|
<<<back
Ultra Light Hoe
Jennifer Purple, our Gardening with Disabilities Secretary, has
had rheumatoid arthritis from early childhood. Now she also has
to cope with the effects of long-term medication.
 |
Jenny is only
able to manage very lightweight, suitable devices. Jenny is passionate
about growing flowers and has a large raised bed close to her front
door.
I have devised a little hoe for Jenny by cutting away the larger
part of a ‘surplus’ fish slice. The slice and the shaft are of stainless
steel and the handle is wooden. The tool is extendible by placing
the wooden handle inside a plastic tube.
To secure the connection, the plastic tube with the handle inside
was drilled to fit a 6mm plastic wall plug.
The wall plug provides a very light weight securing pin that can
be inserted and extracted easily. Jenny can use the extended tool
in her raised bed by resting the long handle on her shoulder.
This helps her to control the longer hoe more easily using both
hands in an appropriate comfortable position. The shorter hoe is
best for nearer weeding.
I also devised a handy detachable hook from a very lightweight wire
coat hanger; the hook attached to the end of the plastic tube has
a use for retrieving, lifting and positioning light objects.
Dimension's Hoe Weight 1.1/4 oz 35gm Length 12.1/2inches 32cm
Extended Hoe Weight 6oz 178gm Length 54" 137cm Plastic tube inside
diameter ¾" 18mm.
Keith Smith
with a selection of his own customised tools. |
Keith Smith’s special tools
Keith Smith has designed most of his own tools; his
movement is restricted to his right hand and arm only.
With most of his gardening tools he uses a sideways action, consequently
the majority of his tool heads work with blades parallel to their
handles.
In the photo it shows that the hoe and rake have their blade and
tines positioned parallel to the their handles.
Keith grows vegetables throughout the year using these tools in
his large raised beds. Mainly for his wife and himself, but giving
some to his able bodied neighbour.
The tool Keith is using in the photograph is his side mounted trowel.
Keith uses this adapted hoe less these days since I adapted a short
handled winged weeder for him. (The long handled version was dealt
with in a previous review).
The next tool is his rake. Finally his dibber. The dibber is a dual-purpose
tool. It was constructed using 2 lengths of heavy hoe shaft wood,
joined by a length of partly-hoop shaped steel rod.
One wooden end of the tool is tapered for penetrating the ground;
the other end is flattened to firm the soil after planting.
Dimensions: Length. The tools in the photograph are all approx.
27" long. Weight: Trowel 16oz 448grm. Fork 10oz 280grms. Dibber
14oz 392 grm.
Keith has a strong arm, wrist, and grip. He suggests that all the
tools could be made lighter for people with less strength.
Where
and when you can catch Tony>>>
|
