful "diving".

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Whenever I tell someone we have a cottage, it prompts a great interest and some fairly predictable questions: How far is it? Is it on the water?   Are motor boats allowed on the lake?

Recently, I noticed that another question is surprising me with its frequency:  Can you dive off the dock?  When I hear that question I know the person shares my passion for that short but sharp thrill.  And I realize it is probably just one of many things about the cottage I have come to take for granted after just a few years. The question and the reaction to my response that yes indeed, it’s a great dock for diving, reminds me that I am very lucky that our shore line drops off enough to enjoy this simple pleasure.

Diving off the dock sounds like quite a simple endeavour, but like most things, our personalities are therein revealed.  I have observed three categories of divers. First, there are the freestyle divers. Freestylers don't think about their dive for more than a couple of seconds before they launch themselves off the boards, gladly compromising form for creativity and quick wet results.  They may spin and enter feet first or dive sideways head first, but they are always completely satisfied with the results. Next we have our methodical divers. These swimmers carefully position themselves and contemplate the movements needed to complete a smooth entry and are satisfied with the straight, least disruptive piercing of the water's surface. And finally, we have our philosopher-divers.  These people write a wide ranging discourse in their head while standing in position, nowhere near ready to leap. They contemplate every sensation from the feel of the texture of the edge of the cedar boards which their toes have grasped to the filtered heat from the sunlight, shifting as the trees sway in the breeze. Then they anticipate the excitement of the brief mid-air interlude, the swift entry and the inevitable rush with the chill that will follow. Okay, maybe I've over analysed the philosopher-divers, obviously revealing which category I'm in.  Now sometimes people refer to philosopher-divers as wusses, but really, we just have so much to appreciate that we need extra time to enjoy it.





 


























To optimize the experience for all divers, 2012's first cottage project is a new dock ladder. There is no more need to stuggle to get onto the dock with a push-up and a quarter twist. Whether you want to instantly repeat a wild plunge, you want to perfect your form or you just want to stand around and contemplate the whole experience for another 5 minutes before launching again, enjoy!