Hand Tools and Machinery for Country Living

[caleb]

Glad you're taking it on. I was told by a few sources that most of the unpainted old barns were hemlock, which apparently has some sort of magical oil in it that allows it to avoid rotting in a wet climate.

[Too Tall]

Wow that's cool Jake.

[AngryScientist]

We got a light coating of snow last night and it's cold AF out. I'm about to go out there and attempt some doughnuts in the lawn tractor.

[Too Tall]

We got a light coating of snow last night and it's cold AF out. I'm about to go out there and attempt some doughnuts in the lawn tractor.

I want to see a camel cig. hanging from your lip.

Make it happen man.

Same here, however me being of the lesser hominid variety will train indoors. Oh the shame.

[j44ke]

One of our neighbors - local historian - asked me if I'd found the barbecue in the privet thicket yet. It's in there, he said, where the ladies used it during the summer. "The ladies" were two women who owned the small house and barn (now ours) between the 1930's and 1960's, one of 4 houses dating back to the early 1800's bought in the 30's by several pairs of women in (local term it seems) "Boston marriages". Our street narrows here to a narrower section called "Ladies Road" by some of the older people. The ladies were scientists, writers, editors and publishers from Boston and NYC. They hosted salons and invited writers and others to lecture and take questions. Any men who visited had to stay in a (very) small cabin in the backyard of the houses to maintain proper decorum. And they evidently enjoyed cooking out of doors.

After about 45 minutes of cutting through very densely interwoven and overgrown privet, I saw a chimney.

[TonyP]

One of our neighbors - local historian - asked me if I'd found the barbecue in the privet thicket yet. It's in there, he said, where the ladies used it during the summer. "The ladies" were two women who owned the small house and barn (now ours) between the 1930's and 1960's, one of 4 houses dating back to the early 1800's bought in the 30's by several pairs of women in (local term it seems) "Boston marriages". Our street narrows here to a narrower section called "Ladies Road" by some of the older people. The ladies were scientists, writers, editors and publishers from Boston and NYC. They hosted salons and invited writers and others to lecture and take questions. Any men who visited had to stay in a (very) small cabin in the backyard of the houses to maintain proper decorum. And they evidently enjoyed cooking out of doors.

After about 45 minutes of cutting through very densely interwoven and overgrown privet, I saw a chimney.

Does it have a working future?

[j44ke]

Does it have a working future?

Needs excavation. There is actually a semi-circular wall out to either side and then some kind of stone floor surface underneath a lot of roots and dirt. So fingers crossed.

[bigbill]

I'm clearing weeds and I've bent my hoe pickaxe blade a few times. I used my vise to straighten it out but at some point, I expect it to break. I used it in the PNW to build paths through our property, so it's old enough to vote.

[j44ke]

Before I left for Paris, I helped some friends down the street move a box of artwork they (one an artist) had prepared for shipping to a show in California. They needed to get the box from the studio down to the garage. Fortunately they had a palette and I have pallet forks. A bit tricky as the box barely cleared the door of the studio and then also the one on the garage. And the downhill section was slopped enough that I backed down the driveway as the box was a bit top heavy. I think they'll do this differently in the future! Love the palette forks though. Very versatile.











No photos taken of its arrival in the garage, but the box shipped out the next day and arrived a few days ago.

[bigbill]

Jorn and I are tractor twins. I got my mower this morning. I bought the tractor about three weeks ago, it was a return with 7 hours so I saved about $5K off retail and still got a full warranty. The tractor came with a bucket and I added a fork and box blade. I wanted a mower and the dealer had one on consignment for $1500. When I looked at the mower, the rear wheel bracket was bent and the dealer said he wanted to sharpen the blades. The dealer called me and said it needed new blades and a new bracket for the wheel. He called the owner of the mower who reduced the price to $1000 and the dealer did the parts and replacement for $500. I mowed nine acres this morning and it was very satisfying. Tomorrow I will install the box blade and bucket to correct the drainage across our driveway and drag a fire pit to burn dead Russian Olive trees that need to be destroyed by fire. They're an invasive species and cannot be mulched.

[Too Tall]

Congrats Bill. I just wrapped up a week of playing lumberjack. The 80 acre camp experienced a devastating ice/wind storm this winter that made the trails impassible. With me swinging a chainsaw and my pal pushing the trees/brush with the forks we were able to clear several miles of trails. The little tractor was magic.

[j44ke]

Jorn and I are tractor twins. I got my mower this morning. I bought the tractor about three weeks ago, it was a return with 7 hours so I saved about $5K off retail and still got a full warranty. The tractor came with a bucket and I added a fork and box blade. I wanted a mower and the dealer had one on consignment for $1500. When I looked at the mower, the rear wheel bracket was bent and the dealer said he wanted to sharpen the blades. The dealer called me and said it needed new blades and a new bracket for the wheel. He called the owner of the mower who reduced the price to $1000 and the dealer did the parts and replacement for $500. I mowed nine acres this morning and it was very satisfying. Tomorrow I will install the box blade and bucket to correct the drainage across our driveway and drag a fire pit to burn dead Russian Olive trees that need to be destroyed by fire. They're an invasive species and cannot be mulched.

Looks good. Fork and bucket tag team on my tractor. Rear PTO mower is nice to have.

[72gmc]

Good tractors make good neighbors!

[htwoopup]

Good tractors make good neighbors!

Yup. My neighbor (who is also kind enough to plow our driveway) taking my grandson for his first ever ride in one....

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[bigbill]

I had my ninth birthday party at my grandfather's farm. It was a few months after my birthday, but my grandmother had died earlier that year, so we had a birthday party for me, my sister, and two of my cousins. After lunch and cake, my grandfather walked me out to the Farmall B (gas) with the bush hog on the three point. He put me in the drivers seat which was rust colored metal on a spring that I barely compressed, showed me how to start the engine, engage the PTO, and put it in gear. I mowed about 100 acres that day. Less than a week from my 60th, I still have all my appendages, which is amazing considering my childhood,twenty deployments, and dumb stuff I excel at.

My driveway work held up the torrential rains that have rolled through this week. I'm still going to build it up with gravel, straw, and road base so it can drain.