WINTER INDOOR GARDENING PROJECTS "TOOL's "

[Henry100]

Hello earth lovers,

Well a big welcome back,

I said Gardening is an all year round hobby and it's not only about the soil/planting / Fighting / (the weeds)

We have a lot more to both learn and Interest us and also by doing some of the next "TOPIC"s task you may find a few answers to why something went wrong,

So lets have a look at what we can do in the shelter of our workshop/shed etc

TOOLS,

We all need tool's to do even the basic work, No matter if it is just a few hanging baskets / Window box's / Or the more larger garden work,

I am going to start by the non engine tools, those that have wooden shafts / Handle's even in some cases the metal handle ones,

This is a good time of the year to get all your wooden Handel tools ie Rake:Fork/spade hand Trowel/fork hedge cutters etc etc etc

All the tool's with wood shafts need the wood to be cleaned and treated to retain the wood, Linseed oil  painted on to the wood work is what these tool are treated with when first made,

TIP

The Larger tool's are best hung or stood upside down so the Linseed oil can soak into the wood and just leave the tool in this position

until it is truly soaked into the wood, a second coat can be used, Your trying to keep the wood from becoming dry and weak,

The cleaning and sharpening of the tools should be done now, ie spades : Hoe, work much better if they are sharp, I use the old method of using a File, forks tines can also be both made sharp and any repair to the tines done  such as if they have a bend in the odd tine, do this work in a good vice,

This cleaning of the metal parts of the tools and given a spray with a fine oil (WD40) brings the tools back to a good state and ready to do the jobs you got them for,

Tip's

I have two tips here that i have used for many years and i know they are both good tips and both work, so here goes,

TIP (1) the smaller hand tools such as hand trowel / fork metal or wood/ Hand bulb/planter etc, These tools can be and often are lost in the border /wheel barrow full of weeds etc, They blend in like hell and are hard to see,

The answer really is simple, Now you have just cleaned / made sharp these tools Now we are going to make them easier to see in among the soil/ Large growing flowers or veg leaf etc All you need is a roll of masking tape, two or three tins/spray can's of gloss paint, or any old gloss paint & a paint brush, brush cleaner.

( 1)  Paint the top of your (lets say trowel RED) and bring this coat of paint down 1inch

(2) put a strip of masking tape around the complete Handel  Shaft and paint a coat of the second color (Yellow)

(3) put the last strip  of masking tape around the Handel and paint the final coat (blue)

Now remove all masking tape before the paint dries,, Leave for about an hour and you have your tools ready for another seasons work and you'll be able to see them easier when they are sitting on the ground or if you happen to leave in the barrow

(I never use green color as it  is hard to see if near grass or any green stuff ie weeds. or in the barrow when your emptying it,

TIP 2

Keeping the larger tools both clean and lightly greased again is a simple task that you can make now and it will last a life time,

You will need (1) Half small oil drum

(2) sand/Grit mix to 3/4 fill the metal half drum, (a small size oil drum will do ) (3) old used waste engine oil approx 1/2gall to start

The idea is to have this drum in the corner of your tool shed (away from rain ) Now after a days gardening just clean off the top soil etc and then push the metal of what ever tool you need to clean /grease deep into this drum a few times up & down motion and you have a good clean and greased tool ready for the next days work, A simple bit of kit and last a life time and you have a use for that old lawn mower /car oil.

Well "Earth worm's" what do you think? Good or not so good idea's for these long winters days projects?

More tomorrow evening,🥇