Мы строим деревню / we are building ecovillage: ручной инструмент

The significance of hand tools.

Falconov81 18.12.13 в 11:27

The building is probably the most important thing that was surrounding us during the developing of the house. Constant and different building: from sluggish to emergency one. From small (equipping of the footsteps to the spring), to the global one (building of the house). It emerged that the building depends on the good instruments greatly. I would say: with the availability of good instruments the process of building becomes more effective and pleasant. I didn’t discover that queen Anne is dead, everything is pretty evident, but, frankly speaking, we hadn`t attach the significance to it, and what’s more, it turned out to be that it’s not so simple today to find good instruments.

Yanne 01.03.14 в 12:31

For example, the mallet. One would think what can be simpler - the piece of iron on the stick, but I don’t know why many mallets which we had bought got out of order very fast: the handle flies off or the head splits up (!). Maybe the reason is in the so called “planned obsolescence”, the theme of which is discussed in the film «The Story of Stuff». I strongly recommend it to you.

Yanne 01.03.14 в 13:20

Now we do ours utmost to gather good and old instruments from friends and relatives. People still have stocks of good and old stuff. It is subjected not only to building implements. For example recently my mother gave me her old mincing machine and hand-mixer with words having said that she lives in 21 century, and don`t like we in the Stone Age. But an old Soviet mincing machine is really eternal and new electric one is unfortunately not. In addition it consumes a lot of energy.

Yanne 01.03.14 в 14:06

There are good modern hand-instruments but they are quite expensive though their price is justified. That’s why we endeavour to buy them, they are reliable investments.

Yanne 01.03.14 в 14:33

The instruments by “Fiskars” have proved themselves: we use their axes, earth auger, spade and saw.

Yanne 01.03.14 в 14:39

Hand tools also mean the independence. Yes, we have petrol generator which gives electricity to various circular saws and drills, but sometimes because of some reasons it doesn’t want to crank up and the work without hand tools stops. Or the petrol can run out. Or something else. That is why hand tool is one of the most important resources. I had written these words and went to the forest to fell a pair of deadwoods. Long time I swam waist-deep in snow, found some deadwood, pulled out the motor saw handle…it champed and died. The petrol which I didn’t check before going run out. There we have it. I had to rowed back through snow banks with nothing. One more time sign to everything mentioned above.

Yanne 14.03.14 в 06:06

(You can find more information in the book "The Hand Sculpted House, A Practical and Philosophical Guide to Building a Cob Cottage" in the chapter "Hand Tool Reflections")

Yanne 01.03.14 в 15:22

Walkarounds

Falconov81 18.12.13 в 11:32

Hand tool that we use in the garden:

Falconov81 18.12.13 в 11:28

shovel

Falconov81 18.12.13 в 11:29

hoe

Falconov81 18.12.13 в 11:29

Fokin`s subsurface cultivator

Yanne 15.02.14 в 16:02

rake

Falconov81 18.12.13 в 11:32

watering can

Falconov81 18.12.13 в 11:31

bucket

Falconov81 18.12.13 в 11:31

wheelbarrow

Falconov81 18.12.13 в 11:31

braid

Falconov81 18.12.13 в 11:30

pitchfork

Falconov81 18.12.13 в 11:30

Hand tools that we use in construction and at home:

Falconov81 19.12.13 в 07:09

Axes: carpenter and collins

Falconov81 19.12.13 в 07:18

hammer

Falconov81 19.12.13 в 06:26

nail remover

Falconov81 19.12.13 в 07:08

two-handed saw

Falconov81 19.12.13 в 06:25

saw

Falconov81 19.12.13 в 06:26

brace ( hand drill, that I also use like hand screwdriver) + drill bits

Falconov81 19.12.13 в 06:45

scrap

Falconov81 19.12.13 в 06:20

builder's level

Falconov81 19.12.13 в 06:27

screwdrivers

Falconov81 19.12.13 в 06:28

flat file

Falconov81 19.12.13 в 06:39

construction stapler

Falconov81 19.12.13 в 06:37

adze: flat and half-round

Falconov81 19.12.13 в 06:36

plant garden auger

Falconov81 19.12.13 в 06:31

If I would have to move somewhere with light baggage to the the nature, with the minimum of things, from the tools I would take with me:

Falconov81 19.12.13 в 06:24

ex

Falconov81 19.12.13 в 06:20

saw

Falconov81 19.12.13 в 06:20

shovel

Falconov81 18.12.13 в 11:34

hoe

Falconov81 18.12.13 в 11:34

bucket

Falconov81 18.12.13 в 11:33