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  • From: Clansgian AT wmconnect.com
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Useful homestead tool
  • Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:09:34 EDT


> >As you know from your usage of handtools and other manual labors, pulling
> is
> always the preferred method of work over pushing. It is easier to control
> your efforts, and easier to control the outcome. One rarely skins a knuckle
> when pulling the wrench.


True just short of the word 'always'. Yes, planes, drawknives, spokeshaves
all work with a much finer degree pulled than pushed. That too is why I
favor
Japanese saws, the teeth are backwards and cut on the pull stroke.

How-some-ever, one does not pull an axe. With an axe you are concentrating a
lot of force on a small edge and you'd get not where drawing it. A
wheelbarrow performs two functions: being a 'unicycle' cart, it is the most
maneurverable and it is also made to tip. You can accurately shed the entire
load in
one simple motion. Pushing the wheelbarrow consentrates a lot of force
accurately on moving the one tire much the idea behind swinging an axe. Yes,
I' ve
stalled a loaded wheelbarrow and just about landed in the tray, but it was
mainly due to stupidity rather than the dynamics of the barrow.

A large wheeled cart can be pulled as well as pushed. The larger the wheels,
the easier the pull (or push). Many a time I've pulled the cart on level
ground and switched to pushing when going up a steep grade.

It's the small wheels and four of them that I see as the weakness in the
system. A wheelbarrow is an effective second class lever with the wheel
being the
fulcurm. You are concentrating the downward vector balanced on one wheel.
But a four-wheeled cart amplifies the irregualarity of the ground.

There's a reason why two wheeled carts are so popular. </HTML>




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