I think that's a spade, Scott.
d&r---yr ol pl; gam
How horrible it is to have so many people killed!---And what a blessing one
cares for none of them!
Jane Austen
From: scott grandstaff
To: porch
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2018 7:45 PM
Subject: [OldTools] peeling poles with a shovel
Well I have been peeling poles.
Sticks really.
I had a couple of cypress trees taken down in my yard (made a splendid
mess).
I had planted the trees maybe 20 years ago. They were supposed to be
ornamental bushes maybe 12' tall at maturity. Just a bit of low privacy
along the fenceline is what I wanted.
A mixup at the nursery. Little did I know they were actually Leland
cypress.
They were rootbound in little pots when I met them. So for about 5
years they sat there and did nothing. Then they began to grow, nearly
doubling each year. They got to about 40' and started leering over my
neighbors house.
I like my neighbor. Never meant to threaten his place.
So I found a guy who zipped up the tree with gaffs, and took them down
in pieces.
A glorious mess made in practically minutes flat.
I saved a few pieces of stump in case they dont crack too bad and make
decent chopping blocks.
They are so loaded with knots I guess they'd be about impossible to split?
And so loaded with pitch I cant see them rotting quickly either.
The limbs are long and almost symetrically curved. Its cypress, so I
hear its rot resistant.
I figure trellisses or maybe a small ornamental fence I could work up?
Well I have sporadically peeled poles with a drawknife for much of my
life now. Pretty good at it, and have several weapons for it.
But I had heard of guys using a shovel. So just for fun I got one out of
my stash and thought, why not?
It took me a couple of tries grinding to get the angles down.
And it takes some skill at directing that angle, in use.
Sharpening I do with just a file, but a single cut fairly fine tooth
file. Back and forth on each side forming a fat burr and then worrying
the burr away, until I get it "sharp enough".
But Holy Mackerel!
3 and 4' strips of bark, and almost completely effortless! I'm sold!
Who knew I had a perfect bark peeler, that I didn't even like that
much as a shovel?
yours scott
http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/images/oldtools/shovelshave1.jpg
http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/images/oldtools/shovelshave2.jpg
http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/images/oldtools/shovelshave4.jpg
http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/images/oldtools/shovelshave3.jpg
--
*******************************
Scott Grandstaff
Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca 96039
scottg@s...
http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/
http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/index.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------
OldTools is a mailing list catering to the interests of hand tool
aficionados, both collectors and users, to discuss the history, usage,
value, location, availability, collectibility, and restoration of
traditional handtools, especially woodworking tools.
To change your subscription options:
https://oldtools.swingleydev.com/mailman/listinfo/oldtools
To read the FAQ:
https://swingleydev.com/archive/faq.html
OldTools archive: https://swingleydev.com/ot/
OldTools@s...
|