Onoff Posted May 4, 2021 Share Posted May 4, 2021 How, traditionally, are handles fitted to sythes like this? These handles are rotten with woodworm. Plan is to remake them in local timber. Is it called a "tang" the section that fits into the handle? Something in the back of my mind is saying the tangs were heated up and pushed into the wood... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markc Posted May 4, 2021 Share Posted May 4, 2021 Yes its a Tang, hole drilled in the handle under size, tang heated and then pushed into the timber to burn a perfectly sized and shaped hole. Sometimes a small amount of tree resin or hoof glue was used to fix handles in place after burning. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted May 4, 2021 Share Posted May 4, 2021 Once that was done (see above) , my dad always used to put the handle and the bottom bit of the scythe in a bucket of water and leave it for a good while. Swole up a treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 19 minutes ago, ToughButterCup said: Once that was done (see above) , my dad always used to put the handle and the bottom bit of the scythe in a bucket of water and leave it for a good while. Swole up a treat. Sounds swell... Another one, are these in fact sickles rather than sythes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vijay Posted May 4, 2021 Share Posted May 4, 2021 4 minutes ago, Onoff said: Sounds swell... Another one, are these in fact sickles rather than sythes? I thought sythes were the large ones with a double handles (one half way down a long handle) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Punter Posted May 4, 2021 Share Posted May 4, 2021 Are you building up to a Poldark moment @Onoff? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 15 minutes ago, Mr Punter said: Are you building up to a Poldark moment @Onoff? SWMBO lives in hope! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 Scythe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted July 16, 2021 Author Share Posted July 16, 2021 Any internet, bargain hunting sleuths on here find me a two handled, "Poldark" style sythe for around the £50 mark...delivered? I've looked Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 (edited) I bought one of these and it works quite well (but I did replace the wing nut with a nylock one) the “Alpine’ shorter blade works better for rough ground attacking weeds etc rather than grasslands or crops. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alpine-Grass-Scythe-folding-Lightweight-1-5m-Long-Alloy-handle-150cm-quality-/265229372245?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338268676&toolid=10044&customid=Cj0KCQjw_8mHBhClARIsABfFgpikyIv7LqgUqj6ieXHI33nWE23Geyd1qo5tTqi_7Ut3sMqGbZAjLJkaAqiKEALw_wcB Edited July 17, 2021 by joe90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted July 17, 2021 Author Share Posted July 17, 2021 27 minutes ago, joe90 said: I bought one of these and it works quite well (but I did replace the wing nut with a nylock one) the “Alpine’ shorter blade works better for rough ground attacking weeds etc rather than grasslands or crops. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alpine-Grass-Scythe-folding-Lightweight-1-5m-Long-Alloy-handle-150cm-quality-/265229372245?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338268676&toolid=10044&customid=Cj0KCQjw_8mHBhClARIsABfFgpikyIv7LqgUqj6ieXHI33nWE23Geyd1qo5tTqi_7Ut3sMqGbZAjLJkaAqiKEALw_wcB Been looking at those. Might have the offer of one over in Essex. Means a road trip, passport, border control, import duties etc. Not sure if an Essex scythe will work in Kent... ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 (edited) 1 minute ago, Onoff said: Means a road trip, passport, border control, import duties etc. Plus self isolation afterwards ? I have an “antique” original scythe but the blade is so long it’s very difficult to control, the alpine ones have a much shorter blade. IMO much easier to use ? Edited July 17, 2021 by joe90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 17 hours ago, Onoff said: Poldark Demelza came from Illogan. A strange place near Redruth, full of Cornish Units. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted July 17, 2021 Author Share Posted July 17, 2021 Most impressed that there's a Scything Association. Even more so there's a chairman. https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a858489/poldark-aidan-turner-shirtless-scene-scything-association/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted August 15, 2021 Author Share Posted August 15, 2021 Bump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted August 15, 2021 Share Posted August 15, 2021 I am looking at a finger mower to fit on my vintage tractor, far easier to use than a scythe (at my age). I will use it to cut the meadow grass so the flowers can self seed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted August 15, 2021 Share Posted August 15, 2021 Mind the cat! We had a finger mower for our old grey Fergie, and it was lethal, because it isn't visible in the grass and doesn't have any safety features. We changed to a mulching topper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted August 15, 2021 Share Posted August 15, 2021 2 hours ago, Jilly said: Mind the cat Did you end up with a Manx Cat? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted August 15, 2021 Author Share Posted August 15, 2021 (edited) Bloody Hell, sulphur powder is something else! Drilled the handle out 5mm. Of course the long series drill wasn't long enough. Packed the drilled hole with sulphur powder. Tried heating the tang with the MAPP torch but it wasn't getting hot enough. Off to the BiLs and he got it to cherry red with the oxyacetylene. Pushed it into the handle and there was much smoke, flames and gas as the tang burnt it's way in. The smoke cloud got under the visor of my 3M Bionic mask...what fun! Tbh the original tang wasn't really long enough so I cleaned up an M5 bolt and the BiL gas welded it onto the tang. Gave the tang a quick coat of cold galv: A washer and nyloc then cut the excess off. Edited August 15, 2021 by Onoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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